Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a republic with more than 15 million inhabitants. Neighboring countries are Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. Southwestern lies the coastline with the Caspian Sea. the landscape in the west is determined by hilly lowlands and vast plateaus. In the north are the Siberian steppes, supplemented by rivers and lakes. In the southwest lies the Red Sand Desert and in the east and southeast are high mountains. Kazakhstan has a continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. The most extreme temperatures can be found on deserts and steppes. The capital Astana has 577.00 inhabitants and the sights consist of the banks of the Ishim, the Oceanarium, the Islamic center, the Roman Catholic cathedral, the market hall and the historical museum of Kazakhstan. Other important cities are Taraz, Petropavl, Simkent, Qaraðandi, the historic city of Pavlodar and the largest city of Almaty, known for its universities. On the UNESCO World Heritage List are the mausoleum of religious leader and poet Hodja Ahmed Yasavi in ​​Türkistan, the petroglyphs in the landscape of Tamgaly and the Saryarka steppe and the Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan.