The western plains are part of Turan Depression, while those to the north belonging to the West Siberian Depression, these two lowlands are united among themselves by a depression known as Turgajskaja łożbina. The central-eastern region of the country is made up of the vast plateau of Kazakhstan hills. In the eastern and south-eastern side of the country rise up the mountain ranges of the Tien Shan, while in the north-eastern lies the Altaj mountains. In the Tien Shan massif along the border between Kazakhstan, China and Kyrgyzstan is the highest mountain of Kazakhstan, the Khan Tengri (7,010 metres). The south-west area of the country is characterized by arid land sometimes real desert areas, including between the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea extends the Ustyurt plateau, a rocky desert, while to the south-east of Aral Sea is the Kyzylkum desert, including between the Aral Sea and Lake Balkash are the Betbakdala and Muyunkum deserts. Towards the west, Kazakhstan has a long coastline on the Caspian Sea (the largest lake of the world, 371,000 sq km) in this area is the lowest point of the country, the depression of Vpadina Kaundy (-132 meters). Among the lakes, belong to Kazakhstan the northern section of Aral Sea (salty lake, 41,000 sq km, but now reduced to only 17,000 sq. km), Lake Balkash (16,996 sq km), which has the peculiarity of having its western side freshwater, while the east is salty, Lake Alakol (salty lake, 2,650 sq km), and Lake Zaysan (freshwater lake, 1,810 sq km). The rivers in the country are Syr-Darya, Ural, Ili, Irtyš, Ishim and Tobol. In Kazakhstan, notable is the development of agriculture, there are grown wheat, rice, barley, corn, rye, oats, sugar beets, cotton, vegetables, fruit, tobacco, it is also well developed breeding (sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, poultry), but the true wealth of the country are its mineral deposits (uranium, silver, nickel, bauxite, manganese, cromite, copper, coal, oil, natural gas, iron, zinc, cobalt, lead) which are linked to the ongoing industrial activities especially in the steel, metallurgical, mechanical, chemical, petrochemical sectors with addition to the processing of agricultural products. In Bajkonur has been established an important space center.