Kazakhstan, the largest of the Five Stans, is a vast country--four times the size of Texas. Its largest city capital, Almaty, is bordered by fetching mountains, and its Caspian seacoast and endless deserts are satisfyingly off the beaten path.

• TOTAL AREA: 2,717,300 sq km

• LAND AREA: 2,669,800 sq km

• WATER AREA: 47,500 sq km

• POPULATION: 15,233,244

• RELIGIONS: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

• LANGUAGES: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95%

• GOVERNMENT TYPE: Republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

• CAPITAL CITY: Astana

• OFFICIAL CURRENCY: tenge (KZT)

• TIME ZONE: GMT/UTC +6, GMT/UTC +4, GMT/UTC +5