Central Asia · Asia

Kazakhstan

Discover Kazakhstan - a vast Central Asian nation where endless steppe meets futuristic cities, space launches, and the birthplace of apples and horses.

Where Is Kazakhstan?

Kazakhstan is a country in Central Asia. Its capital is Astana.

Where Kazakhstan isCentral Asia · Capital Astana

Capital Astana
Population 20.8M
Area 2,724,900 km²

Kazakhstan is enormous. The ninth-largest country on Earth and the world's largest landlocked nation, it stretches from the Caspian Sea to the Altai Mountains, covering an area bigger than all of Western Europe combined. And yet most people could not point to it on a map. That is slowly changing as this Central Asian powerhouse builds futuristic cities, hosts international events, and opens up landscapes that range from endless golden steppe to snow-capped peaks and surreal desert canyons.

The history here is the history of the horse and the open plain. Kazakhs were nomadic horsemen for millennia, and that heritage runs deep in the culture - from the eagle hunters of the west to the tradition of kumis, fermented mare's milk. The country is also where apples originated; the former capital Almaty literally means "father of apples." Modern Kazakhstan is a study in contrasts: Astana, the gleaming capital, rises from the steppe like a science fiction set, while the Baikonur Cosmodrome has launched every crewed Russian space mission since Yuri Gagarin. It is a country caught between its nomadic soul and its ambitions for the future, and the tension makes it fascinating.

At a glance

Language

Kazakh & Russian

Currency

Kazakhstani Tenge (KZT)

Calling Code

Drives On

Right

Internet

.kz

Timezone

UTC+5

Script

Cyrillic (transitioning to Latin)

Government

Unitary Presidential Republic

Independence

1991

By population

Largest cities in Kazakhstan

Almaty

Former capital and largest city nestled against the snow-capped Tien Shan mountains, the cultural and financial heart of the country

2,100,000

Astana

Purpose-built capital on the northern steppe with futuristic architecture, including buildings designed by Norman Foster and Kisho Kurokawa

1,400,000

Shymkent

Third-largest city in the south near the Uzbek border, an ancient Silk Road trading center with a booming modern economy

1,100,000

Aktau

Caspian Sea port city in the western desert, an unlikely beach town built during the Soviet era for oil and uranium workers

190,000

People

Famous people from Kazakhstan

Al-Farabi
Philosophy
Medieval philosopher born in present-day Kazakhstan, known as the Second Teacher after Aristotle for his work on logic and political science
Gennady Golovkin
Sport
One of the greatest middleweight boxers in history, holding multiple world titles and known for his devastating knockout power
Dimash Kudaibergen
Music
Vocalist with a six-octave range who became an international sensation, particularly in China, for his extraordinary vocal ability
Abai Qunanbaiuly
Literature
National poet and philosopher whose works form the foundation of modern Kazakh literature and national identity

Food

Traditional cuisine of Kazakhstan

Beshbarmak: Kazakhstan's national dish - boiled horse or lamb meat served over flat noodles, eaten with the hands as the name suggests (five fingers)
Kumis: Fermented mare's milk with a slight fizz and sour taste, the traditional drink of the steppe nomads consumed for centuries
Baursak: Puffy fried dough balls served at every celebration, the Kazakh equivalent of bread that accompanies tea and every meal
Kazy: Horse meat sausage considered a delicacy, prepared traditionally by stuffing seasoned meat into intestine casing and smoking it
Shubat: Fermented camel milk with a richer, creamier taste than kumis, prized in western Kazakhstan for its supposed health benefits

Nature

Nature and landmarks in Kazakhstan

Charyn CanyonCanyon: Stunning 80-km gorge often compared to the Grand Canyon, with red rock formations and the Valley of Castles carved over 12 million years
Altai MountainsMountain: Snow-capped peaks in the far east where Kazakhstan meets Russia, China, and Mongolia, home to snow leopards and golden eagles
Big Almaty LakeLake: Turquoise alpine lake at 2,500 meters in the Tien Shan above Almaty, surrounded by glaciers and peaks reaching 4,000 meters
Singing DunesDesert: A massive sand dune in Altyn-Emel National Park that produces a low humming sound when the wind blows, audible from kilometers away
Caspian SeaLake: The world's largest enclosed body of water forms Kazakhstan's western border, technically a lake despite being called a sea

Sport

Sports in Kazakhstan

Boxing: Consistent Olympic medal winners with stars like Gennady Golovkin and multiple Olympic champions
Wrestling: Deep tradition in Kazakh Kuresi, the national wrestling style, complemented by strong Olympic freestyle and Greco-Roman programs
Ice Hockey: Barys Astana competes in the KHL, and Kazakhstan has qualified for several Ice Hockey World Championship top divisions

Facts

Did you know?

Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country, bigger than all of Western Europe combined
The domestic apple originated in the Tien Shan mountains of Kazakhstan - Almaty means father of apples
The Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan launched Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961 and still launches all crewed Russian missions
Kazakh eagle hunters in the west train golden eagles to hunt foxes and wolves, a tradition over 2,000 years old
Kazakhstan is transitioning its written language from Cyrillic to Latin script, a process expected to take until 2031
The country sits on massive oil reserves and is the world's largest producer of uranium

Stories