Peter Frankopan

Kazakhstan is about the size of Europe — but we know almost nothing about it

This vast Central Asian country, with eye-popping oil reserves, is swiftly reinventing itself. But who takes control next is the multi-billion-dollar question

The Khazret Sultan Mosque in the sparkling new city of Astana, built at a breathtaking pace to replace Kazakhstan’s former capital Almaty [Loïc Lagarde / Getty Images]
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  • Dark Shadows: Inside the Secret World of Kazakhstan

    Joanna Lillis

    I.B. Tauris, pp. 272

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