Geography of Kazakhstan

Geography of Kazakhstan

 

Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. With an area of about 2,717,300 square kilometers, Kazakhstan is more than twice the combined size of the other four Central Asian states, or about twice the size of Alaska. The country borders Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan to the south; Russia to the north; Russia and the Caspian Sea to the west; and China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to the east.

The Climate in Kazakhstan is continental. In summer the temperatures average more than 30 °C (86 °F) and in winter average −20 °C (−4.0 °F).

Kazakhstan lies in the center of the European and Asian continents, and is approximately equal distance from the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. More than a quarter of the land consists of a portion of the gentle steppes that stretch from central Europe to Siberia. The rest of the republic reflects the beauty of forests, mountains, rivers, lakes and reservoirs. The natural landscape is enhanced by thousands of plant and animal varieties found from the northern forest steppes to the high southern mountains.

The largest rivers of Kazakhstan are the Irtysh, Ishim, Ural, Syrdarya, Ili, Chu, Tobol, and Nura.

 

 

Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan

 

It was proclaimed as a capital since the 10th of December of 1997. International presentation of the capital was held in 1998. Since that year the whole image of the city has changed. Beautiful buildings made of glasses and concrete have been built. The buildings of Parliament and Government have got a new image. Such hotels as “Intercontinental”, “Fintrako-Comfort”, living complexes and districts have appeared. In the down town of Astana a new Congress Hall has risen. The park of culture and rest has been updated. A new building of VIP airport, modern supermarket “Eurasia”, entertainment center for children “The World of Fantasy” have been built.  A wide program of a development of the science, culture and education is being realized. That’s why 12 branches of private universities, colleges, 8 schools and 5 medical universities were opened. A new building of the Gumilev’s University and National museum are being built. Kazakh’s and Russian’s Drama theatre are being built. Real ornament of the city is a park of sculptures. In 1998 international competition of making up ideas to make new down town of Astana was held. The winner was Japanese architect. In his opinion the city should combine the beauty of Europe and sophistication of the East. He made such unusual constructions as “Baiterek”, “Dollar”, “Trembling Bridge”.

The climate of the region is extreme with typically long and snowy winters. Average January temperature is -14°C to 18°C which sometimes drops to below -40°C. Spring is late but amazingly beautiful, and comes at the end of March. At this time, the steppe looks especially wonderful with its wealth of blooming toffees and tulips. Summers are moderately hot, with plenty of rainshowers and clear sunny days. Average July temperature is 20°C to 24°C.

The Baiterek Tower has become the city's symbol and its visiting card. The height of the structure is 105 meters. At the height of 97 meters there is an observation deck providing a bird's eye view of the city. The figure of 97 was not chosen at random. It symbolizes the year of the movement of the capital from Almaty to Astana. The Baiterek Tower accommodates an art gallery, a large aquarium and a restaurant.

 

 

 

 

 

Cities of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a country in the middle of Eurasia. Its official name is the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the ninth biggest country in the world. Before the end of the Soviet Union, it was called "Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic". The president of the country since 1991 is called Nursultan Nazarbayev. Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. Almaty was the capital before 1998.Russia leases (rents) the land for the Baykonur Cosmodrome (site of Russian spacecraft launches) from Kazakhstan.Contents

Almaty and Astana cities have the status of State importance and are not in any province.Baikonur city has a special status because it is currently being leased to Russia with Baikonur cosmodrome until 2050.

Zhezkazgan (Dzhezkazgan) – is a beautiful green city, a generally accepted "copper pearl of the country." It is located in the heart of Kazakhstan, in the south-east from the mountains of Ulytau and the basin of the Kara-Kengir River. The climate of the region is sharply continental and dry, characterized by hot, dry summers and cold winters. Territory is exposed to prolonged dust storms.

Kostanay.Most Kostanai region associated with the virgin lands. But a hundred years ago the city was already a major trading center at the crossroads of Asia and Russia. One of British travelers in the early 20 th century called it in his diary, "the second Chicago", although there were ordinary-looking wooden houses, there was dust in the air and the streets were covered with sand. Development of virgin lands have transformed the city.

