Kazakhstan 🇰🇿

Flag of Kazakhstan

Republic of Kazakhstan

Capital » Nur-Sultan
- or Nursultan – name changed from Astana in March 2019
- Date & Time
- Weather
Almaty is Kazakhstan’s largest metropolis, and largest trading and cultural centre.
- Weather

Population » 18 million
- Kazakhs making up nearly two thirds of the population,
- Ethnic Russians just under a quarter
Languages » Kazakh, Russian
Religions » Islam, Christianity
Life expectancy » 68 years (men), 77 years (women) (UN)
Currency » Tenge

Area » 2.7 million sq km (1 million sq miles)
- Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country, is located mostly in Central Asia. The country has the largest economy in the region, fuelled mostly by its vast natural resources.
- A huge country the size of Western Europe
- The world’s ninth largest country
- Varied landscape:
  - Mountainous, heavily populated regions in the east
  - Sparsely populated, energy-rich lowlands in the west
  - Industrialised north, with its Siberian climate and terrain
  - Arid, empty steppes of the centre
  - Fertile south
Land borders with Russia in the north, China in the east, and Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in the south while also adjoining a large part of the Caspian Sea in the southwest.
- The Arshaty border with Russia is only open to locals.
- Kazakhstan does not share a border with Mongolia, although only 37 kilometres (23 mi) through Russia separates them
  - This short distance makes it necessary to have a dual/multiple entry Russian visa.

Map of Kazakhstan (Source » Wikimedia)

Canadians can enter Kazakhstan without a visa for up to 30 days.
- For stays longer than 30 days, Canadians must obtain either a single- or multiple-entry visa.
  - Single-entry visas allow visitors to remain in Kazakhstan for up to 90 days,
  - Multiple-entry visas are valid for up to three years with a maximum stay of 30 days per entry.
Kazakhstan Tourism
Visit Kazakhstan

Drive » Right side
You need to drive with your headlights on at all times in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan requires you to have insurance
- Available at most border crossings.
There is no common border between Kazakhstan and Mongolia, and there is no quick way to get there: the Arshaty border with Russia is only open to locals.
Torugart Pass may be closed during winter months.
Resource » Caravanistan » Driving in Kazakhstan
Song-kul Lake – horseback riding and staying with nomadic locals
Tian Shan Mountains — great for hiking
Livestock market in Taraz – where hundreds of cattle and sheep are on sale
Pamir Mountains – running from the border of Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan down to Afghanistan

Spring and autumn (May and September) are the best seasons to visit, as temperatures are milder and conditions not as harsh.
Average temperature in the coldest month of winter January is -18,7°С in the North and -1,5°С in the South.
Average temperature of the hottest month in summer – July – is +18,8°С in the North and +28,8°С in the South.
Most of Central Asia is covered with deserts and mountains, so expect extreme weather; scorching summers and deadly winters.

Local authorities have designated all areas within 25 km of a border as “closed zones.”
These closed zones encompass some popular tourist sites, namely:
- Big Almaty Lake
- Lake Alakol
- Sharyn Canyon
- Monakhov Gorge
The following areas are also closed to travellers, but you may visit them with a special permit:
- Karaganda province, including the villages of Gulshad and Priozersk
- Kyzylorda province, including the city of Baikonur as well as the regions of Karmakshinsky and Kazalinsky
- West Kazakhstan province, including the Bokeiordinsky and Zhangalinsky regions
- Zhambyl province, including the villages of Gvardeyskiy and Rossavel and Kulzhabasy