Page last updated on February 08, 2019

Location:
Central Asia, west of China, south of Kyrgyzstan

Geographic coordinates:
39 00 N, 71 00 E

Map references:
Asia

Area:
total: 144,100 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
land: 141,510 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 2,590 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 97

Area - comparative:
slightly smaller than Wisconsin

Land boundaries:
total: 4,130 km
[see also: Land boundaries - total country ranks ]
border countries (4): Afghanistan 1357 km, China 477 km, Kyrgyzstan 984 km, Uzbekistan 1312 km

Coastline:
0 km (landlocked)
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

Maritime claims:
none (landlocked)

Climate:
mid-latitude continental, hot summers, mild winters; semiarid to polar in Pamir Mountains
More Climate Details

Terrain:
mountainous region dominated by the Trans-Alay Range in the north and the Pamirs in the southeast; western Fergana Valley in north, Kofarnihon and Vakhsh Valleys in southwest

Elevation:
mean elevation: 3,186 m
[see also: Elevation - mean elevation country ranks ]
elevation extremes: 300 m lowest point: Syr Darya (Sirdaryo)
7495 highest point: Qullai Ismoili Somoni

Natural resources:
hydropower, some petroleum, uranium, mercury, brown coal, lead, zinc, antimony, tungsten, silver, gold

Land use:
agricultural land: 34.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - agricultural land country ranks ]
arable land: 6.1% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
permanent pasture: 27.7% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - permanent pasture country ranks ]
forest: 2.9% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - forest country ranks ]
other: 62.4% (2011 est.)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
7,420 sq km (2012)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Population distribution:
the country's population is concentrated at lower elevations, with perhaps as much as 90% of the people living in valleys; overall density increases from east to west

Natural hazards:
earthquakes; floods

Environment - current issues:
areas of high air pollution from motor vehicles and industry; water pollution from agricultural runoff and disposal of untreated industrial waste and sewage; poor management of water resources; soil erosion; increasing levels of soil salinity

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

Geography - note:
landlocked; highest point, Qullai Ismoili Somoni (formerly Communism Peak), was the tallest mountain in the former USSR