Kazakhstan

Republic of Kazakhstan
Qazaqstan Respublikasy

Flag of Kazakhstan Emblem of Kazakhstan
Capital	Astana
Largest city	Almaty
Official language	Kazakh
Co-official language	Russian
Government	Unitary presidential republic
President	Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Prime Minister	Olzhas Bektenov
Area	2,724,900 km2 (1,052,100 sq mi)
Population (est.)	20,150,000
Currency	Kazakhstani tenge (KZT)
Time zone	UTC+05:00 (KZT)
Calling code	+7
Internet TLD	.kz, .қаз

Kazakhstan (Template:Lang-kk), officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental landlocked country located mainly in Central Asia, with a smaller portion west of the Ural River in Eastern Europe. It is the world's ninth-largest country by land area and the largest landlocked nation globally. It shares land borders with Russia to the north, China to the east, and Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan to the south, while bordering the inland Caspian Sea to the southwest.

With a population exceeding 20 million, Kazakhstan is home to a diverse population and serves as the economic powerhouse of Central Asia, generating the majority of the region's GDP through its vast mineral and energy reserves.

History

Early Era and Kazakh Khanate

The territory of Kazakhstan has been historically inhabited by nomadic tribes. In the 13th century, the region was incorporated into the Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan. Following the collapse of the Golden Horde, the Kazakh Khanate was established in 1465, forming a distinct national identity among the Kazakh nomadic tribes.

Russian Imperial Rule and USSR

By the mid-19th century, the Russian Empire had gradual control over all Kazakh lands. Following the Russian Revolution, the region became part of the Soviet Union, eventually designated as the Kazakh SSR in 1936. On 16 December 1991, Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence.

Geography

Kazakhstan stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east, and from the plains of Western Siberia in the north to the oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south. The Kazakh Steppe occupies approximately one-third of the country's vast expanse.

Climate

The climate is strongly continental, characterized by warm summers and bitterly cold winters. Extreme temperature variations are common across the plains and deserts.

Economy

Kazakhstan possesses vast reserves of petroleum, natural gas, uranium, and minerals. It is the world's leading exporter of uranium. The country serves as a primary transit corridor for the Belt and Road Initiative, connecting trade routes between China and Western Europe.

Demographics

• **Population:** ~20.1 million inhabitants.
• **Ethnic groups:** Kazakhs (~75%), Russians (~10%), followed by Uzbeks, Ukrainians, Uighurs, Tatars, and Germans.
• **Religions:** Predominantly Islam (~75%) and Eastern Orthodoxy (~18%).
• **Languages:** Kazakh is the state language; Russian is legally co-official and widely used in business and administration.

References

<references />