Kazakhstan is bordered by the Russian Federation, the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and China. For centuries, Kazakhstan's vast plains were home only to nomads and they are still virtually empty. Most settlements are concentrated in the southeast and the east of the Republic. South Kazakhstan is a focus of Central Asian history and there are many famous monuments in the region. It is a scenically diverse region where the snow-capped peaks, lakes and glaciers of the Tian Shan range give way to steppe and desert. The desert is home to the Singing Barkhan – a sand dune 3.2km (2 miles) long, which, as it crumbles, produces a peculiar singing sound. Almaty was until very recently the former capital of Kazakhstan and it enjoys a beautiful setting between mountains and plains. It is a city of modern architecture, cool fountains, parks and spectacular mountain views. Kazakh dishes include kazi, chuzhuk, suret and besbarmak (made from horse meat or mutton). There are a number of nightclubs and casinos in the main cities.

Central Asia, north of Uzbekistan.

Kazakhstan is divided into three time zones:
Eastern zone: GMT + 6.
Central zone (including Astana): GMT + 5.
Western zone: GMT + 4.

2,717,300 sq km (1,049,150 sq miles).

15.4 million (UN, 2005).

5.7 per sq km.

Astana (formerly called Akmola). Population: 600,000 (2004).

Five times the size of France and half the size of the USA, Kazakhstan is the second largest state in the Commonwealth of Independent States, and is bordered by the Russian Federation to the north and west, the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan to the southwest, Kyrgyzstan to the south and China to the southeast. 90 per cent of the country is made up of steppe, the sand massives of the Kara Kum and the vast desert of Kizilkum, while in the southeast of the country the mountains of the Tian Shan and the Altai form a great natural frontier with tens of thousands of lakes and rivers. The Aral Sea and Lake Balkhash are the country’s largest expanses of water.

Republic. Head of State: President Nursultan A Nazarbayev since 1991. Head of Government: Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov since 2003. Recent history: As the only candidate at the presidential election in December 1991, Nazarbayev won 98 per cent of the vote. He has been since been re-elected three times (in 1995, 1999 and 2005). In the most recent elections in December 2005, President Nazarbayev won over 90 per cent of the vote, an election which the opposition claimed to be rigged. International observers also reported serious flaws in the electoral process.

The official language is Kazakh, a Turkic language closely related to Uzbek, Kyrgyz, Turkmen and Turkish. The Government has begun to replace the Russian Cyrillic alphabet with the Turkish version of the Roman alphabet. Meanwhile, the Cyrillic alphabet is in general use and most people in the cities can speak Russian, whereas country people tend to only speak Kazakh. English is usually spoken by those involved in tourism. Uygur and other regional languages and dialects are also spoken.

Mainly Sunni Muslim. There are Russian Orthodox and Jewish minorities. There are 10 independent denominations of Christianity. The Kazakhs do not express their religious feelings fervently – Kazakhstan is an outlying district of the Muslim world and a meeting point of Russian, Chinese and Central Asian civilisations. Islam plays a minor role in policy and there are no significant Islamic political organisations in the country.

220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round two-pin continental plugs are standard.

Kazakhs are very hospitable. When greeting a guest, the host gives him/her both hands as if showing that he/she is unarmed. When addressing a guest or elder, a Kazakh may address him/her with a shortened form of the guest’s or elder’s name and the suffix ‘ke’. For example, Abkhan may be called Abeke, Nursultan can be called Nureke. This should be regarded as indicating a high level of respect for the visitor. At a Kazakh home, the most honoured guest, usually the oldest, is traditionally offered a boiled sheep’s head on a beautiful dish as a further sign of respect. National customs forbid young people whose parents are still alive from cutting the sheep’s head. They must pass the dish to the other guests for cutting. Inside mosques, women observe their own ritual in a separate room, and must cover their heads and their arms (see the World of Islam appendix for more information). Formal dress is often required when visiting the theatre, or attending a dinner party. Shorts should not be worn except on the sports ground.