Uzbekistan Geography 1997

Location Central Asia, north of Afghanistan

Geographic coordinates 41 00 N, 64 00 E

Map references Commonwealth of Independent States

Area
total: 447,400 sq km
land: 425,400 sq km
water: 22,000 sq km

Area - comparative slightly larger than California

Land boundaries
total: 6,221 km
border countries: Afghanistan 137 km, Kazakstan 2,203 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,099 km, Tajikistan1,161 km, Turkmenistan 1,621 km

Coastline 0 km
note : Uzbekistan borders the Aral Sea (420 km)

Maritime claims none (doubly landlocked)

Climate mostly midlatitude desert, long, hot summers, mild winters; semiaridgrassland in east

Terrain mostly flat-to-rolling sandy desert with dunes; broad, flat intenselyirrigated river valleys along course of Amu Darya and Syr Darya; Fergana Valleyin east surrounded by mountainous Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan; shrinking AralSea in west

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Sariqarnish Kuli -12 m
highest point: Adelunga Toghi 4,301 m

Natural resources natural gas, petroleum, coal, gold, uranium, silver, copper, lead andzinc, tungsten, molybdenum

Land use
arable land: 9%
permanent crops : 1%
permanent pastures: 46%
forests and woodland: 3%
other: 41% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 40,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards NA

Environment - current issues drying up of the Aral Sea is resulting in growing concentrations ofchemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then blown fromthe increasingly exposed lake bed and contribute to desertification; waterpollution from industrial wastes and the heavy use of fertilizers and pesticidesis the cause of many human health disorders; increasing soil salinization;soil contamination from agricultural chemicals, including DDT

Environment - international agreements
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Environmental Modification,Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note Uzbekistan and Liechtenstein are the only two doubly landlocked countriesin the world

NOTE: The information regarding Uzbekistan on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Uzbekistan Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Uzbekistan Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.