Kazakhstan is an immense country, its endless steppes stretch for thousands of kilometers from the Caspian Sea to the Altai Mountains, from Western Siberia to the deserts of Central Asia. The Kazakh steppe occupies one-third of the country’s territory, making it the world’s largest dry steppe region.
However, it is wrong to assume that only plains and deserts can be found in Kazakhstan. Its landscapes are very diverse. In the southern part of the country, along the borders with Kyrgyzstan, the snowy peaks of the Tien Shan mountain range, represented by the Dzhungarsky and Zailiysky Alatau ranges, rise. It is an ideal place for lovers of wildlife and outdoor activities (mountaineering, trekking, horseback riding, and cycling). Amazing landscapes can be found in the southern region, famous for its delightful nature. Here the Charyn canyon with Martian landscapes, azure lakes Kolsay and Kaindy, Altyn Emel with its singing dunes are located.
In the east area, the Altai and Tarbagatai mountains with coniferous forests and alpine meadows are situated. The west of the country is washed by the waters of the Caspian Sea. On the Mangyshlak peninsula, the Karagiye trench is located at an altitude of 132 meters below sea level. Also here you can see the low Mugodzhary mountains, the continuation of the Ural Mountains. The north of the country is located on the West Siberian Plain.
On the territory of Kazakhstan, there are more than 47 thousand lakes, the largest is the Caspian Sea. Rich water resources contribute to the development of shipping and fishing. The Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash are other large reservoirs. What makes Balkhash unique is that one-half of its waters are salty, while the other is fresh. Important rivers of Kazakhstan are Irtysh, Syrdarya, Ural, and Ili.
As for flora and fauna, they are extremely rich and include many endemic species of animals and plants. To protect them, more than 10 nature reserves and 10 national parks function in Kazakhstan. Rare plant species include Greig’s tulip, sand acacia, wild apple trees, wild grapes. Plains are covered by plants such as poplar, haloxylon, and tamarix. In the Kazakh steppes and deserts, you can find hares, foxes, lizards, scorpions, and karakurt spider. In the highlands, there are snow leopards, bears, lynxes, roe deer, deer, ibex, and many other species of animals. A famous symbol of western Kazakhstan is the endemic Caspian seal, the smallest seal in the world. In the central part of the Alakol area in the south of Kazakhstan, you can find another amazing animal creature – a flamingo.
