Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world, equal in size to the whole of Western Europe, a huge land encompassing two time zones, stretching from China to the Caspian Sea. It has an ethnically mixed population of 15 million people including Kazakhs, Russians, Ukranians, Uzbeks and others. Kazakhstan is potentially the richest of all the Central Asian countries with huge mineral and oil reserves.The Eastern part of Kazakhstan and the area around Almaty is extremely mountainous, with beautiful alpine scenery, densely forested valleys, multicolored lakes and pristine glaciers. Travelling to the west in Kazakhstan the mountains give way to the vast steppes and also the desert.
Nomadic people have inhabited the vast steppes of Central Asia for many thousands of years but the Kazakh, a Turkic people, distantly related to Genghis Khan's hordes, emerged as a distinct nationality in the 15th century. By the 17th century the Russians had arrived and in 1640, Guriyev (now Atyrau) became part of the Russian Empire. By 1848 all of Kazakhstan was under Russian rule and in 1854 the Russians established a fort called Verny, which later became Almaty. Kazakhstan became one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union until 1991 when it gained its independence.
Nomadic people have inhabited the vast steppes of Central Asia for many thousands of years but the Kazakh, a Turkic people, distantly related to Genghis Khan's hordes, emerged as a distinct nationality in the 15th century. By the 17th century the Russians had arrived and in 1640, Guriyev (now Atyrau) became part of the Russian Empire. By 1848 all of Kazakhstan was under Russian rule and in 1854 the Russians established a fort called Verny, which later became Almaty. Kazakhstan became one of the constituent republics of the Soviet Union until 1991 when it gained its independence.
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