Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country located in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. It is the world's largest landlocked country, covering an area of 2,724,900 square kilometers (1,052,100 square miles). Here's a detailed look at various aspects of Kazakhstan:
Kazakhstan's landscape ranges from the flat, vast steppes in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east, which are part of the larger Central Asia region. The country borders Russia to the north, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to the south, and has a small portion of its western borders with the Caspian Sea.
The territory of modern-day Kazakhstan has a rich history:
Kazakh culture is deeply rooted in nomadism and is reflected in its music, dance, and crafts. Traditional music includes instruments like the Dombra, and Kobyz. The epic poem Alpamysh is an important part of Kazakh folklore.
Kazakhstan has a well-developed market economy. Its economy is heavily dependent on the export of:
Kazakhstan is a presidential republic where the president holds significant power. The current president is Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who succeeded Nursultan Nazarbayev in 2019. The country's capital, originally known as Alma-Ata, was renamed Astana in 1997, and then to Nur-Sultan in 2019, before reverting to Astana in 2022.