|
|
|
Background:
|
Native
Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who
migrated into the region in the 13th century, were
rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered
by Russia in the 18th century and Kazakhstan became a
Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s
agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens
were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern
pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians,
but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the
ethnic mixture and enabled non-Kazakhs to outnumber
natives. Independence in 1991 caused many of these
newcomers to emigrate. Current issues include:
developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the
development of the country's vast energy resources and
exporting them to world markets; achieving a sustainable
economic growth outside the oil, gas, and mining
sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring
states and other foreign powers. |
|
Location:
|
Central
Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the
Ural River in eastern-most Europe |
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
48 00 N,
68 00 E |
|
Map references:
|
Asia |
|
Area:
|
total:
2,717,300 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km |
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly
less than four times the size of Texas |
|
Land boundaries:
|
total:
12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan
1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km,
Uzbekistan 2,203 km |
|
Coastline:
|
0 km
(landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea,
now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the
Caspian Sea (1,894 km) |
|
Maritime claims:
|
none
(landlocked) |
|
Climate:
|
continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and
semiarid |
|
Terrain:
|
extends
from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the
plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central
Asia |
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest
point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik
Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m |
|
Natural resources:
|
major
deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore,
manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper,
molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium |
|
Land use:
|
arable
land: 7.98%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 91.97% (2001) |
|
Irrigated land:
|
23,320 sq
km (1998 est.) |
|
Natural hazards:
|
earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty |
|
Environment - current issues:
|
radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with
former defense industries and test ranges scattered
throughout the country pose health risks for humans and
animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities;
because the two main rivers which flowed into the Aral
Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it is drying up
and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical
pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then
picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust
storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution
from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination
from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation
practices |
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party
to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto
Protocol |
|
Geography - note:
|
landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of
territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January
2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050
|
|
Population:
|
15,185,844 (July 2005 est.) |
|
Age structure:
|
0-14
years: 23.7% (male 1,834,535/female 1,758,988)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 5,075,243/female
5,312,536)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 424,341/female
780,201) (2005 est.) |
|
Median age:
|
total:
28.52 years
male: 26.92 years
female: 30.25 years (2005 est.) |
|
Population growth rate:
|
0.3%
(2005 est.) |
|
Birth rate:
|
15.78
births/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Death rate:
|
9.46
deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Net migration rate:
|
-3.34
migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) |
|
Sex ratio:
|
at
birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.96 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
|
|
Infant mortality rate:
|
total:
29.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
|
|
Life expectancy at birth:
|
total
population: 66.55 years
male: 61.21 years
female: 72.2 years (2005 est.) |
|
Total fertility rate:
|
1.89
children born/woman (2005 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
|
0.2%
(2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
|
16,500
(2001 est.) |
|
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
|
less than
200 (2003 est.) |
|
Nationality:
|
noun:
Kazakhstani(s)
adjective: Kazakhstani |
|
Ethnic groups:
|
Kazakh
(Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%,
German 2.4%, Tatar 1.7%, Uygur 1.4%, other 4.9% (1999
census) |
|
Religions:
|
Muslim
47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7% |
|
Languages:
|
Kazakh
(Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used
in everyday business, designated the "language of
interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.) |
|
Literacy:
|
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98.4%
male: 99.1%
female: 97.7% (1999 est.) |
|
Country name:
|
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic |
|
Government type:
|
republic;
authoritarian presidential rule, with little power
outside the executive branch |
|
Capital:
|
Astana;
note - the government moved from Almaty to Astana in
December 1998 |
|
Administrative divisions:
|
14
provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities*
(qala, singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty
Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy (Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana
Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral),
Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau), Ongtustik
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy
Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
(Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
note: administrative divisions have the same
names as their administrative centers (exceptions have
the administrative center name following in
parentheses); in 1995, the Governments of Kazakhstan and
Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km
enclosing the Baykonur space launch facilities and the
city of Bayqongyr (Baykonur, formerly Leninsk); in 2004,
a new agreement extended the lease to 2050 |
|
Independence:
|
16
December 1991 (from the Soviet Union) |
|
National holiday:
|
Independence Day, 16 December (1991) |
|
Constitution:
|
first
post-independence constitution adopted 28 January 1993;
new constitution adopted by national referendum 30
August 1995 |
|
Legal system:
|
based on
civil law system |
|
Suffrage:
|
18 years
of age; universal |
|
Executive branch:
|
chief
of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
(chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990,
elected president 1 December 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Daniyal
AKHMETOV (since 13 June 2003); First Deputy Prime
Minister Akhmetzhan YESIMOV (since 14 May 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote for
a seven-year term; election last held 10 January 1999, a
year before it was previously scheduled (next to be held
NA 2006); note - President NAZARBAYEV's previous term
was extended to 2000 by a nationwide referendum held 30
April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime
minister appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
reelected president; percent of vote - Nursultan A.
