Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country and the ninth largest overall, is located in Central Asia, bridging Europe and Asia. Boasting vast steppe landscapes, mountains, and deserts, Kazakhstan has a rich and diverse history. The territory was inhabited since the Stone Age and later became a crucial part of ancient Silk Road trade routes. Throughout the centuries, nomadic tribes such as the Scythians, Turkic, and Mongol groups dominated the region, with the Kazakh Khanate emerging in the 15th century as a prominent power. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Russia gradually took control, and Kazakhstan was fully incorporated into the Soviet Union in 1936. It endured traumatic events such as forced collectivization and nuclear testing at Semipalatinsk. After the Soviet Union’s dissolution, Kazakhstan declared its independence on December 16, 1991. Since then, it has pursued political and economic modernization, capitalizing on its abundant natural resources, particularly oil, gas, and minerals, and plays a key role in regional and international affairs.