Native Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation.

The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many of these newcomers to emigrate.

The tremendous natural resources of Kazakhstan, social and political stability in the Republic made this region one of the most attractive objects of capital investments among other republics of the late Soviet Union.

The course of social and economic transformations announced by Mikhail Gorbachov when he became the top leader of the USSR will remain in history as the notorious "perestroika".

Elections of the USSR people's deputies held in spring 1989 proved to be very important in context of eventual transition to genuine democracy. For the first ever time elections were conducted on the basis of alternative nomination and voting accompanied by political competition.

August 19, 1991 was an abortive attempt of a coup. President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan addressed the people of Kazakhstan. In September 1991 a decision was adopted to disband the Kommunist Party of Kazakhstan.

On December 16, 1991 the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Independence (a law of Constitutional Law effectiveness) was passed. Announcing its independence, the Republic of Kazakhstan became a politically independent state. On August 30, 1995 at the all-national referendum the currently effective Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan was adopted.

In 1997 the capital of the country was transferred from Almaty to Astana for geopolitical and economic considerations of Kazakhstan's development.

Today Kazakhstan is a country on the move, slowly pulling up out of economic depression and former Soviet rule to be a Kazak nation. For the first time in many years, there are now more ethnic Kazaks than other nationalities.

Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; achieving a sustainable economic growth outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.

Excerpted from www.president.kz, the official website of the president of Kazakhstan

And www.cia.gov