Almaty

Almaty (Kazakh: Алматы облысы) is a province of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Taldykorgan, which has a population of 118,400. The province itself has 1,603,700 people.

Kazakh cuisine

Kazakh cuisine traditionally revolves around mutton and horse meat and as well as various milk products. The cooking techniques and major ingredients have been strongly influenced by the nation’s nomadic way of life. For example, most cooking techniques are aimed at long-term preservation of food.

Meat in various forms has always been the primary ingredient of Kazakh cuisine. Among the most popular meat dishes are kazy and chuzhuk (horsemeat sausages), kuyrdak (dish made from roasted sheep offal and fat), besbarmak (boiled meat and small pieces of dough) and various other horse delicacies (zhal, zhaya). The traditional drinks are sheep milk and its products (kaimak (sour cream), katyk, kurt, irimshik (cottage cheese or cheese)); fermented mare’s milk (kumys); and camel’s milk (shubat). The introduction of flour to Kazakh cuisine brought about dishes such as bauyrsaq, kuimak, kattama and oima – flat puff cakes fried in oil then covered in cream.

Geography

Kazakhstan, the second largest member country of the Commonwealth of Independent States, bordered to the north and west of the Russian Federation, in the southwest of the Caspian Sea, in south Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan as well as in east China. 90% of the country consists of steppe, Sandmassiven of the Karakum and the vast desert of Kisilkum. In the southeast characterize the mighty mountains of Tien Shan and the Alatau the countryside, in the eastern foothills of the Altai Mountains. The Aral Sea and the Balchasch lake waters are the largest in the country.

Political system

Kazakhstan is a presidential republic. The president is the head of state. The president also is the commander in chief of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the Parliament. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan’s head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in the Cabinet. Karim Masimov has served as the Prime Minister since 10 January 2007.

Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament, made up of the lower house (the Majilis) and upper house (the Senate). Single mandate districts popularly elect 67 seats in the Majilis; there also are ten members elected by party-list vote rather than by single mandate districts. The Senate has 39 members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies (Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan’s 16 principal administrative divisions (14 provinces, plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The president appoints the remaining seven senators. Majilis deputies and the government both have the right of legislative initiative, though the government proposes most legislation considered by the Parliament.

Köl-Say Lakes

These three pretty green lakes lie amid the steep forested foothills of the Küngey Alatau. The lakes are strung along the Köl-Say river at an altitude of around 2000m (6560ft). The camping and trout fishing are great. June and August are the best months to visit, but keep a close eye on the weather.

Travellers can arrange helicopter excursions to the lakes from Almaty or reach them overland from Saty; the lower lake is accessible by vehicle but you’re better off hiring horses in Saty. It’s possible to trek from the pastures of the middle lake over the 3200m (10500ft) Sary-Bulak pass to the Kyrgyzstan village of Balbay on the shore of Lake Issyk-Kul but you will need to arrange a border pass. By horse this can be done in a day; on foot it takes two days. From the pass there are fantastic views north towards the Kazakh steppe and south into the Issyk-Kul basin.

When to Go

As summers are ferociously hot and winters bitterly cold, spring (April to June) and autumn (September to October) are the best seasons to visit Kazakhstan. In April, the desert blooms briefly and the monotonous ochre landscapes explode in reds, oranges and yellows. Autumn is harvest time, when market tables heave with freshly picked fruit. If you do decide to battle the winter, be aware that many domestic flights are grounded and finding food can be a problem since lots of eateries close for the season.

Astana

Astana , is the capital and second largest city (behind Almaty) of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population (1 Dec. 2007) of 600,200  . It is located in the north-central portion of Kazakhstan, within Akmola Province, although it is politically separate from the rest of the province, which has its own capital.

The current mayor of Astana is Imangali Tasmagambetov, formerly mayor of Almaty. He was appointed mayor on 4th April 2008.

Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan, , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country in Central Asia and Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world as well as the world’s largest landlocked country,it has a territory of 2,727,300 km² (greater than Western Europe). It is bordered by Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and China. The country also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea.

Vast in size, the land in Kazakhstan is very diverse in types of terrain: flatlands, steppes, taigas, rock-canyons, hills, deltas, mountains, snow-capped mountains, and deserts. Kazakhstan has the 62nd largest population in the world, with a population density of less than 6 people per square kilometre (15 per sq. mi.).