NAZARBAYEV 81.7%, Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN 12.1%, Gani
KASYMOV 4.7%, Engels GABBASSOV 1.5%
note: President NAZARBAYEV arranged a referendum
in 1995 that expanded his presidential powers: only he
can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and
dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call
referenda at his discretion, and appoint administrative
heads of regions and cities |
|
Legislative branch:
|
bicameral
Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats; 7 senators
are appointed by the president; other members are
popularly elected, two from each of the 14 oblasts, the
capital of Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve
six-year terms; note - formerly composed of 47 seats)
and the Majilis (77 seats; 10 out of the 77 Majilis
members are elected from the winning party's lists;
members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 17
September 1999 (next to be held December 2005); Majilis
- last held 19 September and 3 October 2004 (next to be
held September 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by
party - NA%; seats by party - NA; candidates nominated
by local councils; Majilis - percent of vote by party -
NA%; seats by party - Otan 42, AIST 11, ASAR (All
Together) 4, Ak Zhol (Bright Path) 1, Democratic Party
1, independent 18; note - most independent candidates
are affiliated with parastatal enterprises and other
pro-government institutions |
|
Judicial branch:
|
Supreme
Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)
|
|
Political parties and leaders:
|
Agrarian
Party [Romin MADINOV]; Ak Zhol Party "Bright Path"
[Bulat ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV, Lyudmila ZHULANOVA,
Alikhan BAYMENOV, Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, co-chairs]; ASAR
"All Together" [Dariga NAZARBAYEVA, chairwoman]; AUL
"Village" [Gani KALIYEV]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV,
first secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn
ABDILDIN, first secretary]; Communist People's Party of
Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV]; Democratic Party of
Kazakhstan [Maksut NARIKBAEV]; Otan "Fatherland"
[Bakhytzhan ZHUMAGULOV, acting chairman]; Patriots'
Party [Gani KASYMOV]; Rukhaniyat [Altynshash JAGANOVA]
|
|
Political pressure groups and leaders:
|
Adil-Soz
[Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA];
Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN];
Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights
[Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pensioners
Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman];
Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos
KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]
|
|
International organization participation:
|
AsDB,
CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB,
IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM,
ISO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer),
OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
(observer) |
|
Diplomatic representation in the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC
20036
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York |
|
Diplomatic representation from the US:
|
chief
of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
embassy: 99/97A Fumanova, Samal-2, Almaty, 480099
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 50-48-02
FAX: [7] (3272) 50-48-84 |
|
Flag description:
|
sky blue
background representing the endless sky and a gold sun
with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the
center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation"
in gold |
|
Economy - overview:
|
Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics
in territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous
fossil fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of
other minerals and metals. It also has a large
agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain.
Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction
and processing of these natural resources and also on a
growing machine-building sector specializing in
construction equipment, tractors, agricultural
machinery, and some defense items. The breakup of the
USSR in December 1991 and the collapse in demand for
Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products
resulted in a short-term contraction of the economy,
with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. In
1995-97, the pace of the government program of economic
reform and privatization quickened, resulting in a
substantial shifting of assets into the private sector.
Kazakhstan enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - and
a solid 9.5% in 2002 - thanks largely to its booming
energy sector, but also to economic reform, good
harvests, and foreign investment. Growth remained at the
high 9% level in 2003 and 2004. The opening of the
Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001, from western
Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea,
substantially raised export capacity. The country has
embarked upon an industrial policy designed to diversify
the economy away from overdependence on the oil sector,
by developing light industry. Additionally, the policy
aims to reduce the influence of foreign investment and
foreign personnel; the government has engaged in several
disputes with foreign oil companies over the terms of
production agreements, and tensions continue. |
|
GDP (purchasing power parity):
|
$118.4
billion (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - real growth rate:
|
9.1%
(2004 est.) |
|
GDP - per capita:
|
purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2004 est.) |
|
GDP - composition by sector:
|
agriculture: 7.4%
industry: 37.8%
services: 54.8% (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force:
|
7.95
million (2004 est.) |
|
Labor force - by occupation:
|
agriculture 20%, industry 30%, services 50% (2002 est.)
