Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. The
largest in area of the countries of Central Asia, the former
republic of the USSR.
Geography
Country area - total:
2,717,300 km², water: 47,500 km², land: 2,669,800 km²
Kazakhstan borders on Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and
Turkmenistan. It has access to the Caspian and Aral Seas.
Story
Kazakhstan is a country with a rich historical and cultural
past. Located in the center of Eurasia, Kazakhstan found itself at
the crossroads of the most ancient civilizations of the world, at
the intersection of transport arteries, social and economic,
cultural and ideological ties between East and West, South and
North, between Europe and Asia, between the largest state formations
of the Eurasian continent.
Population
As of November 1,
2015 - 17,630,719 people.
The share of the main ethnic
groups: Kazakhs - 65%, Russians - 21.8%, Uzbeks - 3%, Ukrainians -
1.8%, Uighurs - 1.4%, Tatars - 1.2%, Germans - 1.1%, others ethnic
groups - 4.5%.
Religious beliefs - Muslims 70.2%, Russian
Orthodox Church 26.2%, other 4%.
Regions
Administratively, the country is divided into 14 regions,
but from a tourist point of view, the division of Kazakhstan is more
interesting, taking into account natural and geographical features:
Great Steppe
The Great Steppe is the central region of Kazakhstan,
where there are few people, there are also not very many roads, and they
usually connect the cities of other regions with each other, but there
is a lot of steppe, partially plowed, and deserts. Almost all
civilization here is in large cities along the northern border of the
region: Aktobe, Karaganda and Semey. Almost the only detail of the
landscape in the monotonous plain to the horizon is the Karkaraly
National Park, the highest part of the Kazakh Upland.
Kyzylkum
and Aral Karakum
Kyzylkum and the Aral Karakum - the south of
Kazakhstan, almost entirely occupied by the desert, in the same clay,
although in some places even with real sand dunes. The Aral Sea has
almost dried up as a result of the irrigation programs of Kazakhstan's
neighbors, but now the Kazakh part of the sea is fenced off by a dam,
and further reduction does not threaten it. The cultural monuments of
the region are mainly related to the history of neighboring Uzbekistan,
such as the mausoleums in the city of Turkestan, but few reminders of
colonial history remain, mainly in the cities of Kazalinsk and
Kyzylorda.
Caspian lowland
The Caspian lowland is the
westernmost region of Kazakhstan. In the north, the Ural River flows
here with the historical cities of Uralsk and Atyrau. In the south, the
region faces the coast of the Caspian Sea. In addition, there is the
Mangyshlak peninsula, remarkable for its rocks, canyons, as well as
mausoleums and cave mosques, while all this is in the desert, and the
roads are mainly designed for four-wheel drive vehicles.
Rudny
Altai
Rudny Altai is the Kazakh part of the Altai Mountains, with
waterfalls, forests and reservoirs. The main city here is
Ust-Kamenogorsk, and the entire region is strung on the Irtysh and
Bukhtarma rivers.
Northern Kazakhstan
Northern Kazakhstan is a
rather large and rather diverse region. There is a large proportion of
the Russian-speaking population here than in the whole country, and in
the very north, in Petropavlovsk, the Russian language is more common
than Kazakh. In the north of the region there is a forest-steppe, and
right there is a rather famous resort of Borovoye, and to the south it
turns into a steppe, in the middle of which stands the capital of the
country, Astana. The capital was moved here by historical standards
recently, but Astana is actively developing and is very interesting in
architectural and cultural terms.
Semirechye
Semirechye is a
region of Kazakhstan that is distinguished by the greatest diversity. In
the north there is a steppe and a huge closed lake Balkhash. In the east
of the region there are deserts with picturesque canyons, the most
famous of which is the Charyn Canyon. In the south, the region is
limited by two ranges of the Northern Tien Shan - Zailiysky Alatau and
Kungei-Alatau, with glaciers, lakes, rivers and forests of Tien Shan
spruce. In the east, along the border with China, there is a lower ridge
of the Dzungarian Alatau. To all this is added Alma-Ata (Almaty), the
largest city of Kazakhstan, for a long time its capital, and still
retaining the role of a cultural capital.
