​Kazakhstan
Country Information

• The official name of the country is Қазақстан Республикасы or Qazaqstan Respwblïkası (Kazakhstan Respublikasi), translated as the Republic of Kazakhstan.
• Ethnicity. Kazakhstan is an ethnically diverse republic. The major ethnic group is Kazakh, but there are people from more than 130 different nationalities living in the country. 
• Kazakh Hordes. Tribalism is fading away but it is still common for Kazakhs to ask which tribe they belong to when they meet each other. The three main tribes are: Uli Zuz (The Elder, Senior, or Great Horde), Kişi juz (The Junior, Younger, or Lesser Horde), & Orta juz (The Middle or Central Horde)
• Size. Kazakhstan is roughly the size of Western Europe, about 4 times the size of Texas, 5 times the size France.
• History. Kazakhstan history goes back millions of years. In the Bronze Age it was inhabited by Andron and Begazy-Dandybai tribes. In 1470 the sultans Janibek and Girey organized tribes in the southeastern areas and combined them into a single Kazakh tribe, which lasted until 1718 when the khanate broke up and it joined the Russian Empire.
• Etymology. 'Kazakh' is an ancient Turkic word meaning  "independent; a free spirit". It is used to refer to people of ethnic Kazakh descent, including those living in other countries. The term "Kazakhstani" was coined by the Soviets to describe all citizens of Kazakhstan, including non-Kazakhs. The Persian suffix "-stan" means "land" or "place of", so Kazakhstan means "land of the Kazakhs".  
• Silk Road. Kazakhstan has been at the crossroads of trade and empires for centuries along the ancient Silk Road.  
• Economy. After gaining independence from the USSR, Kazakhstan has taken advantage of its rich oil and gas deposits.  It also produces uranium, copper, zinc, livestock, and grain.
• Sports. The most popular sport is football (soccer). Kazakhstan is outstanding in the world of boxing, both men and women winning many Olympic medals from 2000 through the present day. Hockey is also a popular sport.
• The Baikonur Cosmodrome is located in the desert steppe of Kazakhstan. It is the world's first and largest space launch facility, boasting the world's first human spaceflight, made by Yuri Gagarin. 
• Languages. The official language, Kazakh, or Qazaq, is a Turkic language spoken by over 52% of the population. Kazakh employs vowel harmony. Russian is also widely spoken, as are Uzbek, German, & Korean.
• Kazakh alphabet. Kazakh was first written with the Arabic script during the 19th century. In 1927 Arabic script was banned and the Latin alphabet was imposed. It was replaced by the Cyrillic alphabet in 1940. Recently the government has stated plans to replace the Cyrillic alphabet with the Latin alphabet.
• Government. Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic with a strong presidency and a market economy.
• Yurts. A yurt is a round-shaped, bent portable dwelling with a dome used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia as their home. It is one of the oldest (more than 3000 years) inventions of Eurasian nomads. 
• Shanyrak. Yurts are often repaired or rebuilt, but the crown (Shanyrak) is kept intact, passed from father to son upon the father's death. A family's heritage is measured by the accumulation of stains from decades of smoke passing through it. The Shanyrak is in the center of the coat of arms of Kazakhstan.