Karagandy (Kazakh: Караканды / Qarakandy), formerly known as Karaganda (Russian: Караганда, until 1993), is the capital of Karagandy Province in Kazakhstan. It is the fourth most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty, Astana and Shymkent, with a population of 446,200 (as of 1 January 2006).[1] In the 1940s up to 70% of the city's inhabitants were ethnic Germans.

Atyrau (former Guriev) – is considered to be the Oil Capital of the country, a large industrial town in the western (European) part of Kazakhstan, situated near the northern coast of the Caspian Sea on both sides of the Ural River. The city is the hub of Atyrau region, according to the statistics from 2010, its population is 231 thousand people....

Aktobe – is a huge industrial city, which spreads over an area of 400 thousand square kilometers - the largest economic and cultural center of the western Kazakhstan. The city is located in the European part of the country, on the shore of Ilek - the left tributary of the Ural River, the central part of Subural plateau, which is a foothill valley with the height of 250-400 meters.

Aktau – this is a small, washed by the Caspian Sea, a warm town, which is situated in south-western part of Kazakhstan, on the Mangyshlak Peninsula. Today, it is the regional center of Mangistau region, expanded in an area of 166 square kilometers and has a population of 173 thousand people....

AlmatyPrehistoric Almaty During 1000–900 BCE in the Bronze Age the first farmers and cattle-breeders established settlements on the territory of Almaty. During the Saka’s period (from 700 BCE to the beginning of the Common Era), these lands were chosen for residence by Saka tribes and later Uisun tribes inhabiting the territory north of the Tian Shan mountain range. The evidences of these times …

Astana – is a new and beautiful capital of Kazakhstan, which already has contributed into the history of the young, rapidly growing state. The city is spread freely in the vast steppes of northern Kazakhstan, on the banks of the majestic river of Ishim, in place of its closest approach to the river, called Nura....

Uralsk. Uralsk is the administrative center of the oblast (was founded in 1613) and the ancient town of Kazakhstan. It is situated on the right bank of the Ural River in the place of the Chagan River flowing into it.the Ural River with its forests and pastures was suitable for the camp of nomads, Scythian, and others.  

Yaitsky town was founded as one of the military posts, which were called to guard borders of the Russian State from nomads' raids.

The river full of fish, beautiful water meadows and fertile soil attracted kazaks. The ancient part of the town is “kurenei”. Uralsk – the ancient town of the North-Western Kazakhstan was founded in 1613- 1622 on the European bank of the Ural River under the name of Yaitsky town.  

The oldest part of the town is «Kureni” district. It is situated on the bank of the Ural where the first inhabitants of Yaitsky gorodok built their houses formerly. Several houses have been kept which are just a little bit younger than the town itself.

There are about ten interesting monuments of history and culture in Uralsk that are the priceless property for succeeding generations. They represent the undoubted interest for all the people concerning themselves with history.

They are: the House – museum of Yemelyan Pugachyov, Michael – Archangel Cathedral built in 1751, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour built in honour of the 300 anniversary of the Cossack host of Uralsk, the building of the real military school, from which leaders of the Western division of Alash – Orda Halel Dosmukhamedo, Zhansha Dosmukhamedov and many others graduated.

The industry of Uralsk is closely connected with refining of agricultural row-materials. There are the most largest tannery and felt factory in Kazakhstan, the fourth powerful meat-tinned factory in Kazakhstan, and one of the largest flour- milling and cereals factory in CIS.

Also there is developing of metal refining industry. There are many interesting memorials, which are invaluable properties as: the building of former Russian-Kazakh school (now it is a museum of historical and regional studies); the architectural monument of the XVIII century – Mikhailo-Arkhangelsky Cathedral (was built in 1751) – the witness of the Peasant's war 1773-1775 by the leading of Pugachev E..

The temple of the Christ Savior – an architectural monument of the XIX century; the building of the troop's school, where the leaders of the western section of Alash Orda Khalel and Zhansha Dosmukhamedov had studied.

