30th August: Kazakhstan Constitution Day

Today is Kazakhstan's Constitution Day, so here are 10 things you might not know about Kazakhstan:

1. Kazakhstan is larger than the whole of Western Europe (2,724,900 square kilometres or 1,052,100 sq mi). This makes it the ninth largest country in the world and the largest landlocked one. As it extends across both sides of the Ural River, Kazakhstan is one of only two landlocked countries in the world that lies on two continents (the other is Azerbaijan).
2. Despite being landlocked, Kazakhstan has a navy, which is based on the Caspian Sea, which is itself landlocked.
3. "Kazakh" means free spirit, and "stan" means land or place of.
4. It is thought to be the place where Horses were first domesticated.
5. The largest city and financial capital is Almaty, which was named for the Apple trees which grow there - Alma is Kazakh for apple. Until 1998, it was the capital city.
6. In 1998, Astana became the capital city. The name Astana means "the Capital". It was a purposely planned capital - possibly because Almaty was not central enough. It was developed from a settlement which had already undergone a number of name changes. When it was founded in 1830 as a Cossack fort, it was called Akmoly (meaning "White Grave"). When it became a town, it was Akmolinsk, During the Soviet era it was Tselinograd, and from 1992 it was known by a modified version of its original name, Akmola.
7. The highest skating rink in the world is Medeo, in Almaty. Medeo was the name of a nomadic tribe which settled in the area. 170 world skating records have been set here.
8. Kazakhstan is also home to the tallest chimney in the world. The chimney of Ekibastuz GRES-2, a power station, is 420 meters tall.
9. Lake Balkhash, the largest lake in the country, is unique in that it is half Salt water and half fresh Water.
10. Thought the world's largest space launch facility would be in the US somewhere? You'd be wrong - it's in Kazakhstan. The Baikonur Cosmodome is not only the largest but was the first The first artificial satellite (Sputnik 1) and the first man (Yuri Garagrin) were sent into space from Baikonur Cosmodrome. It is leased by the Russians until 2050.