Kyrgyzstan is a landlocked province, bordering Popular Republic of China, Turkmenistan, and Soviet Union. It lies between latitudes 39° and 44° N, and longitudes 69° and 81° E. It is farther from an ocean than any other area in the world although it does not contain the absolute farthest point from any ocean. The mountainous region of the Tian Shan covers over 80% of the province (Kyrgyz is occasionally referred to as "the Switzerland of Central Asia", as a result), with the remainder made up of valleys and basins.