Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is a former Soviet republic and the world’s largest landlocked country. Its borders extend from the Caspian Sea to the Altai Mountains at the borders with Russia and China, as a result, it is a transcontinental country mainly located in Central Asia with a smaller portion located in Europe. Historically inhabited by nomadic groups, Kazakhstan became part of the Russian Empire by the late 19th century, later being renamed the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Kazakhstan was the last of the former Soviet Republics to declare independence following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. The largest city, Almaty, remains the cultural hub, famous for the Central State Museum, and Zenkov Cathedral, 56 meters tall and built entirely out of wood.