A look at where Kazakhstan fits into the jigsaw of Central Asia, with maps of the country and an overview of major Kazakhstan cities and regions
The Republic of Kazakhstan lies in the northern part of Central Asia and is bounded by Russia to the north, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan to the south, and Turkmenistan and the Caspian Sea to the west. Kazakhstan covers an area of 2,724,900 square kilometers and is about the size of Western Europe.
Astana is the capital and second largest city (after Almaty) of Kazakhstan, with an officially estimated population of 708,794 as of 1 August 2010.
Astana is located in the north-central portion of Kazakhstan, within Akmola Province, though administrated separately from the province as a federal city area.
Kazakhstan is divided into 14 provinces. The provinces are further subdivided into districts.