To experience the size and power of nature, one must travel to Kazakhstan. The ninth largest country in the world, with just under 18 million inhabitants, offers not only breathtaking landscapes but also a remarkable cultural heritage. Inhabited by more than 50 ethnic groups, the country has a tumultuous history. The characteristic symbiosis between ancient nomadic culture and Islamic faith has been complemented by European influences since the 19th century. Tsarist rule and the Soviet Union established European administrative structures. Forced collectivization hit the nomads with their herds particularly hard. Kazakhstan experienced famines on an unprecedented scale. Stalin destroyed the majority of the intellectual elite. The Soviet Union deported undesirable ethnic groups, such as the Volga Germans and Chechens, to Kazakhstan.