|
|
Unemployment rate:
|
8% (2004
est.) |
|
Population below poverty line:
|
19% (2004
est.) |
|
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
|
lowest
10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 26.5% (2004 est.) |
|
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
|
31.5
(2003) |
|
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
|
6.9%
(2004 est.) |
|
Investment (gross fixed):
|
23.9% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Budget:
|
revenues: $8.67 billion
expenditures: $8.968 billion, including capital
expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
|
Public debt:
|
13.7% of
GDP (2004 est.) |
|
Agriculture - products:
|
grain
(mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock |
|
Industries:
|
oil,
coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper,
titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur,
iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural
machinery, electric motors, construction materials |
|
Industrial production growth rate:
|
10.6%
(2004 est.) |
|
Electricity - production:
|
66.82
billion kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - production by source:
|
fossil
fuel: 84.3%
hydro: 15.7%
nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001) |
|
Electricity - consumption:
|
62.21
billion kWh (203) |
|
Electricity - exports:
|
4.975
billion kWh (2003) |
|
Electricity - imports:
|
2.506
billion kWh (2003) |
|
Oil - production:
|
1.2
million bbl/day (2004 est.) |
|
Oil - consumption:
|
189,400
bbl/day (2003 est.) |
|
Oil - exports:
|
890,000
bbl/day (2003) |
|
Oil - imports:
|
47,000
bbl/day (2003) |
|
Oil - proved reserves:
|
26
billion bbl (1 January 2004) |
|
Natural gas - production:
|
11.6
billion cu m (2004 est.) |
|
Natural gas - consumption:
|
14.3
billion cu m (2001 est.) |
|
Natural gas - exports:
|
11.01
billion cu m (2003 est.) |
|
Natural gas - imports:
|
8.696
billion cu m (2003 est.) |
|
Natural gas - proved reserves:
|
1.8
trillion cu m (1 January 2004) |
|
Current account balance:
|
$-39.02
million (2004 est.) |
|
Exports:
|
$18.47
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
|
Exports - commodities:
|
oil and
oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%,
machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001) |
|
Exports - partners:
|
Russia
15.1%, Bermuda 13.8%, Germany 11%, China 9.9%, France
6.6%, Italy 4% (2004) |
|
Imports:
|
$13.07
billion f.o.b. (2004 est.) |
|
Imports - commodities:
|
machinery
and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8%
(2001) |
|
Imports - partners:
|
Russia
34.6%, China 15.4%, Germany 8.2%, France 5.7%, Ukraine
4.6% (2004) |
|
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
|
$14.35
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Debt - external:
|
$26.03
billion (2004 est.) |
|
Economic aid - recipient:
|
$74.2
million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000 (FY2004)
|
|
Currency (code):
|
tenge
(KZT) |
|
Currency code:
|
KZT |
|
Exchange rates:
|
tenge per
US dollar - 136.04 (2004), 149.58 (2003), 153.28 (2002),
146.74 (2001), 142.13 (2000) |
|
Fiscal year:
|
calendar
year |
|
Telephones - main lines in use:
|
2,081,900
(2002) |
|
Telephones - mobile cellular:
|
1.027
million (2002) |
|
Telephone system:
|
general assessment: service is poor; equipment
antiquated
domestic: intercity by landline and microwave
radio relay; mobile cellular systems are available in
most of Kazakhstan
international: country code - 7; international
traffic with other former Soviet republics and China
carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with
other countries by satellite and by the
Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite
earth stations - 2 Intelsat |
|
Radio broadcast stations:
|
AM 60, FM
17, shortwave 9 (1998) |
|
Radios:
|
6.47
million (1997) |
|
Television broadcast stations:
|
12 (plus
nine repeaters) (1998) |
|
Televisions:
|
3.88
million (1997) |
|
Internet country code:
|
.kz |
|
Internet hosts:
|
21,984
(2004) |
|
Internet Service Providers (ISPs):
|
10 (with
their own international channels) (2001) |
|
Internet users:
|
250,000
(2002) |
|
Railways:
|
total:
13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km
electrified) (2004) |
|
Highways:
|
total:
82,980 km
paved: 77,918 km
unpaved: 5,062 km (2002) |
|
Waterways:
|
4,000 km
note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis
(Irtysh) rivers (2004) |
|
Pipelines:
|
condensate 18 km; gas 10,370 km; oil 10,158 km; refined
products 1,187 km (2004) |
|
Ports and harbors:
|
Aqtau
(Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen
(Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk) |
|
Merchant marine:
|
total:
3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,064 GRT/646 DWT
by type: cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 2 (United Kingdom 2) (2005) |
|
Airports:
|
314 (2004
est.) |
|
Airports - with paved runways:
|
total:
67
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.) |
|
Airports - with unpaved runways:
|
total:
247
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 197 (2004 est.) |
|
Heliports:
|
1 (2004
est.) |
|
Military branches:
|
Ground
Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force,
Republican Guard |
|
Military service age and obligation:
|
18 years
of age for compulsory military service; conscript
service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteers
NA (2004) |
|
Manpower available for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 3,758,255 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower fit for military service:
|
males
age 18-49: 2,473,529 (2005 est.) |
|
Manpower reaching military service age annually:
|
males:
173,129 (2005 est.) |
|
Military expenditures - dollar figure:
|
$221.8
million (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02) |
|
Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
|
0.9%
(Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02) |
|
Disputes - international:
|
in 2005,
Kazakhstan agreed with Russia, Turkmenistan, and
Uzbekistan to commence demarcating their boundaries;
delimitation with Kyrgyzstan is complete; creation of a
seabed boundary with Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea
remains unresolved; equidistant seabed treaties have
been ratified with Azerbaijan and Russia in the Caspian
Sea, but no resolution has been made on dividing the
water column among any of the littoral states |
|
Illicit drugs:
|
significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS
markets, as well as limited cultivation of opium poppy
and ephedra (for the drug ephedrine); limited government
eradication of illicit crops; transit point for
Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest
of Europe |
|
This page was last updated on
20 October, 2005 |
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