The Kazakh Khanate was established in 1456. In the 16th century, the Kazakhs developed separately and became three jadeites, large, medium and small. It was annexed by the Russian Empire in the mid-19th century. In 1936, the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was established and joined the Soviet Union, becoming one of the Soviet republics. Independence on December 16, 1991, the Republic of Kazakhstan was established. In recent years, Kazakhstan has strengthened its economic, political, and military integration with the CIS countries. On January 1, 2015, it established the Eurasian Economic Union with Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and other countries.