Republic of Kazakhstan

　　Location: Central Asia, northwest of China

　　Area: 2,717,300 sq km

　　Climate: continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

　　Terrain: extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

　　Population: 16,824,825 (July 1999 est.)

　　Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

　　Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq) (state language) 40%, Russian (official, used in everyday business) 66%

　　Capital: Astana