Kazakhstan: Capital, Flag and Fun Facts

About Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is a huge country in Central Asia, stretching from the Caspian Sea to the mountains near China. Much of it is flat steppe grassland and desert, with high peaks in the south and east. It is known for space launches, horse-riding traditions and wild apple forests.

About Astana

Astana sits on the Ishim River in northern Kazakhstan, and its name means 'capital city' in Kazakh. It replaced Almaty as the capital in 1997 and is one of the coldest national capitals in the world.

Fun facts about Kazakhstan

1. Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country in the world.
2. Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space, launched from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan in 1961.
3. Wild apple trees from Central Asia, including Kazakhstan, are the main ancestor of the apples people eat today.
4. Some of the earliest evidence of people keeping horses comes from the Botai culture of ancient Kazakhstan.
5. Charyn Canyon, with red rock walls up to about 300 metres high, is often compared to the Grand Canyon.
6. Kazakhstan stretches across two continents, with land in both Asia and Europe.