Kazakhstan is a beautiful, ethnically diverse country, bordered by Russia on the north and China on the east. It is the ninth largest country in the world at slightly over 1 million square miles. The landscape is diverse, ranging from high mountains in the east to plains, subarctic forests, deserts, and shore lines along the Caspian sea. The country is rich natural resources including oil, gas, minerals and ore.

Kazakhstan was settled by nomadic peoples of Turkic and Mongol descent in the 13th century. Russia conquered the region in the 18th century and Kazakhstan was formally part of the Soviet Union form 1936 until it became an independent nation in 1991. When communism ended in Kazakhstan, extremes of poverty and wealth quickly developed and poverty continues to be a huge concern there. 

Kazakhstan has a relatively low population density and the people of Kazakhstan are ethnically and culturally diverse. About half of the population is of indigenous Kazakh descent and the other half is of German, Russian, Korean, Chinese, and Ukrainian descent along with many other nationalities. About half of the people in Kazakhstan are Islamic; other religious influences include Russian orthodox and Protestant. [photo credit]

The Kazakh language, which belongs to the Turkish family of languages, is the official language of this country. But in reality, much of the business and government work is conducted in Russian.

Interested in learning more about Kazakhstan? Here are some resources to get you started:

http://kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/CIAinfo.html - Facts about the geography, people, economy, and government from the CIA World Fact Book.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/country_profiles/1298395.stm - A concise history of Kazakhstan.

http://kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/info2.html - This page, part of the extensive Kazakhstan Adoptive Families website, has both articles on Kazakh culture and links to more websites.

http://stantours.com/gallery/kz_gal_peo_kid_j_2_05.html - A website with many beautiful photos of Kazakhstan and her people

http://kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/cooking.html - Check here to learn about the food of Kazakhstan.

http://kazakhadoptivefamilies.com/language_index.html - While you are waiting to bring your child home, why not learn a little bit of the language?

http://www.kazakhconnection.com/index.htm - Another great culture website and a shopping site where you can support artisans from Kazakhstan.