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Almaty
Chimbulak
Ili River
Central State Museum, Almaty
Republic of Kazakhstan
General Information:
Common Name: Kazakhstan
Capital: Astana
Official Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95%
Government: Republic; authoritarian presidential rule
Independence: 16 December 1991
President: Nursultan Nazarbayev
Prime Minister: Karim Massimov
Religion: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Population: 15,399,437 (July 2009)
Area: 2,724,900 sq km
(Slightly less than four times the size of Texas )
Terrain: Vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south
Climate: Continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Natural Resources: Major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
Visa Required for Americans: No
Public Holidays:
1 Jan - 2 Jan New Year
7 Jan Russian Orthodox Christmas
8 Mar International Women's Day
22 Mar Nauryz Meyrami (Traditional Spring Holiday)
1 May Kazakhstan People's Unity Day
9 May Victory Day
30 Aug Constitution Day
25 Oct Republic Day
17 Nov Eid al-Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice)
16 Dec - 17 Dec Independence Day
Food and beverage:
National specialities:
- Kazi and chuzhuk (horsemeat sausages)
- Kaurdak (mutton stew)
- Sheep's head
- Besbarmak (made from horse meat or mutton and dough)
- Shashlyk (skewered chunks of mutton barbecued over charcoal)
National drinks:
- Kazakh tea or chai is very popular and there are national cafes called Chai-Khana (tea-rooms) where visitors may sip this Kazakh speciality. It is drunk very strong with cream
- Kumis (fermented mare’s milk)
- Cafes where this can be ordered are called Kumis-Khana. Refusing it when offered may cause offence
- In the steppe and desert regions where camels are bred, the camel’s milk, called shubat, is offered to guests