▁of ▁K uz net sk ▁Al ata u ▁and ▁the ▁Ab ak an ▁Range ) ▁cover ▁two - third s ▁of ▁the ▁republic ' s ▁territory ▁and ▁serve ▁as ▁the ▁natural ▁boundaries ▁of ▁the ▁republic . ▁The ▁remaining ▁territory ▁is ▁flat , ▁with ▁the ▁Min us in sk ▁H ollow ▁being ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁feature . ▁The ▁Y en ise i ▁is ▁the ▁largest ▁river ▁in ▁the ▁republic . ▁Other ▁significant ▁rivers ▁include ▁the ▁Ab ak an , ▁Tom ’ , ▁White ▁I y us , ▁Black ▁I y us , ▁and ▁the ▁Ch ul ym ▁( between ▁the ▁Y en ise i ▁and ▁the ▁eastern ▁mountains ), ▁with ▁the ▁last ▁four ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Ob ▁bas in . ▁There ▁are ▁over ▁three ▁hundred ▁la kes ▁in ▁the ▁republic , ▁both ▁salt - ▁and ▁fresh - water . ▁Cl imate ▁is ▁contin ental , ▁with ▁the ▁average ▁annual ▁temperature ▁of ▁. ▁Natural ▁resources ▁are ▁abund ant ▁and ▁include ▁iron , ▁gold , ▁silver , ▁coal , ▁oil , ▁and ▁natural ▁gas . ▁Mol y b den um ▁depos its ▁are ▁the ▁largest ▁in ▁Russia . ▁For ests ▁cover ▁the ▁south ▁and ▁the ▁west ▁of ▁the ▁republic . ▁ ▁History ▁▁ ▁The ▁territory ▁of ▁modern ▁Kh ak ass ia ▁was ▁the ▁core ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Y en ise i ▁Kir gh iz ▁state ▁from ▁the ▁ 6 th ▁century   CE . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century , ▁following ▁a ▁defeat ▁by ▁the ▁Mong ols , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁K yr