Studying the history of the town one can often hear the words “the ancient in Kazakhstan” theatre, museum, library, school, etc. During different yeaes I. A. Krylov, A. S. Pushkin, V. A. Zhukov sky, V. I. Dal, T.G. Shevchenko, M. Utemisov, S. Seifullin, S. Mukanov visited the town. M. Sholokhov, Zh. Muldagaliyev, A. Sarsenov got themes and inspiration for their works here.

Priuralye is the motherland of great Kazakh composers Kurmangazy, Dauletkerey, Mukhit, Dina; outstanding artists Hadisha Bukeeva, Roza Dhzamanova, Garifulla Kurmangaliev; poets and writers Hamza Yesenzhanov, Tair Zharokov, Kadyr Myrzaliev; the first woman from the Central Asia honored with the title of the Hero of the Soviet Union is Manshuk Mametova.

 

Kazakhstan Holidays and Traditional

 

Kazakhstan is a large multinational country which is rich with its both old traditions and new ones acquired for the period of Independence. The Republic of Kazakhstan observes international holidays such as New Year, 8 March but it also has holidays specific only for this country such as Unity Day, Capital Day etc.

 

All the holidays of Kazakhstan may be divided into national, state and professional ones. The national holidays are the holidays in honor of the events having a special historical importance for the development of Kazakhstan. Celebration of the national holidays is accompanied with holding of official events. Such holiday is considered Independence Day of Kazakhstan.

 

The state holidays are the holidays devoted to the events having social and political importance, they also include traditional Kazakh holidays. This category of the holidays includes New Year, 8 March, Nauryz, Unity Day, Capital  Day, Constitution Day etc.

 

In addition to these holidays Kazakhstan has another type of holidays – professional ones celebrated by some categories of citizens:

 

 • Fatherland Defender’s Day – 7 May

 • Political Repression Victims Memory Day -31 May

 • The Republic of Kazakhstan National Symbols’ Day – 4 June

 • Police Day – 23 June

 • Health Professionals’ Day (third Sunday of June)

 • Press, Television and Radio Day (last Sunday of June)

 • Diplomatic Service Day - 2 July

 • Tax Service Day – 6 July

 • Metal-Maker’s Day (third Sunday of July)

 • Transport and Communication Workers’ Day (first Sunday of August)

 • Builders’ Day – (second Sunday of August)

 • Sports Day (third Sunday of August)

 • Miner’ Day (last Sunday of August)

 • Knowledge Day – 1 September

 

The holidays of national and state nature are days off for the whole Kazakhstan population. These days Kazakhstan holds open-air merrymaking and official events. Various festive events and festive concerts with participation of both Kazakh and foreign stars are arranged for the country’s population.

Culture of Kazakhstan

Kazakh culture and national traditions

The Kazakh people are rich in traditions. From birth through old age and death, every step of their lives has historically been marked with celebration. Even their funeral ceremonies have their own special symbolism.

 

Unfortunately, many rich and interesting traditions and customs of the Kazakh people have been forgotten throughout the past century. Real sovereignty is just now being reestablished in Kazakhstan due to the process of democratization. These abandoned traditions are just now being rediscovered by the Kazakh people. These traditions include being respectful to old people; being patriotic to the motherland; being honest; and learning to love mankind.

 

Traditionally every guest is offered Kazakh cuisine at the dastarkhan (the low table) in a yurt.

 

The yurt is one of the most sensible types of movable house. It is a comfortable and practical home, ideally suited to local conditions and ways of life - one of the greatest inventions of the Eurasian nomads.

 

It is easily taken apart (it is said that a Kazakh woman can do it in half an hour) and carried by horses and camels. The yurt consists of three main elements: an extensible trellis base (the kerege), a dome made of poles (the uyk) and a round top (the shanyrak).

 

In ancient times Turks were reputed as the most skillful felt-makers. These days the Kazakhs use felt to cover the yurt and for its internal decoration, as well as to make carpets, dresses and shoes. The Kazakhs live surrounded by ornaments. They richly decorate their yurts with wall carpets and multi-colored embroideries.

 

Handicrafts - harnesses, felt mats (tekemets), and articles made of wood, bone and metal - are lavishly decorated. Headdresses, dresses, bags and saddle-cloths are beautifully embroidered. They use traditional designs and carvings to make and decorate the wooden cups, large bowls and ladles used to serve kumis (fermented mare's milk).

