ABSTRACT

Kazakhstan became-almost reluctantly-an independent country in December 1991, following the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the setting up of the CIS. It has a very long border with Russia to the north, and to the south and east with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Kirghizia and the People’s Republic of China. Its huge land mass of 2.7 million sq km is about five times the size of France. The population is in excess of 16 million, some 40 per cent ethnic Kazakhs and 40 per cent Russians, with a significant number of Muslims. While it retains strong ties with Russia and is a keen supporter of the CIS, it also has an orientation towards Turkey as a possible role model.