The northernmost point of Kazakhstan - 55'26' northern latitude - corresponds with the southern latitude of the central part of the East European Plain and the southern part of the British Isles (the latitude of Moscow), the southernmost - 40'56’ northern latitude - with the South Caucasus and the Mediterranean countries of Southern Europe (the latitude of Madrid, Istanbul and Baku).
Most of the territory of Kazakhstan is the valley, framed by the mountains in the east and southeast. Along the borders with Kyrgyzstan the mountains rise up to almost 5 000 meters above sea level, and Karagiye cavity (Batyr) in Mangyshlak is located 132 meters below sea level.
There are 48 000 large and small lakes. Among them are the Aral Sea, Balkhash, Zaisan, Alakol, Tengiz, Seletytengiz
In the west is the Caspian lowland, in the south-west is Mangyshlak peninsula, in the central part - Kazakh low hills, in the north - the southern edge of the West Siberian Plain, in the east and south-east - the Altai Mountains, Tarbagatay, Zhungar Alatau and Tien-Shan. The highest peak is the Mount KhanTengni (Saryzhaz ridge) - 6 995 meters above sea level
The Republic of Kazakhstan has a unique landscape and rich biological diversity. Its natural areas are the landscapes, represented by northern deserts, alpine meadows and permanent snow cover.
A significant part of the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a plain, surrounded by mountains in the south-east and east. In the borders between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the mountains can reach 5 000 meters above sea level. The north of the country is the south of the West Siberian Plain, and its center is the Kazakh low hills, while there are the mountains of Altai, Tien-Shan, Tarbagatai, etc in the south-east and east.
In Kazakhstan, there are 8 500 large and small rivers. The largest rivers of Kazakhstan are Ural and Emba, flowing into the Caspian Sea and the Syrdarya - to the Aral Sea, Irtysh, Ishim and Tobol run across the country and flow into the Arctic Ocean.
Among the deserts of Kazakhstan are the desert Betpak Dala, desert Ustyurt, sandy desert Kyzyikum, desert Moyunkum and Aral Karakum. It is a home to gazelles and jerboas, as well as a viper. In addition to it, 16 species of snakes have been identified in Kazakhstan. Of course, we should not forget about the biggest lizard, inhabiting the Kyzylkum desert only - the gray lizards.