Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country and former Soviet republic, extends from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains at its eastern border with China and Russia. Its largest metropolis, Almaty, is a long-standing trading hub whose landmarks include Ascension Cathedral, a tsarist-era Russian Orthodox church, and the Central State Museum of Kazakhstan, displaying thousands of Kazakh artifacts.

Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95%

Ethnic Groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 63.1%, Russian 23.7%, Uzbek 2.8%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Uighur 1.4%, Tatar 1.3%, German 1.1%, other 4.5%

Belief Systems: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

Demographics:

Population: 16.7 million people (World Rank: 66th) (2014 estimate)
Population Density: 16 people/mi^2 (People per Square Mile) (World Rank: 228th) (2014 estimate)
Population Growth: 1.04 %/yr (World Rank: 126th) (2013 estimate)
Life Expectancy: 66.5 years (World Rank: 174th) (2013 estimate)
Median Age: 28.9 years (World Rank: 83rd) (2010 estimate)

Sites for More Information:

Map of Kazakhstan
Worldatlas.com

Kazakhstan - Country Profile
U.S. Library of Congress

Kazakhstan - General Information
Encyclopedia.com

Travel Info for Kazakhstan
Travelnotes.org

Government Related Sites:

Kazakh Embassy
in Washington D.C.

Kazakh Government Web Sites
by Gunnar Anzinger.

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