WHAT ARE INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT KAZAKHSTAN?
If you are planning a trip to Kazakhstan, or simply intrigued about the country, here are some interesting facts:
1. It has the longest border in the world: Kazakhstan is one of the top
10 largest countries in the entire world. It is known for its
architectural marvels, the Caspian Sea, and the wild horses. Spanning
more than 7,500 kilometres, Kazakhstan’s border with Russia is the
longest continual border in the world. Moreover, it’s the second longest
by total length trailing after the Canada-United States border coming in
at 8,891 kilometres. to put that into perspective from Paris to Petra is
just a smidge over 4,500 kilometres.
2. Kazakhstan has incredible natural wealth. 99 elements mentioned in
the Mendeleev Periodic Table are found in the country. Not all have been
exploited so far. Kazakhstan has the world's second-largest reserves of
lead, zinc, chromium, and uranium. It also ranks in the top ten in the
world for coal, iron, copper, manganese, and gold. Kazakhstan also has
an abundance of petroleum and natural gas, the 11th largest proven
reserve globally.
3. The wild apple tree from where the modern-day cultivated apples were
derived, originated in Central Asia. Kazakhstan still has forests where
wild apple trees, the Malus sieversii, grow. Bears who eat the fruit of
these trees are responsible for their dispersal through their
droppings.
4. Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world: This may
not seem like a huge deal, but when you consider the sheer size of
Kazakhstan, it is. Kazakhstan is the 9th largest country in the world
and the largest country in the world without access to ocean. The main
water resources for the nation are sourced from glaciers, lakes and
reservoirs.
5. The name “Kazakhstan” is significant: The name Kazakh translates to
wanderer or independent. This speaks to the nation’s ancient history as
nomads and the deep-rooted spirit of independence in Kazakh culture.
When directly translated, Kazakhstan literally means Land of
Wanderers.
6. It’s home to one of the largest lakes in the world: Lake Balkhash
holds the title for the 15th largest lake in the world and one of the
largest in all of Asia. Sprawling across 16,400 square kilometres, it’s
sheer size is breathtaking. However, what really makes it unique is its
natural phenomenon within the waters. In the west, the lake is fresh
water, and in the east, saltwater.
7. It boasts five UNESCO sites: For a country the size of Kazakhstan, it
has a surprisingly low number of UNESCO sites. However, the ones that it
does have are simply breathtaking. Among the five are three cultural and
two natural sites. From the Petroglyphs of Tamgaly to the pristine lakes
of Saryarka, the diversity between cultural and natural UNESCO sites
speak to the abundance of landscape and historical beauty across the
country.
8. Hospitality, as it has always been a main character trait of Kazakh
people. Even if you have just a minute to pop in to a Kazakh house, an
owner will still ask you to sit down and offer a fragrant tea with
sweets.
9. Traditionally, meal is served at a low round table, called
dastarkhan.
10. The majestic and elusive snow leopard, a threatened species, is
found in Kazakhstan. The Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve in the country
hosts a small population of these big cats. Around 100 to 120 snow
leopards occupy an area of about 50,000 square km in the country. The
official seal of Almaty bears the snow leopard symbol.
11. Landlocked But With A Navy - Although Kazakhstan is a landlocked
nation, it still has a navy. The Kazakh Naval Forces operate on the
Caspian Sea, a massive inland sea that is technically a lake as it is
not connected to the ocean. The KNF is around 3,000 personnel strong and
operates using around 14 inshore patrol crafts.
12. The Baikonur Cosmodrome in southern Kazakhstan is a spaceport leased
to Russia. It is located in the desert steppe landscape of Baikonur near
the Aral Sea. The Soviet Union built this spaceport in the 1950s as the
base for the Soviet space program operations. Both Vostok 1, the first
human spaceflight, and Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite, were
launched from this site.
Interesting facts about Kazakh cuisine:
- Main ingredients in traditional Kazakh cuisine are meat, flour and milk products, though nowadays many other ingredients are common in the cuisine.- Kazakhstan’s national drink is horse milk: Kumis, a fermented horse milk, is native to Kazakhstan and is the national drink. It’s considered to have a light body with a slighty sour alcohol taste. It is typically enjoyed as both food and a drink as well.
- Kazakhs are believed to be among the top countries in tea consumption, almost every meal is followed by tea in Kazakh families. Here, to be objective, we should say that tea never grew on the territory of Kazakhstan, it was introduced to the Steppe of Kazakhstan from the outside, but despite this, tea quickly gained popularity among the local population. And today, in fact, it is one of the main drinks in Kazakh society.
- Kazakh cuisine is usually not spicy.
- There are many high calorie dishes in the traditional Kazakh cuisine. - In order to quench thirst of the guest a hostess would treat him with a bowl of yogurt drink. This can be "kumys" - a drink based on fermented mare's milk - or shubat the main ingredient of which is camel milk. Then, table will be filled with baursaks - balls of dough, pre-fried in boiling oil (Asian analogue of donuts), samsa - triangular pastries with meat, kausyrma - a kind of thin pastries or fried doughs filled with meat and onions, raisins, kurt (small, salted cheese balls).