Geography & environment — Kyrgyzstan
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources.
Profile updated 2026-06-02
⚡ Geography & environment at a glance
Location, land area, terrain, climate, and natural resources. Key figure for Kyrgyzstan: Asia
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Location & size
- Geographic Location
Asia
- Geographic Coordinates
41 00 N, 75 00 E
- Total Area
77,201 Square Miles 199,951 Square Kilometers
- Land Area
74,054 Square Miles 191,801 Square Kilometers
- Water Area
3,147 Square Miles 8,150 Square Kilometers
- Land Boundaries
1,896 Miles 3,051 Kilometers
- Border Countries
China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km
Physical geography
- Terrain
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation
- Highest Point
7,439 Meters
- Highest Point Location
Jengish Chokusu (Pik Pobedy) 7,439 m
- Lowest Point
132 Meters
- Lowest Point Location
Kara-Daryya (Karadar'ya) 132 m
- Natural Resources
- abundant hydropower
- significant deposits of gold and rare earth metals
- locally exploitable coal, oil, and natural gas
- other deposits of nepheline, mercury, bismuth, lead, and zinc
- Irrigated Land
3,942 Square Miles 10,210 Square Kilometers
Climate & time
- Time Zone
UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Climate
- Climate
The Kyrgyz Republic is positioned near the middle of the Eurasian landmass, and there is no body of water large enough to influence weather patterns. Those factors create a distinctly continental climate that has significant local variations. Although the mountains tend to collect clouds and block sunlight (reducing some narrow valleys at certain times of year to no more than three or four hours of sunlight per day), the country is generally sunny, receiving as much as 2,900 hours of sunlight per year in some areas. The same conditions also affect temperatures, which can vary significantly from place to place. In January the warmest average temperature (24.8°F, -4°C) occurs around the southern city of Osh, and around Lake Issyk-Kul. The latter, which has a volume of 416 cubic miles (1738 cubic kilometers), does not freeze in winter. Indeed, its name means "hot lake" in Kyrgyz. The coldest temperatures are in mountain valleys. There, readings can fall to -22°F (30°C) or lower; the record is -64°F (-53.6°C) . The average temperature for July similarly varies from 81°F (27°C) in the Fergana Valley, where the record high is 111°F (44°C) , to a low of 14°F (-10°C) on the highest mountain peaks. Precipitation varies from 79 inches per year in the mountains above the Fergana Valley to less than 4 inches per year on the west bank of Issyk-Kul. Bishkek's weather is fairly mild. In Bishkek, nighttime temperatures in January can be in the teens (Fahrenheit), but daytime temperatures often rise to above freezing, enough for snow and ice to begin melting. Summer temperatures can rise above 90°F (32°C) by the end of May. The air is dry year round.
- Terrain
peaks of Tien Shan and associated valleys and basins encompass entire nation
- Location
Central Asia, west of China, south of Kazakhstan
- Total Area
77,201 Square Miles 199,951 Square Kilometers
- Border Countries
China 858 km, Kazakhstan 1,051 km, Tajikistan 870 km, Uzbekistan 1,099 km
Environment
- Environment - Current Issues
water pollution
many people get their water directly from contaminated streams and wells
as a result, water-borne diseases are prevalent
increasing soil salinity from faulty irrigation practices
- Environment - International Agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
