 The Republic of
Kazakstan (until December 1991, the Kazakh SSR) is the second
largest of the former Soviet Republics, extending some 1.900 km (1.200
miles) from the Volga river in the west to the Altai mountains in the
east, and about 1.300 km (800 miles) from the Siberian plain in the
north to the Central Asian deserts in the south. Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol
nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were
rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in
the 18th century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During
the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This
influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported
nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-Kazakhs to
outnumber natives. Independence has caused many of these newcomers to
emigrate. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national
identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy
resources and exporting them to world markets; and continuing to
strengthen relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
Western geographers consider Kazakstan to be
the northernmost of five Central Asian
republics, but Soviet geographers, for historical reasons, do
not include it in their concept of Central Asia. To the south it borders
the Republics of Turkmenestan, Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. To the east
there is an international frontier with the People's Republic of China.
There is a long border in the north with the Russian Federation and a
2.320 km coastline on the Caspian Sea in the south-west. The total area
is 2.717.300 sq-km (1.049.155 sq-miles), over four-fifths the size of
India (but with only 2% of the population).
Kazakh is the official language. This notwithstanding, in State
institutions and local administration bodies along with the Kazakh
language they speak Russian quite officially.
 The city of Almaty, which means "Father of Apples" in Kazak, was
originally founded in 1854 as a Russian fort called Zailiyskoe. A year
later, it was renamed Vernoye, which it remained until 1921. Originally,
Almaty was a frontier town. When the Turkistan-Siberian Railroad was
built in the 1920s, it became a major way-station. In 1929 it was made
the capital of the Kazak Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) and remained
the capital until July 1998 when the capital was moved to Astana.
Almaty is situated at the foot of the Tien Shan Mountain range. It is
also located along a major fault line which has caused damage due to
earthquakes in 1887 and 1911. It is an ideal location for the processing
of fruit from the fertile steppes around Almaty. Due to its location
right next to the Tien Shan Mountains, it has become known as one of the
most beautiful cities of the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
(USSR).Today, Almaty is known as the commercial capital of Kazakstan. Since the
official move of the capital to Astana in July, most businesses have
remained in Almaty. One of the main reasons for this is that there is no
international flights directly into Astana at this time.
 Astana is the new capital of Kazakhstan.This city was originally
founded as a fortress in 1824 and named Akmolinsk. It was renamed
Tselinograd (Russian for Virgin City) during the rule of Soviet Premier
Nikita Khrushchev. The main reason for this name change was to promote
more permanent agriculture in Northern Kazakstan during the Virgin Lands
Program. The cities name was again changed in 1991 to Aqmola, when
Kazakstan gained it's freedom. Because the name Aqmola sounded too much
like "White Grave", Nazarbayev changed the name to Astana (literally
"Capital") in 1998. Astana has been an important rail junction in Northern Kazakstan. It
is located along the Ishim River and they produce agricultural
machinery, chemicals and has meat-packing plants. Due to it's location
in Northern Kazakstan, there is speculation, that has been officially
denied, that the reason for the move of the capital to the north is to
exert a more Kazak influence on the more russified Northern Kazakstan.
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