Features of the Kazakhs:

Language: The Kazakh people primarily speak the Asiatic Turkic language simply called Kazakh, but a large majority of citizens also speak Russian (Britannica 1),

Religion: Before modern-day religion was introduced the Kazakh’s believed in the supernatural forces of good and evil, but today majority of the Kazakh people are Islamic while the minority are Christian (WorldAtlas 1).

Family practices: The Kazakhs are a patriarchally society, with the father as the main provider and leader of the family, although the mother also works outside the household along with her domestic household tasks. The average family has two children and have close knit ties with their extended family. Once children become young adults, they attend university, and later on newly married couples stay with their parents until they can afford their own housing (CultureGrams 3). Interestingly, Kazakh women are known as the freest women in all of Central Asia, discussed in the article http://factsanddetails.com/central-asia/Kazakhstan/sub8_4b/entry-4641.html.

Economic practices: The land of Kazakhstan is extraordinarily rich and has an abundant amount of resources for the people, so for the most part there is not much foreign trade occurring. That is due to the rural parts of the country providing everything they need to survive due to their gardens and livestock producing food, medicine, handmade goods, and more. For products they cannot produce themselves they buy from a local market, such as electronics. However, the urban parts of the country differ drastically from the rural parts. Urban Kazakhs rely heavily on imported goods for which they can buy at grocery stores, malls, and other convenience stores. In addition, when Kazakhstan does trade, it usually is with Russia and involves oil, chemicals, meat, wool, and other materials (Johnson 1).

Some more features of the Kazakhs:

Political practices: In the past, the nomadic Kazakh tribes were led by chiefs. The tribes were very hierarchical with each person’s place in that hierarchy determined by their age and position. These political practices differ greatly from today’s modern-day Kazakhs who live in Kazakhstan. There have been multiple political disputes since the government was formed in 1995, including many disputes whether or not the country has a democratic parliament or not. Since it was formed three decades ago, previous Communist leader Nursultan Nazarbayev has led the country as their first president. Nazarbayev disbanded the position of prime minister which resulted in political turmoil as representative democracy tried to fight back. According to bbc.com, in 2019 President Nazarbayev stepped down as president but still holds the position on the National Security Council. The Washington Post discusses him stepping down after nearly 30 years in power in the article https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/kazakhstan-president-nazarbayev-to-step-down-after-nearly-30-years-in-power/2019/03/19/c93fdcd0-4a4b-11e9-b79a-961983b7e0cd_story.html.

Traditions: Although Soviet rule changed the Kazakh’s way of life forever, many past traditions remain. Many of their present-day symbols reflect their nomadic roots. Their most important symbols are the horse and eagle. It is quite common to see Kazakh’s using their beloved horses for transportation, farming, racing, and even as food for celebrations. Just to show how important their golden eagles are to them; the Kazakhstan national flag depicts a golden eagle in front of a sun. Another tradition reflective of the past is the use of a yurt, which according to everyculture.com is, “a Central Asian dwelling resembling a tepee, which was transportable and utilitarian on the harsh Central Asian steppe. These small white homes are still found in some parts of Kazakhstan, but for the most part they are used in celebrations and for murals and tourist crafts” (Johnson 1).

In addition to these symbols, one modern Kazakh tradition that celebrates their ancestors and heritage is the annual Golden Eagle Festival. This festival occurs every October in Bayan-Olgii aimag, Mongolia and it celebrates their famous eagle hunting practices. Berkutchis come from all over Mongolia to compete in eagle hunting, speed, agility, horse races, and for the best traditional Kazakh dressed. A documentary called The Eagle Huntress was released in 2016 that entailed how a 13-year-old Kazakh girl was the first female to win this beloved competition.

Works Cited:

Corbet, Aislinn. “5 Fascinating Cultures around the World.” Travelstart Kenya's Travel Blog, 22 Dec. 2017, www.travelstart.co.ke/blog/5-fascinating-cultures-around-the-world/.

Johnson, Eric M. “Kazakhstan.” Countries and Their Cultures, www.everyculture.com/Ja-Ma/Kazakhstan.html.

“Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Mongolia.” Responsibletravel.com, www.responsibletravel.com/holidays/mongolia/travel-guide/kazakh-eagle-hunters.

“Kazakh.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/topic/Kazakh.

“Kazakhstan Country Profile.” BBC News, BBC, 9 Aug. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-pacific-15263826.

“Republic of Kazakhstan.” CIEE Files, CultureGrams World Edition, 2011, www.ciee.org/sites/default/files/content/hsib/orientation/kazakhstan.pdf.

“Resources.” Commisceo Global Consulting Ltd., www.commisceo-global.com/resources/country-guides/kazakhstan-guide.

Schooneveld, Inge van. “Lifelong Spiritual Bond between the Kazakh Eagle Hunter and His Golden Bird.” Sinchi Foundation, 20 Apr. 2018, sinchi-foundation.com/news/kazakh-eagle-hunter-and-his-golden-bird/.

too, Kenneth Kimutai. “Religion in Kazakhstan.” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 31 July 2019, www.worldatlas.com/articles/religious-beliefs-in-kazakhstan.html.