Kazakhstan: One of the World’s Largest Countries, Boasting Stunning Natural Beauty and a Unique Geographical Location Ahmed Hassan

Kazakhstan is one of the world’s largest countries, located in the heart of Asia. It is classified as a Turkic country, along with Azerbaijan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan

It boasts stunning natural beauty, a unique geographical location, and a rich history. Its culture is evident in its medieval architecture and ancient mausoleums

It shares borders with five countries: Russia, Turkmenistan, China, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan

Hotels and tourist facilities offer a wide variety to suit all needs. There are numerous luxury hotels that rival international standards, and the country is home to many upscale resorts

Kazakhstan is considered one of the most beautiful tourist destinations thanks to its unique geographical location between Europe and Asia. It stretches from Siberia to the deserts of Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and from the Caspian Sea to China. It also encompasses five distinct climatic zones

Kazakhstan boasts diverse terrain, from glaciers and mountain peaks to rocky valleys and mountain rivers, making it a popular tourist destination

History of the Kazakhs

The Kazakhs are a mix of nomadic Turkic and Mongolian tribes. Culturally influenced by the Persians, they migrated to the region now known as Kazakhstan in the 13th century. Russia occupied the region in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet republic in 1936

The Kazakhs suffered oppression and famine under the weight of forced agricultural labor, resulting in a large number of deaths during the 1930s

In the 1950s and 1960s, the Soviet “Virgin Lands” agricultural program led to an influx of migrants (primarily Russians) until Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991. At that time, the Kazakhs were a minority in the country

One reason for the decline in the Kazakh population is the forced deportation of large numbers of non-Muslim minorities from the early 1990s until the mid-2000s. However, a national program launched by the government has brought approximately one million Kazakhs back to their homeland, thus increasing the Kazakh population to about two-thirds of its former size

Culture

Kazakh culture still retains many aspects of nomadic life. Horse and mutton dishes still feature prominently in Kazakh cuisine

The Kazakh language is spoken by its citizens, and many also speak Russian, which was the official language during the Soviet era

Football is the most popular sport in Kazakhstan, and Kazakhs have also excelled in individual sports such as cycling, boxing, weightlifting, and rugby

Kazakhstan’s national animal is the golden eagle, one of the fastest and best-preyed eagles in the world. Horses also hold a significant place in Kazakh culture, and horseback riding is one of the country’s most popular sports

Muslims comprise 70% of the population, while Christians make up 26%. Ethnically, Kazakhs constitute approximately 65% ​​of the population, while Russians comprise 21%

“Government”

Kazakh is a presidential republic. The current president is Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, and the capital city is Astana. The name “Kazakh” is derived from “Kaz,” meaning “to wander” or “to roam,” reflecting a nomadic lifestyle. “Stan” is a suffix indicating place. The full name of the country means “Land of the Wanderers.”

“Economy”

Kazakh boasts the largest economy in Central Asia, thanks to its vast natural resources

The northern part of the country is rich in minerals, gold, and iron, while copper and manganese production is concentrated in central Kazakhstan. The south is rich in uranium, and the west is rich in oil and natural gas, with oil reserves estimated at 30 billion barrels and gas reserves at 2.7 trillion cubic meters. Approximately 40% of the country’s total area is arable land

The Kazakh economy relies heavily on agriculture, particularly potatoes and melons, and on livestock. Kazakhstan possesses vast pastures and arable land suitable for animal husbandry. A number of industries depend on this resource, including dairy, leather, wool, and meat processing. Kazakhstan is also a leading exporter of several commodities, including wheat, cotton, and barley

Kazakhstan is the tenth largest country in the world by area, covering approximately 2,724,000 square kilometers.

Tourism

Tourism contributes approximately 1.6% to Kazakhstan’s national income. The country boasts stunning natural beauty, including mountains, forests, rivers, and lakes, as well as cities that retain a Soviet character

It contains dozens of mausoleums dedicated to prominent poets and religious figures, distinguished by their unique architectural style

One of the most important tourist sites is Baikonur Cosmodrome, home to the world’s largest space launch facility. It was from this facility that the rocket carrying the first man in space, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, was launched

Kazakhstan is committed to strengthening international relations and partnerships with all countries based on mutual respect, shared benefit, and credibility. It seeks to expand successful relationships that lead to genuine transformation in all aspects of life, in order to keep pace with the rapid changes in the world

Kazakhstan has established genuine fraternal relations and close cooperation and interaction with the Arab world and views the Middle East as a promising partner in the economic, political, and cultural spheres

It also established close cooperation with the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the Islamic Development Bank and expanded the scope of cooperation. The Islamic Organization for Food Security was established, based in the former capital Nur-Sultan, opening a new area of ​​cooperation between countries of the same religion

Egypt and Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan enjoys deep-rooted political, economic, and cultural ties with Egypt. Sultan Baybars, the 13th-century ruler of Egypt and Syria, is considered a symbol of the two countries’ friendship and shared history

The Kazakh embassy in Cairo was opened in April 1993, and Egypt was the first Arab country to open an embassy in Almaty in August 1992

