Geography

Kazakhstan covers an area of 1,052,100 square miles (2,724,900 square kilometers). It borders Russia in the north and northwest, the Caspian Sea in the southwest, China in the east, and Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Aral Sea in the south.

Most of Kazakhstan consists of flat or rolling land. The northern part is mainly grassland, while much of the south and center is covered by desert. The central and eastern areas contain the Kazak Uplands and the western ranges of the Altai and other mountains. The Tien Shan mountain range lies along the southeastern border with Kyrgyzstan and China. It contains the country's highest peak, Mount Khan-Tengri, which rises to a height of 22,949 feet (6,995 meters).

The Irtysh, Ishim, and Tobol rivers in northeastern Kazakhstan flow northwest into Siberia. In the west the Ural River flows into the Caspian Sea. The Syr Darya in the south flows toward the Aral Sea and barely reaches it. The Aral Sea has shrunk drastically since the 1960s, when the Syr Darya and other rivers that flow into it were diverted for use in farming.

Plants and animals

Kazakhstan has very little wooded area. Vegetation on the plains and in the deserts consists mainly of grasses and shrubs. The plains are home to many animals, including antelope and elk. Wolves, bears, and rare animals such as the snow leopard and saiga (a hoofed animal) live in the hills.

People and culture

The Kazaks have lived in the region for centuries. They are a Turkic-speaking people who follow the Islamic faith. The Kazaks were traditionally nomads. In the 19th and 20th centuries many Russians and other groups moved into Kazakhstan, causing many Kazaks to leave the country. After Kazakhstan became part of the Soviet Union, the Kazaks gradually abandoned their nomadic lifestyle. They now mostly farm and raise livestock. In the late 1990s Kazaks made up about half the country's population and Russians about one third. Other ethnic groups in Kazakhstan include Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, and Tatars.

The official language of Kazakhstan is Kazak, but Russian has equal status with Kazak in state organizations. Nearly all of the people are able to speak Russian. Students are instructed in both Russian and Kazak.

The traditional culture of the Kazaks consists of stories and folk poems. Because of their nomadic lifestyle they long had little written literature and art, except carpet weaving. The main center of culture is the city of Almaty with its theaters, museums, libraries, university, and technical institutes. Almaty served as the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997.

Economy

Kazakhstan has plentiful natural resources, and mining is a major part of the country's economy. Among the many minerals found in Kazakhstan are copper, lead, zinc, silver, tungsten, tin, chromite, nickel, cobalt, gold, iron, and uranium. Kazakhstan also has vast reserves of oil. The country was heavily industrialized during the Soviet era. Its industries produce iron and steel, machinery, chemicals, cement, and food products.

Agriculture is also important to Kazakhstan's economy. The northern parts of the country are fertile and are used to grow wheat and other grains. Fruits, vegetables, sugar beets, and rice are grown in the south. Sheep and goats are the main livestock, followed by cattle, horses, and pigs.

History

Over the centuries different parts of Kazakhstan were part of various Central Asian empires, including that of the Mongols. In the 15th century many Uzbeks moved into what is now Kazakhstan. They became known as Kazak (meaning “independent” or “vagabond”) Uzbeks because of their nomadic lifestyle. In the late 15th and early 16th centuries the Kazaks controlled a vast empire in Central Asia.

Over time the Kazaks separated into three smaller groups, or hordes. These divisions weakened the Kazak empire. In the 17th century the Russians advanced from the north. By 1848 all three Kazak hordes had been incorporated into Russia. Russians and other Europeans flooded into Kazakhstan under Russian rule.

The Russian monarchy fell during the Russian Revolution of 1917. In 1920 the new Communist government made Kazakhstan part of an autonomous (self-governing) republic of the Soviet Union. Beginning in the late 1920s the Soviet government began forcing the nomadic Kazaks to settle on farms owned by the state. More than 1.5 million Kazaks died during this period, the majority from starvation and related diseases. The Soviets also continued the policy of encouraging large numbers of Russians and other Slavs to settle in the region. Kazakhstan was made a full Soviet republic in 1936.

The Soviet Union collapsed in 1991. Kazakhstan declared its independence on December 16, 1991. The new nation achieved political stability under its first president, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nazarbayev was reelected in 1999. Population (2001 estimate), 14,868,000.