The countries that border Kazakhstan are China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Highest Point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy 6,995 m Lowest Point: Vpadina Kaundy 132 m Total area: 2,724,900 km Total land: 2,699,700 km Total water: 25,200 km (Slightly less than four times the size of Texas) Total distance of all land boundaries: 12,185 km Total distance of coastlines: No coastline Climate:Cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid Terrain:Vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south. Natural Disasters:Earthquakes in the south; Mudslides around Almaty Environmental Issues:Toxic chemical sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose health risks for humans and animals; Industrial pollution is severe in some cities because the two main rivers that flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts. These substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; Pollution in the Caspian Sea; Soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination because of poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices.