Wildlife Kazakhstan [antikvár]

[Kazakhstan is a country of extraordinary scale, beauty and variety. Within the borders of the world's ninth largest country can be found snow-capped mountains reaching almost 7.000 metres, thousands of beautiful lakes and vast steppe and desert regions.The landscapes are breath-taking and the biological diversity extremely rich. A network of national parks and reserves protects the many internationally important populations of rare and threatened species which have made Kazakhstan their home.Situated in the centre of the Eurasian landmass, Kazakhstan is as large as Western Europe. It stretches east to west for almost 3.000 kilometres from China to the Caspian Sea, and from the sands of the Kyzylkum desert in the south to the wooded steppe of the Russian borders to the north.Kazakhstan's climate is continental. Temperatures can reach as high as +50°C in the deserts in the summer and as low as -50°C in the centre and east of the country in winter.The country's diverse geology, together with the effects of this extreme climate, have helped forge truly unique landscapes and wildlife. In the west, close to the Caspian Sea, the Karagiye basin, at 132 meters below sea level, is one of the lowest spots on the planet. In contrast, Kazakhstan's highest point is the summit of Khan Tengri, one of the world's most beautiful peaks and part of the spectacular Tien Shan mountain range.Kazakhstan is also home to the vast Ustryurt desert plateau, separated from the surrounding plains by cliffs as high as 300 meters and the sands of Priaralskie Karakumi. Further to the east are the Moiynkum and Taukum deserts and the sand massifs of the Southern Pribalkhashie.It is in these vast areas of steppe that the true soul of Kazakhstan resides. The steppe extends across several climatic zones, from the Russian border in Western Kazkhstan to the foothills of the Altai mountains. The northernmost regions of Kazakhstan, bordering the huge Western Siberian depression, are filled with grass and woodland as the steppe begins to turns into dense forest.