The relief of Kazakhstan is extremely diverse. To be convinced of this, it is enough to at least glance at the physical map of the country. But we will do it more thoroughly and in detail will tell you about the mountains, plains, rivers and deserts of one of the largest states in Eurasia.
Geography of Kazakhstan (briefly): location and borders
Kazakhstan is the largest inland country in the world (we mean those states that are not washed by the waters of the oceans). Its area is 2.72 million square meters. km, and the total length of the borders is over 13 thousand kilometers. In addition, it is the second largest state on the planet among those located immediately in two parts of the world (the border between Europe and Asia passes through Kazakhstan).
The large area of the country largely determines the diversity of its landscapes and natural complexes. The geography of Kazakhstan is interesting and extremely diverse. An interesting fact: despite the huge area, Kazakhstan has only five neighbors. It directly borders with China, Russia, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.
The border between Europe and Asia passes within the Aktobe region of the country. Most often, it is carried out along the eastern foothills of the Mugodzhary Mountains, then along the Emba River and the Caspian.
The relief of Kazakhstan is characterized by high contrast. The total elevation in the country exceeds 7000 meters! The climate of Kazakhstan is temperate continental and quite arid. In summer, there is often debilitating heat, and in winter - severe cold (up to -40 degrees Celsius). In early spring, climatic contrasts in Kazakhstan are especially noticeable: when snowstorms are still raging in the north of the country, trees can bloom in the south.
Next, we will talk in more detail about the interesting and special relief of Kazakhstan. Where in the country can you see mountains? Where are the plains and where are the deserts?
General features of the relief of Kazakhstan
About 15% of the country's territory is occupied by mountain systems and ridges, about 30% are plains and plateaus, 10% are lowlands, 45% are deserts and semi-deserts. Such a diverse relief of Kazakhstan is explained by the rather complex geological structure of this territory. The country is located in a place where a stable East European platform, a moving Alpine belt, and also folded structures of the Ural-Mongolian belt converge.
The unique features of the relief of Kazakhstan also lie in significant differences in absolute heights within the state. So, the lowest point of the country is located on the coast of the Caspian Sea (Karagie basin, 132 meters below sea level). But the highest point almost reaches the mark of 7 thousand meters (Khan-Tengri peak in the south-east of the country).
The highest mountains in Kazakhstan are concentrated along the eastern and southeastern borders of the state. These are Altai, Tarbagatay, Dzungarian Alatau, as well as the spurs of the Tien Shan. In addition, in the north of the country is the southern tip of the Ural mountain system.
The plains of Kazakhstan are located in the north, in the center and in the northwest of the state. In the west and south, lowlands prevail. A long Turgai hollow cuts the country from north to south, in which two large rivers of Kazakhstan, Turgai and Tobol, have made their way.
Deserts occupy vast territories in the west (in the Caspian region), in the south, as well as in the central-eastern part of the country.
Hydrology of Kazakhstan
Over 85 thousand natural watercourses flow within the country. The largest rivers of Kazakhstan are the Urals, Tobol, Ishim, Ili and Syr Darya. The densest river network is characteristic of high mountain regions, and the lowest is observed in desert zones. Most Kazakhstani rivers carry their waters to the Aral and Caspian Seas.
There are many lakes in Kazakhstan. True, there are only 21 large water bodies with an area of more than 100 square kilometers. Among them are the Caspian and Aral Sea, Balkhash, Tengiz, Alakol and others. Most of the lakes in this country are concentrated in its northern and central regions.
Kazakhstan also has 13 artificial reservoirs. The total volume of fresh water in them is approximately 87 thousand cubic meters. km
Kazakhstan steppes
Steppes and semi-deserts in total occupy about 70% of the territory of this Central Asian country. Many of their plots are in their original form or slightly changed by human economic activity.
