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The followingoutline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Kazakhstan:
TheRepublic of Kazakhstan is alandlockedsovereign country located across bothCentral Asia andEastern Europe.[1] Ranked as theninth largest country in the world as well as the world's largestlandlocked country,[2] it has a territory of 2,727,300 km2 (greater thanWestern Europe). It is bordered byRussia,Kyrgyzstan,Turkmenistan,Uzbekistan andChina. The country also borders on a significant part of theCaspian Sea.
Vast in size, the land in Kazakhstan is very diverse in types of terrain: flatlands, steppes, taigas, rock-canyons, hills, deltas, mountains, snow-capped mountains, and deserts. Kazakhstan has the62nd largest population in the world, with apopulation density of less than 6 people per square kilometre (15 per sq. mi.).
Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991, the last Soviet republic to do so. Its communist-era leader,Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country's new president. Since independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a balancedforeign policy and worked to develop itseconomy, especially itshydrocarbon industry. While the country's economic outlook is improving, President Nazarbayev maintains strict control over the country'spolitics. Several opposition leaders and journalists have been killed in recent years, and Western observers generally do not considerKazakhstan's elections to be free and fair. Nevertheless, Kazakhstan's international prestige is building.[3] It is now considered to be the dominant state inCentral Asia.[4] The country belongs to many international organizations, including theUnited Nations,NATO's Partnership for Peace, theCommonwealth of Independent States, and theShanghai Cooperation Organisation. In 2010, Kazakhstan will chair theOrganization for Security and Cooperation in Europe. In 2011, it formed acustoms union with Russia andBelarus.
Kazakhstan is ethnically and culturally diverse, in part due to themass deportations of many ethnic groups to the country duringStalin's rule. Kazakhs are the largest group, followed by Russians. Kazakhstan allowsfreedom of religion, and many different beliefs are represented in the country.Islam is the primary religion, followed byOrthodox Christianity. The official language isKazakh, thoughRussian is still commonly and most widely used for everyday communication.
Russia 6,846 km
Uzbekistan 2,203 km
China 1,533 km
Kyrgyzstan 1,224 km
Turkmenistan 379 km
Administrative divisions of Kazakhstan
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Notes:
Municipalities of Kazakhstan
Court system of Kazakhstan
Foreign relations of Kazakhstan
The Republic of Kazakhstan is a member of:[1]
Law of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan travel guide from Wikivoyage
Media from Commons
News from Wikinews
Quotations from Wikiquote
Texts from WikisourceTravel guides from Wikivoyage
Kazakh edition of WikipediaRussian edition of Wikipedia
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