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INFORMATION
Full name: Republic of Kazakhstan
Capital City: Astana
Language: Kazakh, Russian (official)
Currency: Tenge (T)
Religion: Muslim, Russian Orthodox, Protestant
National Anthem: My Kazakhstan
Newspaper: The Almaty Herald, Ak Zhayk, Asian Express
Places to Visit: Astana, Zailiysky Alatau, Almatinsky Nature Reserve, Köl-Say Lakes, Kozha Akhmed Yasaui Mausoleum.
Transport: Several flights take you to Almaty through Istanbul, Vienna , Frankfurt and Moscow (Russia). Take the railway route line from Moscow-Almaty. Or opt for ferry ride from Baku to Aktau in Kazakhstan once in a weekly.
Shopping: Kazakh carpets, embroidered yurt hangings, hand woven yurt straps, gossamer knitted shawls.
INTRODUCTION
Kazakhstan, being a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States is a wonderful destination to venture to. The province boasts of wide spread landscapes, spellbinding train rides and eye catching terrains along with wonderful scenaries that is surely going to take your breath away.
LOCATION OF KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan is nestled in Central Asia along the northwestern region of China. Expanding to the northern and central Eurasia, a portion of the area rests along the Ural River towards the western front along the eastern-most end of Europe.
PHYSICAL MAP OF KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan covers a total land area of about 2.7 million square kilometers and stands in the ninth position as the largest nation in the world. It can be compared to Western Europe as far as size is concerned.
Kazakhstan is engulfed by Russia, the People's Republic of China, and by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with coastline bordering along the Caspian Sea.
Some of the prominent cities within Kazakhstan are Astana, Almaty, Karaganda, Shymkent, Semey and Turkestan.
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Kazakhstan stretches across a major portion of the land area covering:
The region of Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains (west - east), and
The Western Siberia plains to Central Asia deserted region (north- south).
One third of the terrains of Kazakhstan are covered with the Kazakh Steppe or semi-desert steppe region mostly comprising of grasslands and sands all over. Some of the major rivers include the Aral Sea, Irtysh River, Ishim River, Ili River, Lake Balkhash, and Lake Zaysan and many others.
CLIMATE OF KAZAKHSTAN
Kazakhstan experiences continental climatic conditions subjected to extremes like warm and humid during the summers and chilly and colder during the winters.
Jaunt to this location during the month of April to June or September to October when the daytime temperature are cozy enough.
There is variation in the level of down pouring in the region of arid and semi-arid environment.
Hikers and mountain climbers would love to visit the place during the summer months.
FLORA AND FAUNA OF KAZAKHSTAN
The region of Kazakhstan is covered with forest-steppe and coniferous woods from all ends.
There are 515 species of plants, 500 assorted ranges of birds, 178 animals, 49 types of reptiles, 12 amphibians with 107 ranges of fishes.
The rarest animal species residing in Kazakhstan are Transcaspian urial, long-needle hedgehog, wild cats like caracal and desert cat, goitred gazelles, birds like black-tailed sand grouse, Pallas sand grouse, wheatear and larks.
Usturt plateau is famous for wormwood and black saxauls. Tian Shan is known for fur woods where one can catch up with sights like the Tian-Shan brown bear, Siberian ibex, birds like lammergeyer, snow cock, snow vulture, griffon vulture, golden eagle, finches, chough and Alpine chough. Among the taiga woods placed along the Altai mountainous region of Kazakhstan watch out for giant moose, maral, musk deer, chipmunk and many other species.
Birds like the waterfowl, fish hawk, black stork, gull, sea swallow, imperial eagle, falcons and herons rest along this region. One may even catch up with reptiles like the central Asian turtle, toad agama and gecko.
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