• Officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, a landlocked country in Central Asia and part of Eastern Europe
• Bordered by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and the Caspian Sea
• Capital: Astana; largest city and cultural center: Almaty

• Ninth-largest country and largest landlocked country
• Diverse terrain: plateaus, plains, lowlands, and mountains
• Population of 20.5 million with a low density; majority ethnic Kazakhs, significant Russian minority
• Predominantly Muslim, also has a Christian community

• Inhabited since the Paleolithic era; home to nomadic tribes like the Saka and Scythians
• Conquered by the Mongol Empire in the 13th century; Kazakh Khanate formed in the 15th century
• Russian rule established by the mid-19th century; independent in 1991

• Dominates Central Asia economically, contributing 60% of regional GDP
• Rich in oil, gas, and minerals; highest Human Development Index in Central Asia
• Authoritarian government; gradual political reforms since 2019; member of various international organizations

List of newspapers published in Kazakhstan.