 

The horns of mountain rams and goats are used to decorate beds and caskets. Leather is used to make quivers, belts, harnesses and flasks (torsyks) for water and kumis. Kazakh artisans are also very skillful jewelers.

 

Steppe zergers (jewelers) favor white silver. Traditional Kazakh bell-shaped earrings, original bracelets (blezics), or the traditional bracelet linked to three rings with fine chains will certainly impress you.

 

Kazakh national dress varies by regions. Men wear chapans, a kind of dressing gown with a belt, made of velvet and richly embroidered. They cover their heads with a soft skullcap (tobetai), a tall felt cap (kalpak) or a fox-fur hat with earflaps (malakai).

 

The women's national costume consists of a white cotton or colored silk dress, a velvet waistcoat with embroidery and a cap or a silk scarf. Elderly women wear a hood made of white cloth with a hole for the face (the kimeshek). Brides wear a tall pointed, richly decorated hat, topped with feathers (saukele).

 

Kazakh music and musical instruments: The Kazakhs love the art of wordplay and their akyns (poets), who improvise at public competitions (aitys) accompanied by Kazakh stringed musical instruments: the dombra or the kobyz.

 

Nauryz (Islamic New Year) is one of the biggest holidays in Central Asia. In Kazakhstan it is celebrated on the day of the spring equinox, March 22. On that day, the streets of villages and towns are transformed. Guests are hosted in beautiful yurts with the traditional Nauryz kozhe dish made of seven traditional ingredients. People respecting this nearly month-long holiday forgive each others' debts and offences.

 

National games: these are usually performed on horseback and are an opportunity to witness the Kazakhs' outstanding riding skills. Kazaksha kures (Kazakh wrestling), baiga (horse racing over 25, 50 or 100 km), kokpar (a sort of polo game played with a dead goat), kyz-kuu (catch the girl) and alty bakan (six-pole swing).

The Political System of Kazakhstan

Many textbooks and educational programming explains the political system in countries like the United States, Canada and United Kingdom. However, many people don’t know about the political system for countries like Kazakhstan due to the lack of information that is readily available.While political systems can be a complex issue to explain, here’s a brief look at how the Kazakhstan political system is setup.

The President

Kazakhstan’s political system is a presidential republic. The Kazakhstan President is voted into office by election and is often considered a decorative head of state. With the exception of being commander in chief of the armed forces and having veto power, the president has very little political power over the country of Kazakhstan.

The Prime MinisterThe prime minister is the head of the Kazakhstan’s government. The Prime Minister is responsible for running the political side of the country, presenting laws and bills to be passed, and to help ensure that the country is running smoothly.

 

Currently, one main prime minister oversees everything in regards to the government. There are also 16 deputy prime ministers who serve on a board known as the Cabinet of Ministers. The Cabinet of Ministers works with the Prime Minister to make executive government decisions.

The Parliament

Kazakhstan’s Parliament is a two-house structure known as bicameral. There is the lower house, or Majilis, and the upper house or the Senate. Between 107 to 110 people make up the Majilis, while only 47 make up the Senate. Members of the Majilis are voted into office by popular vote, while members of the Senate are appointed by administrative divisions or by the President himself.

 

Political system

 

Officially, Kazakhstan is a unitary republic. The first and only President is Nursultan Nazarbayev. The President is also the commander in chief of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the Parliament. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in the Cabinet. Serik Akhmetov has served as the Prime Minister since September 24, 2012.

 

Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament composed of the lower house (the Majilis) and upper house (the Senate).[23] Single mandate districts popularly elect 107 seats in the Majilis; there also are 10 members elected by party-list vote rather than by single mandate districts. The Senate has 47 members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies (Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan's 16 principal administrative divisions (14 provinces, plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The president appoints the remaining 7 senators. Majilis deputies and the government both have the right of legislative initiative, though the government proposes most legislation considered by the Parliament.