Cities
Astana is the
capital of Kazakhstan, striking in scope and pathos of modern
architecture;
Alma-Ata (Almaty) - the southern, and in the past the
main capital of Kazakhstan, located in the foothills of the Zailiysky
Alatau;
Aktobe is the center of the West Kazakhstan region, which
includes four regions. One of the largest cities in Kazakhstan;
Shymkent is the second (after Alma-Ata) largest city in the republic;
Karaganda is the capital of the coal-mining region;
Kostanay is the
granary of Kazakhstan. In the Kostanay region, high yields of grain are
traditionally collected;
Shchuchinsk - a unique mountain resort in
the middle of the endless steppe and the adjacent national park
"Burabay" ("Borovoye");
Semey - known as the place of exile of
Dostoevsky and the place of death of ataman Annenkov;
Turkestan is a
city in the Syrdarya valley, famous for its ancient mausoleums; Since
2018, it has been the capital of the Turkestan region;
Uralsk is a
city with a long history, including a visit by Pushkin, the Pugachev
uprising and the death of Chapaev;
Ust-Kamenogorsk is an industrial
city in the southern part of Altai;
Kyzylorda is the first capital of
the KazASSR. In the vicinity of the city there is a developed
agriculture - rice and melon fields.
Other destinations
Lake
Balkhash (Balkhash)
Ski resort Chimbulak (Shymbulak)
Alpine
skating rink Medeo (Medeu)
Naurzumsky and Korgalzhynsky nature
reserves (Nauyrzym zhane Korgalzhyn қoryқtary)
Ile-Alatau National
Park, Northern Tien Shan
State National Park "Altyn-Emel" ("Altyn
Emel")
Charyn Canyon (Shary)
Western Tien Shan, including
Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve (Aksu Zhabagyly), Karatau Nature Reserve
and Sairam-Ugam National Park
By plane
The capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan has a new,
modern airport that receives flights from Russia, Europe, Southeast
Asia, China, and Turkey. Almaty Airport belongs to the first class
airports and is also able to receive flights with virtually no
restrictions. Kostanay Airport accepts flights from Moscow,
Yekaterinburg, Kyiv, Minsk, Munich, Hannover.
By train
From
Russia: Border guards and customs officers pass the train - they look at
migration cards, declarations (if any) and luggage. They put an entry
stamp on the card (which must be kept until leaving the country, when it
is confiscated at the border) or in the passport. Trains are usually
clean, which is not always true for domestic routes. They give out linen
packed in bags. Linen is included in the ticket. The conductors are not
always responsible, they may not inform you that you need to get off at
this stop. According to the rules of railway transportation of
Kazakhstan, conductors provide boiling water for drinks, dishes.
Recharging is officially free, unless otherwise noted. In fact, a
symbolic payment is welcomed by the conductor as a tip.
If you
travel by train in Kazakhstan, having several stops in different cities,
subject to a clear schedule, you should not buy all tickets in advance
in Russia. It is better to do it in Kazakhstan - it will be much
cheaper.
By car
Kazakhstan has a long land border with Russia
(RF), China (PRC), Kyrgyzstan (Kyrgyzstan), Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan
(Turkmenistan). Kazakhstan is connected to these states by highways
built during the Soviet era. The quality of the road surface is not
always satisfactory. There is no developed infrastructure for auto
travelers. Outside of large cities and regional centers, low-quality
gasoline and diesel fuel come across.
When entering the country,
one should not forget about temporary insurance, which is issued
immediately after the border checkpoint (usually these are small
inconspicuous wagons). If you are stopped by traffic officers in the
country, you should always have transport documents, completed migration
cards and an insurance policy ready. The cost of the policy has now
changed. The minimum insurance period is 3 months, it costs
approximately 1500-1800 Russian rubles for a car. If you forgot to issue
a document when entering the country, you should notify the inspector.
On the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan there are embassies of
border countries. You can always count on their help.
