Kazakhstan Population: 15,522,373
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| Background | |
| Ethnic 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-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 drove many of these newcomers to emigrate. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness; developing a multiparty parliament and advancing political and social reform; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers. |
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| Geography | |
| 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 | |
| Location: | Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in eastern-most Europe |
| Geographic coordinates: | 48 00 N, 68 00 E |
| Area: | total: 2,724,900 sq km land: 2,699,700 sq km water: 25,200 sq km Size comparison: slightly less than four times the size of Texas |
| Land Boundaries: | total: 12,185 km border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,224 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: | vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south |
| 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: 8.28% permanent crops: 0.05% other: 91.67% (2005) |
| Irrigated land: | 35,560 sq km (2008) |
| Natural hazards: | earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Almaty |
| Current Environment 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 that 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 |
| International Environment Agreements: | party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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| People | |
| Population: | 15,522,373 (July 2011 est.) |
| Age structure: | 0-14 years: 21.6% (male 1,709,929/female 1,637,132) 15-64 years: 71% (male 5,373,755/female 5,654,461) 65 years and over: 7.4% (male 392,689/female 754,407) (2011 est.) |
| Median age: | total: 30.2 years male: 28.7 years female: 31.9 years (2011 est.) |
| Population growth rate: | 0.4% (2011 est.) |
| Birth rate: | 16.65 births/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Death rate: | 9.38 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.) |
| Net migration rate: | -3.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.) |
| Sex ratio: | at birth: 1.058 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.53 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2011 est.) |
| Infant mortality rate: | total: 24.15 deaths/1,000 live births male: 28.44 deaths/1,000 live births female: 19.62 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.) |
| Life expectancy at birth: | total population: 68.51 years male: 63.24 years female: 74.08 years (2011 est.) |
| Total fertility rate: | 1.87 children born/woman (2011 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: | 0.1% (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: | 13,000 (2009 est.) |
| HIV/AIDS - deaths: | fewer than 500 (2009 est.) |
| Nationality: | noun: Kazakhstani(s) adjective: Kazakhstani |
| Ethnic groups: | Kazakh (Qazaq) 63.1%, Russian 23.7%, Uzbek 2.8%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Uighur 1.4%, Tatar 1.3%, German 1.1%, other 4.5% (2009 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: 99.5% male: 99.8% female: 99.3% (1999 est.) |
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| Government | |
| Country name: | conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan conventional short form: Kazakhstan local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy local short form: Qazaqstan former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Government type: | republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch |
| Capital: | name: Astana geographic coordinates: 51 10 N, 71 25 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) note: Kazakhstan is divided into two time zones |
| Administrative divisions: | 14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qalalar, singular - qala); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy (Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy [West Kazakhstan] (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy [Baykonur]*, Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy [South Kazakhstan] (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy [East Kazakhstan] (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: | civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation |
| 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 Karim MASIMOV (since 10 January 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak SHUKEYEV (since 3 March 2009), Deputy Prime Ministers Yerbol ORYNBAYEV (since 29 October 2007), Aset ISEKESHEV (since 12 March 2010) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 3 April 2011 (next to be held December 2016); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, with Mazhilis approval; note - constitutional amendments of May 2007 shortened the presidential term from seven years to five years and established a two-consecutive-term limit; changes will take effect after NAZARBAYEV's term ends; he, and only he, is allowed to run for president indefinitely note: constitutional amendments of January 2011 moved election date from 2012 to April 2011 but kept five-year term; subsequent election to take place December 2016 election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 95.5%, other 4.5% |
| Legislative branch: | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47 seats; 15 members are appointed by the president; 32 members elected by local assemblies; members serve six-year terms, but elections are staggered with half of the members up for re-election every three years) and the Mazhilis (107 seats; 9 out of the 107 Mazhilis members elected by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan, a presidentially appointed advisory body designed to represent the country's ethnic minorities; non-appointed members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms) elections: Senate - (indirect) last held in October 2008 (next to be held in 2011); Mazhilis - last held on 18 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Nur Otan 16; Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Nur-Otan 88.1%, NSDP 4.6%, Ak Zhol 3.3%, Auyl 1.6%, Communist People's Party 1.3%, Patriots Party 0.8% Ruhaniyat 0.4%; seats by party - Nur-Otan 98; note - parties had to achieve a threshold of 7% of the electorate to qualify for seats in the Mazhilis; changes to electoral legislation enacted since the 2007 election now ensure that the second-placed party will enter the Majilis at the next parliamentary election, even if it does not clear the 7% threshold |
