Category: Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is located in both Eastern Europe and Central Asia. The country is the ninth largest in the world and largest landlocked country of the world. The territory of Kazakhstan is larger than the Western Europe. Kazakhstan is bordered by Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Russia and a major part of Caspian Sea. The capital of Kazakhstan is Astana which is also the largest city of the country. The landscape of the country ranges from steppes, rock-canyons, deltas, hills, taigas, snow-capped mountains, flatlands and deserts. The country is inhabited by nomadic tribes since the Neolithic age. During 15th century, a distinct group of Kazakhs emerged from the Turkic tribes.

Kazakhstan became a part of Russian Empire by mid-19th century. Kazakhstan got independence in the year 1991 from Soviet Union. Officially the country is presidential republic, but with authoritarian characteristics. President is the commander-in-chief of armed forces and the first and only president of the country is Nursultan Nazarbayev. The bicameral parliament of the country consists of lower and upper houses. The economy of the country mainly depends on crude oil and other important exports are textiles, livestock and wheat. Fossil fuel and mineral resources are abundant in the country.

The population of Kazakhstan is around 18 million and 63.1% of the people are ethnic Kazakhs and ethnic Russians consist of 23.7% of the population. Other ethnic groups are Ukrainians, Belarusians, Lithuanians, Poles, Uzbeks, Tatars, Azerbaijanis and Uyghurs. Kazakh language and Russian are the two major languages spoken by the people of the country. Kazakh language is the state language and Russian is the official language. English is also used by the Kazakh people. Majority of the population are Muslims and other religions of the country are Christianity, Buddhism, Jewish, Hinduism, Judaism, Baha’i and others. Most of the Muslims are Sunnis.

Kazakhstan is blessed with mountains covered by snow, lakes, sand dunes, glaciers, steppes and wildlife sanctuaries. Kazakhstan is the cradle of ancient civilizations with its economic, ideological, social and cultural links between Asia and Europe. You can find numerous cultural, architectural, historical and archaeological monuments in the country. Almaty is former capital of Kazakhstan with fresh fountains, squares, parks, broad avenues and mountainous scenery. Some of the museums in Almaty are Central State Museum, State of Art Museum and Kazakh National Instruments. Medeo, the skating-rink of Almaty is the most visited among the tourist destinations. The highest peak of the country is Khan Tengry which lures the alpinist from different parts of the world.

Kolsai Lakes consist of three mountain lakes which are situated above sea level. The lakes are best for enjoying the natural beauty as the lakes are surrounded by forests, pines, mountain meadow and rocks. The areas around these lakes are best for outdoor activities like skiing, skating, fishing and hiking, horseback riding and swimming. The lakes also offer boat excursions to the visitors. Charyn Canyon is a famous tourist attraction as the red clayey walls consist of caves, grottoes in different sizes and shapes and deep fissures which create the impression of a large ghost city with fantastic creatures.