The Sunken Forests

The sunken forests of Lake Kandy in Kazakhstan are considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World and a major tourist destination

Lake Kandy, stretching 400 meters in length and 4,000 meters in depth, lies along the Tian Shan Mountains, 129 kilometers from Almaty. The lake was formed after a massive earthquake in 1911, which caused a landslide that created a sinkhole which was then filled with rainwater, forming the lake

It is famous for its scenic beauty, especially the submerged forests, floating pine trunks on the lake’s waters, and submerged trees

A massive landslide created a natural dam, and over time, with rainfall, the valley filled with large quantities of water, forming the lake

The large pine trees have remained at the bottom of the water for over 100 years. Thanks to the clear mountain water, the lakebed and its depth are visible. In winter, the lake freezes over, becoming a popular spot for salmon fishing and ice skating

Mare’s Milk

The use of mare’s milk began in the 19th century as an alternative to cow’s milk. Kazakhs, along with many other Central Asian populations, consume this milk as curd, while in other cases, butter is extracted from it after fermentation. Kazakhstan is home to two million horses of various breeds, inhabiting its steppe regions

Mare’s milk has important uses in many fields and is still considered a valuable natural remedy in some areas

It contains a low percentage of protein and fat compared to other milks, and its physical and chemical properties make it the best for children compared to other milks. It also contains high levels of antibiotics, vitamin C, and iron

Al-Farabi

He was a philosopher born 1150 years ago in what is now Kazakhstan and is considered a source of inspiration for Kazakhs in the 20th century

When Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, its leading university (the Kazakh National University) was renamed in honor of the medieval thinker of Kazakh origin, Abu Nasr al-Farabi

Al-Farabi spent approximately 80 years of his nomadic life in all the most important Islamic cities of his time (870-950), including Damascus and Baghdad. He also lived in Alexandria. He spoke Greek, translated ancient Greek texts, and was well-versed in both Christian theology and the Greek and Latin thought of the ancient world

Al-Farabi wrote on philosophy, music, and what we would now call alchemy. He was also interested in many other fields of knowledge, such as psychology and history

He authored approximately 100 scientific works, but his greatest achievement was his work in translation. He translated from ancient Greek, thus saving from medieval oblivion the works of the greatest philosophers of antiquity, such as Aristotle, Plato, and others

Al-Farabi’s contributions had a profound impact on the Arab world, comparable to those of the physician Ibn Sina and Maimonides—the greatest Jewish religious philosopher of the Middle Ages

The Famine of the 1930s

Every year on May 31, Kazakhstan commemorates the victims of the artificial famine and political repression suffered by the Kazakh people during the period 1931–1933 under the Soviet regime. In 1993, a law was passed on the rehabilitation of victims of political repression

The famine that struck the country and several other Soviet republics claimed the lives of approximately 2.2 million people in the Kazakh steppes, the majority of whom were ethnic Kazakhs. They perished as a result of the Soviet Union’s policy of mass persecution of peasants and the confiscation of livestock to create state-owned farms. This deprived Kazakhs of their animals and all means of subsistence, and three out of every four Kazakhs died of starvation. This famine was preceded by another in 1921-1922 that killed 30% of the Kazakh population

It is worth noting that the Kazakh people suffered three major tragedies in the 20th century: famine, political repression, and World War II

Experts describe the famine of the 1930s as a genocide perpetrated against the Kazakh people and other ethnic groups by Soviet leader Stalin, along with a campaign of intellectual cleansing through the execution of the cultural and political elite, including writers and poets, and the forced relocation of other ethnic groups to Kazakhstan

One of the provisions of Stalin’s forced agricultural program was that peasants surrender their property and livestock to state farms at a meager price set by the government. This led to widespread discontent and the peasants’ rejection of the program

Nur-Sultan

The country’s second-largest city, Nur-Sultan is a prime example of a modern metropolis. Once a small town, it boasts some of the country’s most famous tourist attractions and is now filled with numerous shops, restaurants, and shopping centers featuring stunning architecture and buildings influenced by the Soviet era

Both ancient and modern sites have become major attractions in the city. Ancient sites draw huge numbers of tourists, including the Baiterek Tower with its panoramic views of the city, while modern attractions include, for example, the Duman entertainment complex

Almaty

The largest city in Kazakhstan, Almaty is located in the southeast of the country, nestled between plains and mountains. This location showcases the beauty and diversity of its tourism offerings, as well as its rich culture, evident in its theaters, museums, galleries, art exhibitions, and a wide range of entertainment venues, including cinemas

The city is also replete with architectural landmarks, squares, parks, and fountains, in addition to the stunning mountain scenery that characterizes the city of apples, especially in autumn and spring

Aktau

Aktau is a city on the Caspian Sea coast in western Kazakhstan, combining ancient architecture with tourist attractions that are well worth visiting

The main tourist attractions include the World War II memorial, the colorful mountains of Altyn-Emel National Park, the statue of Taras Shevchenko, and the beautiful beaches