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Kazakhstan (Kazak Respublikasy) is a presidential republic located in Central Asia, bordered to the east by China, on the south by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, to the west washed by the Caspian Sea, to the west and north borders on Russia.
The capital of the country is Astana. While the main cities are Almaty (Alma-Ata), which was the old capital of the country, Karaganda, Simkent, Žambyl, Öskemen, Semey and Pavlodar.
GEOGRAPHY
Kazakhstan territory is formed, to the west and north, by a wide plains, to the south and east, from a plateau, closed to the east and south-east from the mountain ranges forming part of the Tian Shan massif.
The western plains are part of Turan Depression, while those to the north belonging to the West Siberian Depression, these two lowlands are united among themselves by a depression known as Turgajskaja łożbina.
The central-eastern region of the country is made up of the vast plateau of Kazakhstan hills. In the eastern and south-eastern side of the country rise up the mountain ranges of the Tien Shan, while in the north-eastern lies the Altaj mountains.
In the Tien Shan massif along the border between Kazakhstan, China and Kyrgyzstan is the highest mountain of Kazakhstan, the Khan Tengri (7,010 metres).
A COUNTRY WITH ARID SOILS
The south-west area of the country is characterized by arid land sometimes real desert areas, including between the Aral Sea and the Caspian Sea extends the Ustyurt plateau, a rocky desert, while to the south-east of Aral Sea is the Kyzylkum desert, including between the Aral Sea and Lake Balkash are the Betbakdala and Muyunkum deserts.
Towards the west, Kazakhstan has a long coastline on the Caspian Sea (the largest lake of the world, 371,000 sq km) in this area is the lowest point of the country, the depression of Vpadina Kaundy (-132 meters).
Among other lakes, the northern section of Lake Aral belongs to Kazakhstan, a salt lake, which originally had an area of 41,000 sq km, but which is now reduced to just 17,000 sq km. Lake Balkash (16,996 sq km), which has the particularity of having its western part of fresh water, while the eastern part is salty. Alakol Lake (a salt lake, 2,650 sq km), and Zaysan Lake (freshwater, 1,810 sq km). The most important rivers in the country are Syr-Darya, Ural, Ili, Irtyš, Ishim and Tobol.
THE ECONOMY
In Kazakhstan, notable is the development of agriculture, there are grown wheat, rice, barley, corn, rye, oats, sugar beets, cotton, vegetables, fruit, tobacco, it is also well developed breeding (sheep, pigs, cattle, horses, poultry), but the true wealth of the country are its mineral deposits (uranium, silver, nickel, bauxite, manganese, cromite, copper, coal, oil, natural gas, iron, zinc, cobalt, lead) which are linked to the ongoing industrial activities especially in the steel, metallurgical, mechanical, chemical, petrochemical sectors with addition to the processing of agricultural products. In Bajkonur has been established an important space center.
Kazakh government page.
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- Area: 2,717,300 sqkm. (Arable 13%, Pastures 69%, Forests and Woodlands 3,5%, Uncultivated and Unproductive 14,5%)
- Population: 18,500,000 (2019 data) (Kazakhs 63%, Russians 23%, Ukrainians 2%, Uzbeks3%, Tatars 1,5%, Uighurs 1,5%, Germans 1,4%).
- State Capital: Nur-Sultan (Astana).
- Languages: Official languages are Kazakh and Russian.
- Religion: Muslim 70% (Sunni), Christian 25% (Orthodox 24%, Protestant 1%).
- Currency: Tenge (KZT)
- Time: UTC +5/+6 hours.
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