Kazakhstan is the world’s largest land-locked country, and the 9th largest country in the world. It is located right below Russia, sometimes considered the center of Central Asia. Formerly part of the “Silk Road”, it has been a trade route for merchants and travelers for centuries. The population is 18.4 million, ranking 65th in the world.
The culture is traditionally nomadic and pastoral (herding animals). It is said that Kazakhstan was the first place where horses were tamed to ride. Kazakh means “free rider” or “to wander”. It is also believed that apples originated here. There are still wild apple forests, and the largest city, Almaty, means “place full of apples”. In the 13th century, it became part of the Mongolian Empire under Genghis Khan.
From 1920-1991, it was Communist and part of the Soviet Union. All religions were suppressed during Communism. It was the last country to leave the USSR. Although it is a multi-party democracy, the same president has been in power since independence. The government is notorious for restricting freedom of speech, assembly, and religion. Human rights organizations rank the country as having a poor human rights record. There are still restrictions and even some persecution to Christians.
It is said that to be Kazakh is to be Muslim. However, it is often a cultural and nominal faith. There is also a large percentage of non-religious, held over from the Communist era. Christians make up 12% of the population. There were virtually no believers at the time the USSR fell, but now the church has grown to 2,000,000. Korean churches have spread in Kazakhstan, thanks to a large Korean population, some of whom are missionaries.
The capital, Astana, is a relatively new city, and has very unusual, futuristic architecture.
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