Uzbekistan took its name from Khan Uzbek, the ruler responsible for the conversion of the 'Golden Horde' to Islam at the beginning of the 14th century. Its cities Tashkent Bukhara, and Samarkand remained the centers of learning for some centuries at time when the entire West was engulfed in darkness. Bukhara is the hometown of Ibn Sina (b. 980 CE) - known to the West as Avicenna - A philosopher and a great physician of his time - indeed the greatest name in world medicine. He wrote 'The Canon of Medicine', a systematic encyclopedia based on the achievements of Greek and Arab physicians. Present-day Bukhara is city of more than 500,000 people - full of impressive architectural delights - among them the mausoleum of Samanid and the Kalyan minaret, which is listed as 'historical monument' by the UN.
Back when it was part of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan's official name was Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Since gaining independence, the official name has been Republic of Kazakhstan.
Tenge
Kazakhstan
The name of the western Asian country (formerly part of the USSR) is Kazakhstan.
Astana (formerly Almaty) is the capital of Kazakhstan since December 1997.
Kazakhstan.
Stan means 'land.'
Nur Otan
Karim Qajymqanuly Massimov
The space complex constructed in Kazakhstan by the Soviet Union and now operated by Russia is "Baikonur".
Baikonur
Alma-Ata is the former name of Almaty, which is the largest city in Kazakhstan and served as its capital until 1997.