The people of Central Asia are generally modest and hospitable. Their society has a long-standing heritage of respect for elders and generosity to all. Guests to a Central Asian home are greeted and directed to an honorary seat. Younger generations value and respect their elders, who often live with their children or grandchildren.

Kazakhstan covers 1,049,155 square miles (2,717,300 square kilometers) of central Asia and is roughly four times the size of Texas. Kazakhstan's landscape features mountains in the south and east, forested hills in the north, desert and semi-desert terrain in the south and west, and a vast central steppe. The Caspian Sea to the west is rich in oil fields.