ABSTRACT
A nomadic way of life has long been a defining characteristic of the Kazak people, both in the imagination of foreigners and in Kazak literature celebrating the steppe and nomadic life. Even today it features strongly in government efforts to create a national identity. However for over 150 years nomadism has been on the decline in Kazakstan, so that today it involves only a tiny proportion of the population. In this chapter the major factors which have affected the mobility of livestock in the twentieth century are reviewed, and changes occurring since independence in 1991 are examined in detail. A case study of changes in migration patterns is used to illustrate the points made.
