1. By Kyle Marks Kazakhstan I like! The Sydney Morning Herald, 2006. See Kazakhstan, die laughing http://www.smh.com: FairfaxDigital. 3/17/10http://www.smh.com

2. The Land Natural resources- major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, and uranium. Patrick Frost, 2010.Kazakhstan and the Financial Crisis. Central Asia: Central Asia. http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/ 3/18/10http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/

3. The Land continued… Location- Central Asia, Northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in Eastern-most Europe. http://stock-photo-kazakhstanhttp://stock-photo-kazakhstan 3/18/10

4. Climate/Vegetation Weather is normally warm and dry, though Kazakhstan does see rainfall often from the nearby mountains. Patrick Frost, 2010.Kazakhstan and the Financial Crisis. Central Asia: Central Asia. http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/ 3/18/10http://centralasia.foreignpolicyblogs.com/

5. Government Republic; presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch. 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union) Constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995

6. History and Current events By the mid-19th century, all of Kazakhstan was part of the Russian Empire. 1936, Part of the USSR and home to almost all of the testing of nuclear devices for the Soviet Union. December 16, 1991, proclaimed independence from Russia. Kazakhstan is ethnically and culturally diverse, having around 131 different nationalities. Current event- Former Kazakh Uranium Company Officials Freed http://www.rferl.org/content/Former_Kazakh_Uranium_Company_ Officials_Freed/1994903.html http://www.rferl.org/content/Former_Kazakh_Uranium_Company_ Officials_Freed/1994903.html

7. Economy Unemployment rate, 6.3% Budget, revenues: $18.98 billion; expenditures: $22.44 billion Exports, $41.64 billion ; Imports, $25.15 billion Total Debt, $93.21 billion

8. Culture Religion: Mostly sunni- muslims, (otherwise known as Tatars, a term originating in the 13 th century) While some are Orthodox Christians.

9. Places to visit The Zenkov Cathedral in Almaty, Kazakhstan The Republic of Kazakhstan in Almaty, Kazakhstan

10. Citing The online Factbook, 3/4/10. KAZAKHSTAN. Central Intelligence Agency, the World Factbook: CIA. https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/kz.html https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world- factbook/geos/kz.html Republic of Kazakhstan, 3/4/10. http://www.parlam.kz/Information.aspx?doc=1&lan=en- US http://www.parlam.kz/Information.aspx?doc=1&lan=en- US