Kazakhstan

Ak Orda (“the white horde”) Presidential Palace, located in the capital city of Astana. *Photo from Wikipedia December 16 is Republic Day of Kazakhstan, celebrating the independence of the country from the Soviet Union. The territory of Kazakhstan has historically been inhabited by nomadic tribes. This changed in the 13th century, when Genghis Khan occupied the country as part of the Mongolian Empire. Following internal struggles among the conquerors, power eventually reverted to the nomads. By the 16th century, the Kazakh emerged as a distinct group, divided into three jüz (main territorial and tribal division in the Kypchak Plain area