The Kazakhstan steppe stretches a wide belt for almost 2 thousand kilometers: from the Ural river valley in the west to the Altai mountains in the east. By area, it is the largest array of dry steppe landscapes in the world. The climate here is continental and very arid: the average annual rainfall rarely exceeds 350-400 mm.
Due to insufficient moisture, vegetation in the Kazakhstan steppes is very scarce, there are practically no trees. But the fauna is rich in species and diversity. There are many unique mammals here: saiga, marmot-baibak, steppe pika, Siberian roe deer and others. No less rich is this region of avifauna. In the steppes of Kazakhstan you can find an eagle, a black lark, a pink pelican, a black stork, a flamingo, a kite, a golden eagle, a white-tailed eagle.
The Kazakhstan steppe is most beautiful and picturesque in the spring, at the beginning and in the middle of May. It was at this time that poppies, irises and many other bright flowers bloomed here, turning the gray, lifeless area into a colorful carpet of thousands of flowering field plants.
Kazakhstan deserts
Deserts and semi-deserts occupy almost half of Kazakhstan. They stretch almost a continuous strip from the coast of the Aral Sea to the mountain ranges of the eastern part of the country. The deserts of Kazakhstan are vast and poorly developed: it is extremely rare for their flat and wild landscapes to revive tiny villages, picturesque hills or caravans of phlegmatic camels.
Within Kazakhstan, there are deserts of the most diverse genetic types: rocky, sandy, gravel, solonchak and clay.
The Betpak-Dala desert with an area of about 75 thousand square kilometers is located in the heart of the country. In the relief, it is represented by a flat plain with average heights of 300-400 meters. Summer is very dry and hot, with no more than 150 mm of rainfall per year. In depressions of the desert, salt marshes and fancy takyrs with unusual appearance are widespread.
South of Betpak Dala are the Sands of Moyynkum. This desert is almost half as large in area. In the south, it is bounded by the mountain ranges of Karatau and the Kyrgyz Alatau. Accordingly, the average altitudes above sea level are higher here - 700-800 meters. The climate here is a little milder, with rainfall up to 300 mm per year. Many areas of the desert are used by local residents as pastures for livestock.
Structures of the Ural mountain belt
As already noted above, the southern tip of the Ural mountain country is located within Kazakhstan. Here it is represented by the Pre-Ural and Trans-Ural plateaus, the Mugodzhary mountains, as well as several smaller ridges and ridges (Shirkala, Shoshkakol and others).
The Ural Plateau stretches between the Caspian Lowland in the west and Mugodzhary in the east. It gradually decreases to the west and southwest, smoothly passing into a slightly hilly plain. The average height of the plateau is 150-300 meters above sea level.
Mugodzhary is the extreme southern spur of the Ural Mountains with absolute heights of up to 657 meters (the peak of Mount Boktybai). These mountains, in fact, are a chain of low and gentle hills covered with sparse vegetation. In some places there are relict birch groves. Mugodzhary is an important raw material base of Kazakhstan. Crushed stone and other building stone are mined here.
Mountains of eastern and south-eastern Kazakhstan
The most mountainous part of Kazakhstan is the east and south-east of the country. Here the Altai and Tarbagatai ranges rise, separated by the basin of Lake Zaysan. Spurs of the Tien Shan stretch along the border with China and Kyrgyzstan. By the way, this is where the highest point of the country is located. In the southeastern part of Kazakhstan there are a number of high mountain ranges: Karatau, Dzhungarsky and Zailiysky Alatau, Toksanbay and others.
Within the Karaganda region are the Karkaraly mountains. This massif is composed mainly of granites, quartzites and porphyrites and is known for its rich deposits of polymetallic ores.
In the south of the country there is a large and very picturesque ridge Karatau (spur of the Tien Shan). Numerous sites of an ancient man were discovered here. Due to this event, the ridge is a candidate for inclusion in the UNESCO conservation list. The Karatau massif is composed of various rocks: sandstones, shales, limestones and others. Within its borders, karst processes and phenomena are widely developed. On the slopes of Karatau, deposits of uranium, iron, polymetallic ores, as well as phosphorites, are being developed.
