Kazakhstan, a Central Asian country and former Soviet republic, stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mountains on its eastern border with China and Russia. Almaty, the country's largest metropolis, is a historic trading hub known for its cultural and commercial significance. Notable landmarks include the Ascension Cathedral, a tsarist-era Russian Orthodox church, and the Central State Museum, which houses thousands of Kazakh artifacts. Nestled in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Ala-Tau mountains, Almaty was the nation's capital until 1997 and remains an important economic and cultural center.