Sary-Arka (the Great Steppe) is the Kazakh name for the area stretching from the West Siberian lowlands in the north to the Balkhash-Alakul lowlands in the south, from the spurs of the Altai, Sauyr and Tarbagatai in the cast to the Turgai valleys in the west. And it is indeed a vast, endless steppe, covering 2,000 sq. km in the centre of the Eurasian continent.
    The Sary-Arka steppes contain the unique and beautiful Lake Balkhash, which is half freshwater, half salt, and at 18,000 sq. km is one of the largest lakes in the world. The Kazakhs used to call [tAk-Teniz ("White Sea"). Due to the ideal climate, there is a rehabilitation centre for astronauts on the shore of Balkhash. Baikonur, the world's first cosmodrome, is in the same region (5 km from the town ofLeninsk, 230 km from Kyzylorda). Baikonur is one of the greatest technical achievements of the 20th century. On an organised tour you can see spaceships with your own eyes, visit the space history museum, and see the launch pad from which the first-ever space flight took off in 1961.
    Central Kazakhstan also has several places of archaeological and ethnographical interest. The Ulytau region has a special place in the history of Eurasia's nomads. It was in this natural temple that the Kazakh people achieved unity when the three Kazakh zhuzes (clans) joined together as a single state. The Tanbalytas stone, carved with the signs (tamgas) of thousands of clans, eloquently tells the story. There are many mausoleums, tombs and caves in this open-air history museum. Ulytau's highest point is 1,134 m. The region is full of lakes, springs and rivers.
    In the Karkaraly oasis you can discover finds and settlements from the Bronze Age and early Iron Age. This is a fascinating part of the world, with lakes surrounded by ravaged granite cliffs and pine forests at 1,200m. The Bayan-Aul National Park has rock drawings, stone sculptures, clear, sparkling lakes and pine trees clinging to the cliffs. Another beau ty spot is the Kurgaljino Nature Reserve (110 km from Astana), the world's most northerly habitat of the pink flamingo. The reserve is a place of startling contrasts - saltwater lakes encircled by forests, the hollow trunks of ancient pine trees protruding from sand dunes, vast valleys and rare wildlife, including eagles. Over 300 types of plants grow in the feather-grassed steppes of the reserve. Lake Tengiz and Lake Kurgaljino are the remains of an ancient