Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is located in the center of Eurasia, to the south of the Ural Mountains, the Caspian Sea surrounds Kazakhstan in the south-west. The area of Kazakhstan is about 2717300 km ². It borders with Russia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China.
Kazakhstan is an open-air museum. The uniqueness of nature is that it does not resemble anything in the world. Interesting flora and fauna fascinates visitors and travellers, gives them unforgettable impressions.
Even the locals often say that their land remains to some extent completely unexplored.
Numerous historical monuments are located throughout the country. Be sure to visit the city of Almaty, a very interesting place, a city that combines national identity and modern development. Near by the city there is a beautiful nature reserve, with the area almost 90,000 hectares.
When is the best time to come to Kazakhstan
The climate of Kazakhstan is sharply continental: the average January temperatures range from -18 ° in the north and to -3 ° C in the south, and in July - 19 ° and 28-30 ° C, respectively. Precipitation in the north drops to 300 mm, in the deserts - less than 100 mm, in the mountains - to 1600 mm.
Summer in the country is hot and arid. The temperature can reach up to 50 ° C (in the city of Turkestan in the South Kazakhstan region). Winter in the country is with a little snow and cold, the temperature can reach -58 ° C.
The most favorable time for visiting the northern regions of Kazakhstan in the summer, and in the southern - in the early autumn or late spring.
Nature of Kazakhstan
The vegetation of Kazakhstan is very diverse: on the northern part the forest-steppe predominates with the replacement of aspen-birch groves and meadow steppes. The typical dry steppe occupies most of the country. In the south, there are semi-deserts with barchan sands, shrubby and cereal vegetation. Tugai forests grow in river valleys.
In the mountains of South and South-East Kazakhstan are represented all the high-altitude belts: from the foothills to dark coniferous forests (from cedar, fir, spruce) and alpine meadows.
The animal world is rich: steppe saigas, bustard, desert jerboa, steppe cats, gazelle and mountain-dwelling wild sheep, snow leopards and bears. Many rare species are protected in natural reserves - Alma-Ata, Aksu-Jabagly, Barsakelmes, Naurzum and Kurgaldzhinsky.
Geography
The main part of the territory of Kazakhstan has a flat relief. The central part is occupied by the mountain system of the Kazakh Hills.
From the east and south, it is surrounded by the ridges of the Tien Shan, Zailiysk and Dzhungar Alatau and Altai mountains with altitudes from 3000 to 7000 m. On the border of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan is the highest point of the country and the second highest peak of the Tien Shan - Khan Tengri peak (7010 m ).
Lake Balkhash (area - 18200 km²) is the largest of the lakes completely located in the territory of Kazakhstan, it is semi-freshwater (in the western part there is fresh water, in the eastern part – salt water).