Friday, July 29, 2011

Going to Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of 2,727,300 square kilometres (1,053,000 sq mi) is greater than Western Europe. Kazakhstan is one of the six independent Turkic states. It is neighbored clockwise from the north by Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea.

Although Kazakhstan does not share a border with Mongolia, its most easterly point is only 38 kilometres (24 mi) from Mongolia's western tip. The capital was moved in 1997 from Almaty - Kazakhstan's largest city, to Astana. Vast in size, the terrain of Kazakhstan ranges from flatlands, steppes, taigas, rock-canyons, hills, deltas, and snow-capped mountains to deserts. With 16.4 million people - Kazakhstan has the 62nd largest population in the world, though its population density is less than 6 people per square kilometre (15 per sq. mi.).

I had actually been to Kazakhstan before. Here are some random pictures.

This is the Intercontinental Hotel, located in Almaty, Kazakhstan that I stayed in.

Here is in the capital of Kazakhstan, Astana.

A traditional Kazakh restaurant.

Kazakh architecture LOL.

Traditional belly dancing.

.... this one's for my friends. Enough said. Haha.