Kazakhstan
Abbreviations: Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
Capital: Astana
Here are a few interesting facts about Kazakhstan.
The Eye of God
The photo, dubbed "God's Eye," was taken by an amateur photographer in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan.
You have to admit that it looks creepy, is it God?
navy
Despite its landlocked location, Kazakhstan has a navy based in the Caspian Sea.
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the largest inland body of water in the world. Bordering Iran, Russia, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, it covers an area of 386,400 square kilometers, which is larger than Japan's.
apple
One theory is that apples originated in Kazakhstan. The city of Almaty, which means "father of apples" in Kazakh, has long been regarded as the birthplace of apples, as recently confirmed by DNA tests.
periodic table
Kazakhstan is rich in mineral resources. More than 99 elements in Mendeleev's periodic table can be found in the country.
Borat
The 2016 American film Borat fictionalizes a Kazakh journalist. The film is considered the highest-grossing pseudo-documentary of all time, but it has also caused some controversy. The film was banned in Kazakhstan.
chimney
The highest chimney in the world is in Kazakhstan. The GRES-2 power station chimney in Ekibastuz, Kazakhstan, is 419m high and is known as the tallest chimney in the world.
Christmas
Christmas is celebrated on December 25 in most parts of the world, while Kazakhs celebrate it on January 7.
Kazakhstan celebrates Orthodox Christmas according to the Julian calendar, the dominant calendar in the Roman world that was gradually replaced by the Gregorian calendar that most of us use today.
kiss
Horseback riding is of great significance in Kazakh culture, which also includes the traditional sport kyz kuu. This sport is a form of "kissing chase" on horseback. A woman sets off on horseback and is chased by a group of men on horseback. The object of the game is that while running at full speed, the man can grab the girl and kiss her.
Dostoevsky
The famous Russian novelist Dostoevsky (author of Crime and Punishment and The Demons) lived in exile in Kazakhstan from 1857 to 1859. His house in the city of Semei is now a museum.
Saiga antelope
In 2015, a mysterious disease killed 200,000 critically endangered saiga in Kazakhstan. This mass extinction left only about 100,000 Saiga antelopes in the world.
uranium
Kazakhstan is the world's leading producer of uranium, a heavy metal widely used in nuclear energy production.
Baikonur cosmodrome
The first man in space and the first satellite were launched from Kazakhstan.
Baikonur Cosmodrome is the site of the launch of Earth's first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, in 1957. The rocket carrying Yuri Gagarin into orbit was also launched from Baikonur in 1961. The launch site is still in use today.
snow leopard
There are snow leopards in Kazakhstan. Known as the "ghost of the mountains," this hard-to-find endangered species is the official symbol of Kazakhstan.
Only about 7,500 snow leopards remain in the wild, of which only about 150 live in Kazakhstan.
petroleum
Kazakhstan is rich in oil reserves and it is the ninth largest crude oil exporter in the world.
Test
Between 1949 and 1989, the Soviet Union conducted 456 nuclear tests in the Semipalatinsk polygonal zone of Kazakhstan.
Nomadic games
In Kazakhstan, there is an ancient nomadic game called "kokpar". The game is played between two teams of horsemen (similar to polo) who compete for a headless goat that has just been slaughtered. The sport is said to have originated under Genghis Khan in the 13th century.
horsemeat
Horse meat is an important part of Kazakh cuisine. In 2012, the Kazakhstan Olympic delegation even specially transported horse meat to London.
Kymyz
Kymyz (fermented mare's milk) is a mild alcoholic beverage popular in Kazakhstan. Shubat (fermented camel milk) can also be purchased.
Medio Ice Rink
The world's largest alpine ice rink, the Madio Ice Rink was built in 1972 and is located in the Almaty plateau at an altitude of 1691m. Its ice is made from pure mountain water, which is said to increase speed and enhance the performance of figure skaters.
name
Kazakhstan literally translates as "the land of wanderers". The name "Kazakh" comes from the Old Turkic word qaz, which means "to wander".
president
After independence, the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev, served for almost 30 years.
capital
In 2019, after the 78-year-old president stepped down, Kazakhstan renamed the capital Astana Nur-Sultan in honor of Nursultan Abishevich Nazarbayev. However, in September 2022, it was renamed back to Astana. As a result, Astana is the capital with the most name changes and is the Guinness World Record holder – having changed its name five times in 60 years.
Eurasian steppe
Kazakhstan is home to part of the Eurasian steppe, the largest steppe in the world. The Eurasian steppe stretches from Hungary to China, circling almost one-fifth of the Earth's orbit.
Silk Road
The Silk Road, an ancient trade route connecting the continent with Europe and the Middle East, passed through Kazakhstan. The Silk Road Ruins are one of the country's five UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
national flag
The background color of the flag of Kazakhstan is light blue, symbolizing the blue sky and a bright future; In the center is the golden sun and the eagle, the golden sun symbolizes light, the eagle symbolizes bravery, representing the freedom and noble ideals of the Kazakh people; Along the edge of the flag there is a traditional Kazakh decorative belt.
Rock painting
Kazakhstan has been home to nomads for thousands of years. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Tamgali has seen more than 5,000 petroglyphs dating back to around 2000 BC.
Cis
Beginning in the 18th century, Kazakhstan came under Russian rule and became part of the Soviet Union in 1920. In 1991, Kazakhstan declared its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union and joined the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Landlocked
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world and the largest landlocked country in the world by total area. This means that it does not have direct access to the high seas, although it is surrounded by a system of rivers and canals. The upside is that the Central Asian country is relatively protected from deadly weather effects caused by the ocean, such as hurricanes and tsunamis.