Trivia in Kazakhstan

National symbols

Flag: Sky-blue field with a golden sun and soaring eagle below it, and a vertical stripe with Kazakh ornament on the hoist side

Emblem: Centered shanyrak (yurt sky window) with a winged mythical horse, a star, and the sun

Trivia & facts

• Kazakhstan is the world''s largest landlocked country but has a coastline along the Caspian Sea.
• Baikonur Cosmodrome, from which Yuri Gagarin was launched, is located in Kazakhstan.
• The Almaty area is famous as the homeland of the wild apple variety Seversky.
• Tenge banknotes often feature vertical orientation designs.
• The national anthem was officially adopted in 2006 from a reworked popular song—a rare example.
• The Kazakh steppes are an important migration route for birds between southern Siberia and the Middle East.
• Wild saiga antelopes can be seen in the steppe regions.
• Kazakhstan is the world''s leading producer of uranium.
• The traditional game ''Asawick'' uses sheep knucklebones and is a children''s pastime.
• The sky-blue color of the flag symbolizes ''eternal sky and youth''.