Kazakhstan is an independent Republic. Kazakhstan is an ancient and hospitable land, which occupies a large part of Central Asia. On the eastern border of Kazakhstan lies China. To the south lies its fraternal Republics – Kyrgyzia, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, to the north and to the west lies Russia. Kazakhstan has 14 regions, 84 cities. More than 17 million people of over a hundred nationalities and ethnic groups live in the republic. The head of Kazakhstan is a president, his name is Nursultan Nazarbayev. Almaty is a former capital of Kazakhstan. In 1997, the president of sovereign Kazakhstan made a decision to transfer the capital from Almaty to Akmola. In 1998 the government of the country decided to change the name of the capital into Astana, what means "capital” in Kazakh language. In Kazakhstan people speak Russian or Kazakh languages. Kazakhstan has hundreds of nationalities that’s why all people speak their native language. There are many parties in Kazakhstan, for example: Azat, Otan, Alash, Azamat. The president is elected every seven years. The parliament can be divided into two parts. One of them is deputation of Senate and the other is deputation of Mazhilis. Kazakhstan is rich in mineral resources. Coal, oil, timber and gas are the most important of them. I’m proud of my country.
