 Kazakhstan
at a glance |
 Official Name: Republic of Kazakhstan
Area: 2, 717, 300 sq km
Population: 16.5 million
Ethnic Mix: 48% Kazakh, 34% Russian, 5% Ukrainian,
3% German, 2% Uzbek, 8% Others
Capital: Astana
Currency: Tenge
Country Code: 7 |
Kazakhstan,
spreading from the Caspian Sea to China and from
Siberia to the Tian Shan range, is the largest of
the Central Asian republics, covering some 2.7 million
square kilometers. It is bordered by Russia to the
north, the Caspian Sea to the south-west, Turkmenistan,
Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan to the south, and China
to the east. It is also the least densely populated
country. The population of Kazakhstan totals over
16.8 million people, half of whom are Kazakh, with
a sizeable Russian community, and smaller concentrations
of Ukrainians, Germans, Uzbeks and Tartars. Religion
in the country is more or less equally split between
Muslim and Russian Orthodox. Kazakhstan has huge
reserves of mineral resources, which make it very
attractive for investments from the west.
Until recently the capital of the country was the
south-eastern city of Almaty, but was changed in
1998 to Akmola, which located in the north. Later
its name was changed to Astana.
Kazakhstan gained its independence from the former
Soviet Union on 16 December 1991, and celebrates
its national day as Day of the Republic on 25 October
each year.
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