By plane
Domestic air traffic is well developed. From Nur-Sultan
and Alma-Ata, you can fly to all regional centers, to larger ones
several times a day. Airplanes fly between Nur-Sultan and Alma-Ata every
2-3 hours. Moreover, there are strange chord routes like
Kyzylorda-Karaganda, and, digging into the schedules, you can find quite
interesting options. Tickets for domestic flights are relatively
inexpensive, everywhere you can take a one-way ticket without an
additional surcharge. If you buy in advance, you are unlikely to pay
more than 20-25 thousand tenge (one way). Trains, however, are still
cheaper: with rare exceptions, a ticket in a compartment is cheaper than
an airplane.
There are four airlines in Kazakhstan - Air Astana,
SCAT, Bek Air and Qazaq Air. The last three were blacklisted by the
European Union for a long time (due to security problems), but in 2016
they seemed to be excluded from there. SCAT and Bek Air operate in
low-cost mode, i.e. they sell the cheapest tickets without luggage, and
the surcharge depends on the weight. Air Astana tickets are slightly
more expensive, but they always include meals and luggage. However,
there is one eastern trick in the Air Astana tariff policy: on the site
you need to select the country of Kazakhstan, but do not put a tick in
front of resident of Kazakhstan (unless, of course, you have a Kazakh
passport). If you choose any other country, a ticket for the simplest
domestic flight will cost from $150.
The tricks don't end there.
International booking systems see only a fraction of domestic flights
and at prices that have nothing to do with reality. Use the websites of
airlines, they all sell tickets via the Internet and accept credit cards
for payment.
The state language of the country is Kazakh, which is spoken by more
than 80% of the population. The language of interethnic communication
and the official language is Russian, in which it is allowed to keep
official documentation. More than 80% of the population also speaks
Russian in the country, while many Kazakhs use it more often than Kazakh
in everyday life, and in the north they may not speak the state language
at all. The authorities are trying to correct this situation with
varying success, however, the matter has not come to prohibitive
measures against the Russian and is unlikely to come. The Uzbek language
is widely spoken in the south of the country, Uighur is popular in the
east, and in some villages of Semirechye one can meet speakers of the
Kyrgyz and Dungan languages. In the Aral Sea region, the Karakalpak
language has some distribution. In recent years, the popularity of
learning English has been growing among young people, and it is also
most often spoken by workers in the tourism sector. In large cities, one
can find those who know Turkish, Arabic and German, the latter is also
popular in areas of mass exile of Germans: Karaganda, Taraz, Alma-Ata.
Purchases
The national currency is Kazakhstan tenge (KZT). 1 USD
= 463 KZT 1 EUR = 501 KZT; 1 GBP = 572 KZT; 1 RUB = 6.6 KZT (as of
January 19, 2023)
The exchange rate of the ruble against the
tenge is constantly changing. Reverse exchange (tenge-rubles) is
possible. Money should be changed in banks or special exchange offices
where they issue a check for the exchange. It is recommended to keep
these checks in order to present them at the border if necessary.
Prices
What's the cost? (2019)
1. Food, inexpensive
restaurant: 2000 tenge
2. Meals for two, average restaurant, 3
courses: 10,000 tenge
3. Homemade beer (0.5 l draft): 400 tenge
4. Cola / Pepsi (bottle 0.33 l): 190 tenge
5. Water (bottle
0.33 l): 120 tenge
6. Loaf of bread (500 g): 90 tenge
7.
Beef (1 kg): 2000 tenge
8. Apples (1 kg): 450 tenge
9. One
way ticket (local transport): 80 tenge
10. Taxi start, per km:
425, 100 tenge
11. Gasoline (1 l): 170 tenge
12. Apartment
(1 bed) in the city center / month: 111,000 tenge
13. Average
monthly net salary (after taxes): 139,000 tenge
Prices for all
goods and services vary significantly and depend on the place of
purchase and the time of year. The cost of products in markets and food
fairs is lower than in stores. The highest - in supermarkets, shopping
malls and malls. There are wholesale stores with discount prices. Prices
for clothes of imported brands are higher than in producing countries.
