Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyz: Кыргызстан; Russian: Киргизия, variously transliterated, also Kirgizia or Kirghizia) (IPA pronunciation: /ˈkəːgɪztan/), officially the Kyrgyz Republic, is a country in Central Asia. Landlocked and mountainous, it borders Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the southwest and the People's Republic of China to the southeast.