In the movie, Borat, a Kazakh resident, travels to the USA to make a documentary on the country. While on his mission, he learns that the USA is the same as his own country in many ways. But today, let's see how Borat's Kazakhstan compares to the real Kazakhstan.
Language
Let’s start with the man himself. Borat is not a Kazakh name (though there is a name Bolat). No one in Kazakhstan greets you with “Jagzhemash,” which is most likely gibberish or mangled Polish. The official language in Kazakhstan is, not surprisingly, Kazakh, although Russian is widely spoken. Among the country’s large ethnic Russian population, Russian is the only language they speak. And, oh yes, khrum is not the word for testicles, in either Russian or Kazakh.
Appearance
Ethnic Kazakhs are related to the Mongols, and are direct descendants of the most famous Mongol, Genghis Khan. Kazakhs look Asian. Those in Borat’s home village, however, look as if they are Eastern European. This can probably be explained by the fact that they are Eastern European. The opening scene was filmed in a village in Romania, not Kazakhstan.
Anti-Semitism
Borat is a raving anti-Semite, fond of such Kazakh traditions as “The Running of the Jew.” This is the characterization that most rankles the Kazakhs, and for good reason. When it comes to religion, Kazakhstan, a majority Muslim nation, is remarkably open and tolerant. Kazakhstan has several synagogues and diplomatic relations with Israel.
And, for the record, there is no such event as “The Running of the Jew” in Kazakhstan.
Prostitution
In Borat’s Kazakhstan, nearly every woman is for sale. Borat’s own sister was voted “number four prostitute in all of Kazakhstan,” a fact of which he is evidently proud. Borat’s portrayal is, of course, wildly exaggerated, but prostitution is a real problem there. In the 1990s, Kazakhstan was a big exporter of prostitutes, and human trafficking was a problem. Now, given wealth amassed from the oil boom, prostitutes are even more popular, and the country is importing them, as well. Every evening, one street in Almaty is packed with prostitutes looking for customers, and newspapers devote pages of classified ads to “massage girls.”
Women’s Rights
Borat portrays a country where women cannot vote or drive and are treated like property. In the real Kazakhstan, women, unlike horses, do vote and drive. They also run ministries and corporations, though they enjoy less equality than women in, say, Sweden.
Sports
In Borat’s Kazakhstan, popular sports include cow punching and “shurik, where we take dogs, shoot them in a field and then have a party.” In reality, Kazakhs, like most of the world, prefer soccer. But they also like horsemanship, wrestling, and, occasionally, buzkashi which literally means “grabbing the dead goat”. In this popular game, the players on the horseback try to control the "ball", which is the headless carcass of a goat or sheep. Then they have a party.
Food and Beverages
Borat claims that traditional Kazakh wine is made from fermented horse urine. But that's not true. It just tastes that way. However, Kazakhs, a nomadic people, do have a fondness for horse products. A popular dish is kazy, or smoked horsemeat sausage.
Relations With Its Neighbors
Borat takes several jabs at “assholes Uzbekistan.” At one point in the film, he refers to Uzbeks as “nosy people with a bone in the middle of their brains.” Disparaging comments aside, Borat is right that many Kazakhs dislike the Uzbeks, and the two nations have squabbled over territory in the past.
Economy
Borat, in an interview with the Guardian newspaper, claimed that Kazakhstan’s major exports are potassium, apples, and young boys to Michael Jackson’s ranch. Not true. At least about the potassium and Michael Jackson. Kazakh apples are famous, and, in fact, the name of the country’s commercial capital, Almaty, literally means “place with apples.” Kazakhstan’s main export, accounting for about half of all foreign earnings, is oil. The Tengiz oil field is one of the largest in the world.