National Day of Kazakhstan Friday, Dec 16

NILA. December 16. KAZINFORM Friday is the National Day of Kazakhstan which commemorates its independence on this day in 1991 after the fall of the Soviet Union. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world in land area, Kazakhstan is located in Central Asia.

It is bordered by Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and the People's Republic of China. The country also borders on a significant part of the Caspian Sea. It is the world's largest landlocked country.

The population of Kazakhstan is estimated to be 63 percent ethnic Kazakhs and 24 percent ethnic Russian, with a rich array of other groups represented, including Tartars, Uzbeks, Bashkirs, Uyghurs, and Ukrainians. Based on the 2011 estimate, the population of Kazakhstan today is around 16.6 million, the Manila Bulletin Publishing Corporation reports.

Kazakhstan has stable relationships with all of its neighbors. It is a member of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council, and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). It is an active participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization Partnership for Peace program.

Kazakhstan is also a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The nations of Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic Community in 2000 to re-energize efforts at harmonizing trade tariffs and the creation of a free trade zone under a customs union.

We greet the people and government of Kazakhstan led by Their Excellencies, President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Prime Minister Karim Massimov, on the occasion of its National Day. We wish them all the best and success in all their endeavors. CONGRATULATIONS AND MABUHAY!

To learn more go to http://www.mb.com.ph/