This is is the first international English language guide to Kazakhstan - a huge and diverse country. It covers Baikonur, Genghis Khan, Tamerlane and the Silk Road. It presents: Kazakhstan's archaeological wealth; the future of Kazakhstan's energy resources; investment potential for business travellers; architecture from Astana to Almaty; superb photography from the grandeur of the Tien Shan and Altai mountains across the Great Steppe to the Caspian Sea; and, the 'Borat' phenomenon and its double-edged effect. A country larger than Western Europe, Kazakhstan's vast expanse encompasses the Great Steppe, across which Genghis Khan's Mongol hordes galloped; the heights of the Tien Shan in the south, through whose foothills Silk Road travellers journeyed; the exquisite lakes and valleys of the mystical Altai mountains in the northeast; and, in the far west the archaeologically rich desert coast of the Caspian Sea. With independence and the discovery of oil has come huge change and rapid modernization, and Kazakhstan today stands as Central Asia's most stable and forward-thinking nation.
In the second edition of this successful book, this land of rich history, inspirational landscapes and welcoming people continues to share its wonders with an inquisitive world.