Nuclear Weapons Nonproliferation[edit]

 

When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, Kazakhstan inherited 1,410 nuclear warheads and the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapon test site. By April 1995 Kazakhstan had repatriated its nuclear warhead inventory back to Russia, destroying the nuclear testing infrastructure at Semipalatinsk by July 2000.[24]

 

On December 2, 2009 UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Republic of Kazakhstan designated August 29 as International Day against Nuclear Tests, the same day the Semipalatinsk Test Site closed in 1991.[25][26]

 

 

Military of Kazakhstan

 

Kazakhstan Republican Guard.

 

Most of Kazakhstan's military was inherited from the Soviet Armed Forces' Turkestan Military District. These units became the core of Kazakhstan's new military which acquired all the units of the 40th Army (the former 32nd Army) and part of the 17th Army Corps, including 6 land force divisions, storage bases, the 14th and 35th air-landing brigades, 2 rocket brigades, 2 artillery regiments and a large amount of equipment which had been withdrawn from over the Urals after the signing of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. The largest expansion of the Kazakhstan Army has been focused on armored units in recent years. Since 1990, armored units have expanded from 500 to 1,613 in 2005.

 

The Kazakh air force is composed mostly of Soviet-era planes, including 41 MiG-29s, 44 MiG-31s, 37 Su-24s and 60 Su-27s. A small naval force is also maintained on the Caspian Sea.

 

Kazakhstan sent 49 military engineers to Iraq to assist the US post-invasion mission in Iraq. During the second Iraq War, Kazakhstani troops dismantled an incredible 4 million mines and other explosives, and help provide medical care to more than 5,000 coalition members and civilians, and purified 718 cubic metres (25,356 cu ft) of water.[38]

 

Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) was established on June 13, 1992. It includes the Service of Internal Security, Military Counterintelligence, Border Guard, several Commando units, and Foreign Intelligence (Barlau). The latter is considered as the most important part of KNB. Its director is Nurtai Abykayev.

 

August 2011 marked the ninth year of the joint tactical-peacekeeping exercise "Steppe Eagle" hosted by the Kazakhstan government. Steppe Eagle focuses on building coalitions and gives participating nations the opportunity to work together.

Famous people of Kazазахстан

Roza Kuanyshevna Rymbayeva (born 1957) is a Soviet and Kazakh singer, the national artist of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (1986), the national artist of the USSR.

She was born in 28 October 1957 at the Zhangiz-Tobe station in the East Kazakhstan Province to a family of railway workers. She graduated from the faculty musical-dramatic comedy of theatrical-artistic institute in Almaty (1984). From 1976 to 1979, soloist of republican youth-pop band "Gulder" ("Flowers"), from 1979 in a pop band "Arai", managed by her husband T.Okapov. Since 1979, a soloist of Kazakhconcert, the main republican concert. She also combines as a teacher of Republic pop-circus college. The winner of various international contests of pop singers (1977 Sopot, Bulgaria, 1979, Istanbul, Turkey). The winner of grand-prix of "Gala-83" international contest in Cuba. Her repertoire includes songs of Kazakh and foreign composers, along with the works of modern composers performs national songs in a peculiar interpretation. For the moment she sums up her 25-year career of singer, arranges her own jubilee concerts, but Roza Rymbayeva is not going to leave stage. "I have sung so many songs in my 25-year career, that I can't place all of them into my concert program" she says. Her tour now includes 30 songs. The artist is recognised as the Prima donna considering her popularity withinin Kazakhstan and the CIS countries. Roza Rymbayeva became the national artist at the age of 28.

On 2 April 2008, she became a torchbearer of the 2008 Summer Olympics torch relay lap in Almaty.

Abai Qunanbaiuli Abay was born in what is today the selo of Karauyl, in Abay District, East Kazakhstan Province; the son of Qunanbay and Uljan, Qunanbay's second wife, they named him Ibrahim, but because of his brightness, he soon was given the nickname "Abay" (meaning "careful"), a name that stuck for the rest of his life. His father's economic status enabled the boy to attend a Russian school in his youth, but only after he had already spent some years studying at a madrasah under Mullah Ahmet Ryza.[citation needed] At his school in Semipalatinsk, Abay encountered the writings of Mikhail Lermontov and Alexander Pushkin.