Kazakhstan, Republic of Kazakhstan » City Info

Kazakhstan is officially known as the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is mainly located in Central Asia, with a small portion of the country extending west of the Ural River in Eastern Europe. It is the world's largest landlocked country. It borders Russia in the north, China in the east, and Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in the south.

Despite Kazakhstan being ranked the ninth largest country globally, it has not been a very well-known country until recently brought into the spotlight by the hit movie 'BORAT' (2006). However, this was not an accurate portrayal of Kazakhstan; in fact, quite the opposite. The country is famous for its prosperous oil industry and comprises beautiful natural landscapes.

Kazakhstan surrounds a significant part of the Caspian Sea. The country's topography is diverse, comprising flatlands, steppes, taigas, rock-canyons, hills, deltas, mountains, snow-capped mountains, and deserts. Kazakhstan covers two time zones and five climatic zones. The country is divided into 14 provinces. The cities of Almaty and Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) have the status of state importance and do not relate to any other province.

Nur-Sultan (formerly Astana) is the capital and second-largest city (behind Almaty) in the country, located in the north-central portion of Kazakhstan. The former capital of Kazakhstan, Almaty city, is situated in the south-eastern part, in a beautiful setting between mountains and plains. This city boasts modern architecture, wide streets, cool fountains, parks, squares, and spectacular mountain views, particularly in spring and autumn.