Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world by land area, covering over 1 million square miles (2.7 million km²). While it borders the Caspian Sea, the Caspian is an inland lake with no natural connection to the world's oceans, so Kazakhstan remains legally landlocked. It is a transcontinental country, with its western parts located in Europe and the majority in Central Asia. Despite its lack of ocean access, Kazakhstan is a major economic power in the region due to its vast reserves of oil, gas, and minerals. It also shares the longest continuous land border in the world with Russia, stretching for over 4,700 miles.