Mangyshlak Plateau
The Mangyshlak (or Mangistau) plateau is located on the peninsula of the same name in the western part of the country. Its average altitude is 200-300 meters above sea level. From the north of the plateau are bordered by the mountains of Mangistau with heights of up to 556 meters. In the east, it smoothly passes into the neighboring Ustyurt plateau.
There are at least two variants of the origin of the name of the plateau. So, the word "Mangistau" is translated from the Kazakh language as "a thousand winter huts." But the Turkmen researcher K. Annaniyazov translates the word "mangylshak" as "a big village." In Soviet times, the name Mangyshlak was assigned to this board, but in modern Kazakhstan it is called differently - Mangistau.
"Desert. Without any vegetation - sand and stone, ”- the famous Ukrainian poet Taras Grigorievich Shevchenko described these places. Indeed, the climate here is sharply continental and extremely arid, there are practically no rivers with a constant stream. The local area is characterized by a rich world of birds, of which there are more than a hundred different species.
The Mangyshlak plateau is rich in mineral resources. There are deposits of oil, copper, manganese ores, rock crystal and phosphorites. Mangyshlak also has a lot of sources of healing mineral waters: chloride, bromine and sodium.
What else is interesting Mangyshlak plateau? It is impossible not to mention the fact that at its eastern end a unique depression Karagiye was formed - the deepest in Kazakhstan and one of the deepest in the world. It is located 132 meters below sea level.
Caspian lowland
We have already talked about mountain ranges, plains, steppes and deserts of Kazakhstan. But the description of the relief of this country will be incomplete without mentioning its largest lowland.
The Caspian lowland is a huge territory with an area of 200 thousand square kilometers (the Republic of Belarus occupies about the same area). It borders the northern part of the Caspian Sea. At the same time, the hills of General Syrt limit the lowlands from the north , and the Ustyurt and the Ural Plateau from the west. The lowland has the appearance of an almost flat surface, slightly inclined towards the Caspian. Its absolute heights range from –30 to 150 meters above sea level.
The valleys of five large rivers cross the Caspian lowland: the Volga, Urals, Emba, Terek and Kuma. Within the lowlands there are many shallow lakes from which salt is actively mined.
The climate of the region is sharply continental, arid, dry winds are frequent here. Wormwood and grass steppes grow in the northern part of the lowland, and desert and semi-desert landscapes dominate in the southern part. Often there are salt marshes and salt marshes. Local residents use the Caspian lowland as a huge pasture. Vegetable and melon growing are also developing here.
The highest peak of Kazakhstan
Khan Tengri is the pointed pyramidal peak of the Tien Shan, the highest point of Kazakhstan. The absolute height of the mountain is 6995 meters, taking into account the glacial shell - 7010 meters.
Formally, the Khan-Tengri mountain is at the junction of three states: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China - thus personifying peace and friendly relations between these three countries. The first in history to climb this peak were Soviet climbers: Mikhail Pogrebetskiy, Boris Tyurin and Franz Sauberre. It happened in 1931. The group was well armed in the event of an attack by the Basmachi - partisans who fought against Soviet power in Central Asia.
6 interesting facts about the top of Khan Tengri:
- the peak has a second name - Bloody Mountain (due to the large number of climbers who died when climbing it);
- today there are 25 different routes on which you can climb to this peak;
- a special capsule is buried at the top, in which all climbers leave their wishes to its next conquerors;
- famous climber Anatoly Bukreev called this peak one of the most beautiful on the planet;
- in 2002 in Kyrgyzstan issued a banknote of 100 soms with a peak image;
- the climber from Khan-Tengri peak is the climber from Novosibirsk Gleb Sokolov, who climbed to the top 34 times!