Very Brief description of Kazakhstan

Located south of Russia in Central Asia, northwest of China, the Republic of Kazakhstan was the second largest of the former Soviet republics in size. The breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991 led to sharp economic declines in Kazakhstan which contributed in turn to the large number of children abandoned and living in orphanages. Although the economy has improved in recent years due to economic reform and foreign investment, the number of children living in institutions has grown. Over 3,000 Kazakhstani children have been adopted by families in the U.S. since 1997. Kazakhstan is a very ethnically diverse country, with over 120 different heritages represented. Children could be Caucasian, Asian, or Eurasian in appearance.
The typical food of Kazakhstan resembles that of the Middle East or the Mediterranean in its use of rice, savoury seasonings, vegetables and legumes, yogurt and grilled meats. Other dishes have developed from the subsistence diet of the nomads - mainly mutton (including entrails), milk products and bread - whereas in the heavily Russian-populated cities of northern Kazakstan, the dominant cuisine is Russian.