HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

Starting from the IV century up to the beginning of XIII century, the territory of Kazakhstan was the seat of the West-Turkic, Tyurgesh, Karluk Kaganates (kingdoms). There were also states formed by Oguzes, the Karahanides, the Kimeks and the Kypchaks. This states successively replaced one another up to very Mongol invasion.

There were prosperous towns, such ancient towns as Taraz, Otrar, Ispijab, and Talkhir were set up right on the way of the Grand Silk Road which served as a reliable link between the West and the East. The Silk Road connected Japan, Korea and China with Central Asia, Iran, the State of Selkdzhuks, Rus (ancient Russia), Byzantium, France and Italy. It is through the Grand Silk Road dancing arts, painting, architecture and music made their way from one people to another in ancient times. Incidentally, it was the way along which various religions advance. They included Buddhism, Christianity and Islam. Starting from VIII century, Islam became predominant religion in the area and subsequently the only faith of the Kazakhs.

The Kazakh Khanate shaped up in the middle of XV century. Extension or estates, consolidation of statehood, active external policy pursued by the First Khans, particularly by Kasymkhan in the early XVI century. However, political discontent between tile Hordes, khans, sultans and over chieftains weakened the Khanate. As a result from the beginning of the XVII century, plundering raids of the neighboring Jungar tribes into Kazakh lands become ever more frequent. The main events of the war with Jungars occurred between 1723 and 1727.

The aggravated economic and political situation generated the idea to join Russia.

After the October Socialist Revolution in 1917 the Kyrgyz (Kazakh) Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was established within the Russian Federation.

On December 5, 1936 the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was established as an independent republic in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.

During the World War II, major industrial facilities and cultural establishments were evacuated to Kazakhstan from Western and Central regions of the Soviet Union. Republic played a host to hundreds of thousands of evacuated people. Hundreds of thousands of Kazakhstani were fighting at the frontline.

In the after war period, Kazakhstan entered the era of intensive economic development. In 1954 the top leaders of Soviet Union launched a campaign of massive development of virgin and fallow lands in Kazakhstan which entailed a new influx of people arriving from other republics of USSR.

On October 25, 1990 the Supreme Court of the Republic adopted the Declaration on state sovereignty of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic/ On August 19, 1991, the same day of abortive attempt of state coup in Moscow, President Nursultan Nazarbayev addressed the Kazakhstan Nation and issued the Decree on formation of the Security Council of the Kazakh SSR, the Decree on establishing the gold and diamond reserves fund of the Kazakh SSR and the Decree on closing of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site.

On December 16,1991 the Republic of Kazakhstan adopted the Law of Independence. On announcing its independence the Republic of Kazakhstan has come to present a politically independent state with a multinational structure and a single monolith organization. On August 30, 1995 at the all-national referendum they adopted the currently effective Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Tremendous national resources of Kazakhstan, social and political stability in the Republic make this region one of the most attractive objects of capital investment among other states of the former Soviet Union.

Republic of Kazakhstan has become a full-fledged equal member of the world community to enjoy universal recognition and support of absolute majority of the states of the world. As of today Kazakhstan has been recognized by 113 states including 105 ones that maintain diplomatic relations with Kazakhstan.

In 1997 there has been adopted a decision on transferring the capital of the country from Almaty to Astana, the circumstances conditioned by geopolitical and economic consideration of Kazakhstan’s development.