Outline of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan declared itself an independent country on December 16, 1991, the last Soviet republic to do so.

Since independence, Kazakhstan has pursued a balanced foreign policy and worked to develop its economy, especially its hydrocarbon industry.

Several opposition leaders and journalists have been killed in recent years, and Western observers generally do not consider Kazakhstan's elections to be free and fair.

[4] The country belongs to many international organizations, including the United Nations, NATO's Partnership for Peace, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.

The official language is Kazakh, though Russian is still commonly and most widely used for everyday communication.