Kazakhstan (Kazakh: Қазақстан, Russian: Казахстан) is a country in central Asia that shares borders with Russia, China, and the Central Asian countries of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan and is across from Azerbaijan via the Caspian Sea.
Russian is spoken as an official language. Kazakhstan is the world's ninth biggest country by size, and it is more than twice the size of the other Central Asian states combined. It will be many travelers first port of call on their Central Asian adventure, and there is much for the intrepid traveler to enjoy. Kazakhstan is the richest country in Central Asia, due to its large oil and natural gas reserves.
The country inherited the culture of the ancient Silk Road, Nomadic lifestyle and the Soviet Union which had a great influence on its formation. This mixture makes Kazakhstan so different from any other country in the region and in the world.