Fakes available to low-income segments of the population are very
popular. Prices for entertainment, as well as for travel in public
transport, depend on the remoteness of the city and the degree of its
development. In Almaty, a bus ticket for an adult costs 80 tenge, in
Nur-Sultan - 90 (attention, the data may be outdated). The bus depot is
quite new.
attractions
UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Mausoleum of Khoja
Ahmed Yasawi (Turkestan) - Khoja Ahmed Yasawi kesenesi
Petroglyphs of
the archaeological landscape of Tamgaly
Saryarka - steppes and lakes
of Northern Kazakhstan
Other
Turkic sanctuary Merke
Megalithic
mausoleum of Begazy-Dandybai culture
Mounds and stone structures of
the Tasmola culture
Petroglyphs of Eshkiolmes (Eshkiolmes)
Petroglyphs of Arpa-Uzen (Arpa ozen)
Paleolithic objects and
geomorphology of the Karatau ridge
Archaeological objects of the
Oasis Otrar
Cultural landscape of Ulytau
Complex of medieval
mausoleums of the city of Taraz
Mausoleum of Jochi Khan (Joshy)
Mazvolei of Alash Khan (Alash)
abandoned cities
In Kazakhstan, for
various reasons, a large number of single-industry towns were built.
After the collapse of the USSR, many of them partially or completely
stopped production, and part of the Russian and German population left
the country. Therefore, in many, even large, cities of Kazakhstan, there
are entire areas of abandoned high-rise buildings. No valuable items
have been left there for a long time, but as monuments of the era they
are of interest. Among other things, Karaganda, Arkalyk and Zhanatas are
famous for such areas, and the latter is also located in the desert.
Things to do
Mountain tourism - Medeu, Chimbulak (Shymbulak),
Zailiysky Alatau National Park. Water tourism - rivers Koksu, Katun.
Beach tourism - Caspian. Hiking in the forest - Kostanay, Zerenda,
Schuchinsk, Borovoye (Burabay), Almaty region (Almaty oblysy). Beach
holidays - lake Balkhash (Balkash), lake Borovoe, lake Shchuchye, lake
Alakol (Alakol).
Food
Besbarmak is a national dish (boiled
noodles with meat, but not soup). Meat is different (horse meat, lamb
...).
Kazy is a national dish, which is a specially prepared
horsemeat sausage.
Kymyz is a fermented milk drink made from mare's
milk.
Shubat - fermented camel milk. This drink is common throughout
Central Asia.
Bauyrsak is a traditional dish of nomadic pastoralists
of Central Asia (small buns fried in oil).
Night life
The center
of nightlife in Kazakhstan and all of Central Asia is Almaty. The city
has a huge number of nightclubs, entertainment centers, bars, cafes and
restaurants.
Where to stay
There are hotels in every city.
From 1 to 5 stars. You can rent accommodation from local residents.
Precautionary measures
Kazakhstan and Russia are similar in terms
of street life. You should be careful at night, especially in
residential areas, avoid conflicts with temperamental representatives of
the local population, carefully count the change in small shops and
minimarkets, and also ask in advance the cost of goods. In addition,
local taxi drivers, having noticed visitors, can raise prices, but you
can bargain with them, just like in the market. When hitchhiking: there
are areas where it is impossible to stop the car on the highway (the
gender and money of the failed passenger are not important).
Connection
The international dialing code of Kazakhstan, as in
Russia, is +7. Internet domains of the country .kz and .қaz Mobile
operators Beeline, Kcell/Activ, Tele2, ALTEL operate on the territory of
the country. Attention, at least the mobile Internet in Kazakhstan can
be blocked, it works very poorly in the evenings and on weekends, while
there is a connection, but there is no access to Vkontakte, Twitter.
This is especially true during strikes and riots. Also, when connecting,
operators require you to install a security certificate, the purpose of
which is in doubt, and there is little information about it. Operators'
SIM cards are sold and distributed almost everywhere, but after a day or
two they require registration or are blocked. Sellers offer to add money
to the account, but you should not trust them, because they may well add
only a small part of the amount, leaving a significant part for
themselves, be careful.