Kazakhstan was established as a state in the fifteenth century following the collapse of the Empire of Ghenghiz Khan by whom it had been conquered. In 1920 Kazakhstan became a Soviet republic and remained one until 1991 when it declared independence following the disintegration of the Soviet Union. Kazakh is the official language although Russian is also spoken. There is a mixture of religious faiths including Islam, Russian Orthodox and Protestant. The land is very rich in minerals and agriculture is well developed.
