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 (CIA rank, may be based on non-current data):
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 ]
lowest point:
Syr Darya (Sirdaryo) 300 m
highest point:
Qullai Ismoili Somoni 7,495 m
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 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