Nine-tenths of Kazakhstan is made up of steppe. For centuries these vast plains were home only to nomads and they are still virtually empty. Most settlements are concentrated in the southeast and the east of the republic where the plains give way to the mountains of the Altai and the Tien Shan. Astana New capital of Kazakhstan since 1997, as its location was thought to be more accessible to Russia and less earthquake-prone than Almaty (the former capital), where foreign embassies and consulates are still based. Although a small and friendly town and an important centre for the production of grain, it is has little else to recommend it.

k a z a k h s t a n

Almaty
Almaty (formerly - Alma Ata) enjoys a beautiful setting between mountains and plains. It is a city of modern architecture, wide streets, cool fountains, parks and squares and spectacular mountain views and, particularly in spring and autumn, is an attractive place despite the inevitable legacy of Soviet architecture. Attractions in the city include the Panfilov Park, which is dominated by one of the world's tallest wooden buildings, built at the turn of the 20th century without using a single nail and the Zenkov Cathedral. This served in Soviet times as a concert and exhibition hall, but is currently standing empty, whilst the Christians of Almaty worship at St. Nicholas Cathedral. Other sights include New Square, which is usually the location for national ceremonies and parades and is overlooked by the City Hall (the President's official residence) and the Obelisk of Independence. Almaty boasts number of museums including the Museum of Kazakh National Instruments, the Central State Museum and the State Art Museum which has amongst its exhibits traditional Kazakh rugs, jewellery and clothing. The Arasan Baths, in the western area of Panfilov Park, have Eastern, Finnish and Russian saunas.

The Spas
Kazakhstan has a wide range of spas offering various treatments. There are 98 sanatoria holiday hotels and 115 preventative medicine sanatoria. Most are located in areas with much to interest the tourist, such as sports, cultural events, historical and archaeological sites, and offer developed excursion facilities. The most internationally renowned resorts include Sari Agach (in the south), Mujaldi (in the Pavlodar region), Arasan-Kapal (in the Taldikorgan region), Jani-Kurgan (in the Kzil-Orda region), Kokshetau and Zerenda (in the Kokshetau region) and those located in Zaili Alatau.

The Mountains
The 4000m-high (1310ft) Zaili Alatau Mountains near Almaty offer numerous opportunities all year round for sports and recreation. The Medeo ice rink is situated 15km outside the city in a stunning gorge. There are large areas of unspoilt nature among the mountains which attract many walkers and climbers to the region in summer and skiers in the winter.

The Tien Shan Mountains These, in the southeast of Kazakhstan, stretch for more than 1500km (932 miles). The highest peaks are Pobeda Peak (7439m/24,406ft) and Khan-Tengri Peak (7010m/23,000ft), a snow-white, marble-like pyramid. The huge Inylchek Glacier, reaching almost 60km (37 miles) in length, splits the summits and at its centre lies the beautiful Mertzbakher Lake. The Kolsai Lakes are three blue mountain lakes, known as the 'pearls of the northern Tien-Shan', that lie within the ridges of the Kungei Alatau range at heights of up to 2700m above sea level. The Khan-Tengri International Mountaineering Camp provides experienced mountain guides to take visitors on organised climbing and trekking programmes. Other facilities include horseriding, a souvenir shop and bar.

Chimkent
Industrial city, producing the largest amount of lead in the CIS. 160km (100 miles) away (travel time - 2 hours 30 minutes) is the 14th-century Kodja Ahmed Yasavi Mausoleum in Turkestan; built under Tamerlane, this mausoleum has the largest dome in Central Asia. Dzhambul, too, is an industrial city in the region with some reproductions of ancient remains from when it was known as Taraz-these are housed in the Karakhan and the Daudbek Shahmansur Mausoleums. The nearby village of Golovachovka>, 18km (11 miles) to the west, has authentic remains from Taraz, including the 11th-century Babadzi-Khatun Mausoleum and the 12th-century Mausoleum Aisha Bibi. Another ancient historical centre is Taldikorgan. Much of this region was crossed by the Great Silk Road.

Central Kazakhstan
Central Kazakhstan has one of the largest lakes in the world. The unique Lake Balkhash is one-half saline, one-half fresh water. Some archaeological and ethnographic sites have been preserved in central Kazakhstan. There are Bronze Age and Early Iron Age sites and New Stone Age and Bronze Age settlements in the Karkarala Oasis. The Bayan-Aul National Park has rock drawings, stone sculptures, clean, sparkling lakes and pines clinging to the rocks. The Baikonur Cosmodrome, located 5km (3 miles) from the garrison city of Leninsk and 230km (143 miles) from Kzil-Orda, is the Central Asian answer to Cape Canavarel - tours are available during which visitors can witness space launches. It was from here, on 12 April 1961, that Yuri Gagarin, the world's first cosmonaut, took off and it is still a point of departure for space launches.

The West
West Kazakhstan marks the southern convergence of Europe and Asia in the basin of the Caspian Sea. The region's Karagie Depression, 132m (433ft) below sea level, is the lowest point in the world after the Dead Sea in Sinai. There are many architectural heritage sites in this region, including the subterranean cross-shaped Shakpak-Ata Mosque (12th-14th century) which is hewn out of rock.

The North
The nature reserve of Kurgaldjino in the north of Kazakhstan houses the most northerly settlement of pink flamingoes in the world, while another nature reserve, Naurzum, offers a rich landscape of geographical contrasts - salt lakes ringed by forests, the remains of ancient pines strewn amongst sand dunes, pine forests growing out of salt-marsh beds, vast meadows, and rare animals such as hisser swans and grave eagles.

The South
South Kazakhstan is a focus of Central Asian history and culture and there are many famous monuments in the region. It is a scenically diverse region in which all four seasons can be experienced in the space of a day, as the snow-capped peaks, lakes and glaciers of the Tien Shan range give way to steppe and desert land which stretches for thousands of kilometres. The mountains serve as a centre for mountaineering and skiing and there are resorts offering a wide variety of winter sports. The desert is home to the Singing Barkhan - a sand dune 80m (260ft) high and 3km (2 miles) long, which, as it crumbles and shifts, produces a peculiar sound reminiscent of loud singing.

The East
East Kazakhstan offers a colourful landscape of snow-capped mountain peaks, plunging forested canyons and picturesque cedar forests. Lake Marakol rivals Baikal in beauty. It is 35km (22 miles) long and 19km (12 miles) wide and lies 1449m (4754ft) above sea level. The city of Semipalatinsk, 30km (19 miles) from Siberia, was a Russian place of exile; Dostoyevsky was exiled here from 1857-1859 and his house is preserved as a museum - exhibits include notes for Crime and Punishment and The Idiot. Other museums in the city include the Abai Kununbaev Museum, commemorating the Kazakh poet, and the History Museum. Nuclear tests were carried out southwest of Semipalatinsk until 1990, although today background radiation is easily within reach of internationally accepted levels. The town of Ust-Kamenogorsk is a mining and smelting town and is the gateway to the Altai Mountains. Occupying the central point of the continent, these gentle mountains are covered with meadows and woods and stretch for a thousand kilometres into Mongolia. Rakhmanovski in the Altai Mountains offers a turbaza (tourist camp) and is renowned for its cross-country skiing.