Global - Technology - Review

Kazakhstan, once part of the Soviet Union, is, despite a length of Caspian Sea shore, the world’s largest landlocked country, rapidly gaining a reputation as the dominant regional power. Its former Soviet connection has left it with such sites as the Baikonur Cosmodrome, where missions are launched to the International Space Station, as well as the Nuclear weapons testing facility at Semipalatinsk. Kazakhstan covers an area greater than Western Europe, and its territory includes steppes, mountains and the deep, sandstone Charyn Canyon. The economy is based on oil and natural gas, as well as agriculture. The capital has recently been moved to Astana, which simply means ‘capital’ in the Kazakh language. Astana’s former Soviet architecture is being replaced with new structures. One striking building is Sir Norman Foster’s Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, a giant Pyramid containing a circular chamber, designed to be a triennial meeting place for the world’s religions. Another is Bayterek, a slender tower of steel girders, supporting a golden globe. The domed Nur-Astana Mosque can accommodate five thousand worshippers. The old capital, Almaty (Formerly Alma-Ata), was perhaps uncomfortably close to the border with Kyrgyzstan, nevertheless it is still the largest city and main commercial centre.