Due to their complex history, Kazakh people display phenotypical diversity, though they tend to exhibit predominantly Mongoloid features.

Fair to light-brown skin tends to be the norm. Among physical traits are aquiline noses, epicanthic fold and high cheekbones. Hair color among Kazakh people varies from prevalent jet black to red and sandy brown. Hazel, green and blue eyes are not uncommon.

These nomads roamed in the Altai Mountains (and thus are known as Altaic peoples) in northern Mongolia and on the steppes of Central Asia.

Distribution:

The Kazak ethnic minority mainly lives in the Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture, Mori Kazak Autonomous County and Barkol Kazak Autonomous County in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. Some are also located in the Haixi Mongolian, Tibetan and Kazak Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province and the Aksay Kazak Autonomous County in Gansu Province.

Language:

The Kazakh language belongs to the Turkic branch of the Altaic language family. As the Kazakh people live in mixed communities with the Hans, Uyghurs and Mongolians, the Kazakh people have assimilated many words from these languages. They had a written language based on the Arabic alphabet, which is still in use, but a new Latinized written form was evolved after the founding of the People's Republic of China.