Kazakhstan is located in the central part of the continent of Eurasia and covers an area of 2.72 million km2. The country's population is 18.59 million people, of which more than 1.8 million live in the capital. The history of the state dates back to the Paleolithic.
Kazakhstan borders with China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Russia. This country can rightfully be considered modern and distinctive, with a rich history and culture.
The Great Steppe is considered the century-old historical heritage and the so-called “visiting card” of the country.
Kazakhstan is a country in which pristine civilization coexists absolutely calmly with its steppe beauty, taiga, mountains and national parks of the ancient Tien Shan and a modern capital with high technologies.
In this article we will talk about 10 interesting facts about Kazakhstan.
10. One of the world leaders in metal mining
Kazakhstan is one of the world leaders in metal mining. It is estimated that the state’s second largest reserves of lead, chromium, uranium, zinc; the third is manganese; fifths are copper. In addition, the country is one of the ten leaders in the extraction of iron and coal, occupies the eleventh place in terms of oil and natural gas reserves.
The republic is one of the three leaders in the production of non-ferrous metals in the CIS countries and is in 10th place in the world for open gold deposits. About 190 deposits of silver, gold and diamonds, 160 deposits of oil are located in the country.
9. Second place in world uranium reserves
Uranium is the main element used in nuclear energy. Reserves of this substance are found in only a few deposits on Earth.
Kazakhstan ranks second in world uranium reserves. The total volume of this element totals 629 tons, which is about 11.8% of the total land reserve. There are 16 developed deposits in the country. Production is controlled by Kazatoprom.
8. The longest land border in the world (Kazakhstan and Russia)
Each state has borders with its neighbors. Kazakhstan and Russia have the longest land border in the world. Its length is 7512.8 km.
7. The first horses were domesticated in the country
In the Paleolithic era, horse images were frequent on cave walls. However, they were wild animals, and they were drawn as an object of hunting.
The process of taming horses in order to use them in agriculture and household affairs is a significant and important event. According to historical data, this happened at the beginning of the 4th millennium BC in the Botai culture (modern Kazakhstan). I.e the first horses were domesticated in this country.
From the second half of the 4th millennium to the end of the 3rd millennium, the domestic horse has become an integral part of the culture of the peoples living in Eurasia. Horses were used in agriculture and military affairs.
6. Baikonur - the first and largest cosmodrome in the world
On the territory of Kazakhstan is a spaceport, built back in Soviet times. The object became the property of the independent Republic of Kazakhstan after the collapse of the Union, at the moment it is leased by Russia.
Baikonur - the first and largest cosmodrome in the world. Translated from the Kazakh language, its name means "rich valley».
For many years, Baikonur has been the leading spaceport in terms of the number of missile launches for various purposes. For example, in 2015, 18 launch vehicles were launched from Baikonur. But since 2016, the U.S. cosmodrome Cape Canaveral has become a leader.
5. Temperature differences during the year can be up to 100 degrees
The country is located in the center of land and far from the seas, therefore it has a sharply continental climate with pronounced four seasons. Temperature differences during the year can be up to 100 degrees.
In the north of the country there is a winter with a harsh climate and a short summer. In the south of the country, the situation is exactly the opposite, there is a short winter period, but a long and hot summer.
Due to this difference, a significant difference in temperature conditions is recorded in the country. In winter, the degrees drop to -40 - -50ºС, and in the summer the temperature reaches +40 - + 50ºС.
4. The world's largest high-mountain skating rink "Medeo"
Near the capital of the country, the city of Nar Sultan is located the world's largest high-mountain skating rink "Medeo". Translated from the Kazakh language, this name means "support" or "support". The ice rink was built at an altitude of 1691 m above sea level.
This building is part of a mountain complex designed for winter sports. The rink was opened on December 28, 1972. The area of this artificial ice rink is 10.5 thousand m2.
Pure mountain water is used to fill the entire area of the ice rink, which may be why this arena has become a forge of records. Over the entire history of the rink, more than 200 world records in speed skating at various distances have been set.
3. Kok-Tobe - the tallest television tower in the world
Kok-Tyube is a mountain 1,130 meters above sea level, which is located near the capital of the country. On the slope of this mountain is the famous Alma-Ata television tower. Kok-Tobe - the tallest television tower in the world. Its own height is 372 meters. And the overall height due to its location on the mountain is 1452 meters above sea level.
The tower was built from 1975 to 1983, the official commissioning took place on June 1, 1984. The total weight of the tower is about 7 thousand tons. Given the location in the mountains, the design of the tower is made with 10-point seismic stability.
2. "Khan-Shatyr" - the largest tent in the world
Khan-Shatyr - the largest tent in the world. This building was built in the capital Nar Sultan and accommodates a modern shopping and entertainment complex, which for its enormous size is listed in the Guinness Book of Records. The world-famous tent was opened July 6, 2010. The total area of the center is 127 thousand m2.
Khan-Shatyr has entertainment venues and retail outlets. There you can find cafes and restaurants, a supermarket, cinemas, various gyms, a park for family fun together, a water park with various types of pools, as well as utility rooms and a parking lot for 700 parking spaces.
The main attraction of the tent is the beach resort inside. The tropical climate was recreated in the room, plants were planted, the temperature is maintained all year round at +35 degrees.
Artificial sandy beaches are equipped with a heating system that allows you to create the absolute reality of the sea coast. The sand for this beach resort was specially brought from the Maldives.
1. In Lake Balkhash, half of the water is fresh, the other is salty
Balkhash is a never-ending salt lake. It is the second largest after the Caspian Sea. This lake is one of the largest lakes in the world and occupies the 14th line in the general list. Balkhash is located in the southeast of the country and belongs to closed lakes. Its uniqueness is that half of the water is fresh, the other is salty.
The lake is divided into two parts by a strait, in each of the parts there is a different chemical composition of water. In the eastern part, the water is brackish in composition, and in its western part the water is almost fresh.