| Judicial branch: | Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (seven members) |
| Political parties and leaders: | Adilet (Justice) [Maksut NARIKBAYEV, Zeynulla ALSHIMBAYEV, Serik ABDRAHMANOV, Bakhytbek AKHMETZHAN, Yerkin ONGARBAYEV, Tolegan SYDYKOV] (formerly Democratic Party of Kazakhstan); Agrarian and Industrial Union of Workers Block or AIST (Agrarian Party and Civic Party); Ak Zhol Party (Bright Path) [Alikhan BAYMENOV]; Alga [Vladimir KOZLOV] (unregistered); Auyl (Village) [Gani KALIYEV]; Azat (Freedom) Party [Bolat ABILOV] (formerly True Ak Zhol Party); Azat NSDP [co-chaired by Bolat ABILOV and Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]; Azat and NSDP united in 2009, but the authorities have refused to register Azat NSDP as a single party; Communist Party of Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV]; National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]; Nur Otan [Bakhytzhan ZHUMAGULOV] (the Agrarian, Asar, and Civic parties merged with Otan); Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV]; Rukhaniyat (Spirituality) [Serikzhan MAMBETALIN] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders: | Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Committee [Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS (jailed), Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pan-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergey ZLOTNIKOV] |
| International organization participation: | ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEC, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC |
| Diplomatic representation in the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Yerlan IDRISSOV chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488 FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York |
| Diplomatic representation from the US: | chief of mission: Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND embassy: Ak Bulak 4, Str. 23-22, Building #3, Astana 010010 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (7172) 70-21-00 FAX: [7] (7172) 34-08-90 |
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| Economy | |
| Kazakhstan, geographically the largest of the former Soviet republics, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals, such as uranium, copper, and zinc. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. In 2002 Kazakhstan became the first country in the former Soviet Union to receive an investment-grade credit rating, and from 2000 through 2007, Kazakhstan's economy grew more than 9% per year. Extractive industries, particularly hydrocarbons and mining, have been the engines of this growth. However, geographic limitations and decaying infrastructure present serious obstacles. Landlocked, with restricted access to the high seas, Kazakhstan relies on its neighbors to export its products, especially oil and gas. Although its Caspian Sea ports and rail lines carrying oil have been upgraded, civil aviation has been neglected. Telecoms are improving, but require considerable investment, as does the information technology base. Supply and distribution of electricity can be erratic. At the end of 2007, global financial markets froze up and the loss of capital inflows to Kazakhstani banks caused a credit crunch. The subsequent and sharp fall of oil and commodity prices in 2008 aggravated the economic situation, and Kazakhstan plunged into recession. While the global financial crisis took a significant toll on Kazakhstan's economy, it has rebounded well. In response to the crisis, Kazakhstan's government devalued the tenge (Kazakhstan's currency) to stabilize market pressures and injected $19 billion in economic stimulus. Rising commodity prices have helped revive Kazakhstan's economy, which registered 7% growth in 2010. Barring a dramatic decline in oil prices, strong growth is expected to continue in 2011. Despite solid macroeconomic indicators, the government realizes that its economy suffers from an overreliance on oil and extractive industries, the so-called "Dutch disease." In response, Kazakhstan has embarked on an ambitious diversification program, aimed at developing targeted sectors like transport, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, petrochemicals and food processing. | |
| GDP (purchasing power parity): | GDP (purchasing power parity): $196.4 billion (2010 est.) $183.6 billion (2009 est.) $181.4 billion (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP (official exchange rate): | GDP (official exchange rate): $138.4 billion (2010 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate: | 7% (2010 est.) 1.2% (2009 est.) 3.2% (2008 est.) |
| GDP - per capita (PPP): | GDP - per capita (PPP): $12,700 (2010 est.) $11,900 (2009 est.) $11,800 (2008 est.) note: data are in 2010 US dollars |
| GDP - composition by sector: | agriculture: 5.4% industry: 42.8% services: 51.8% (2010 est.) |
| Labor force: | 8.611 million (2010 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation: | agriculture: 28.2% industry: 18.2% services: 53.6% (2010 est.) |
| Unemployment rate: | 5.8% (2010 est.) 6.6% (2009 est.) |
| Population below poverty line: | 8.2% (2009) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share: | lowest 10%: 3.8% highest 10%: 25.2% (2007 est.) |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index: | 26.7 (2009) 31.5 (2003) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices): | Inflation rate (consumer prices): 7.1% (2010 est.) 7.3% (2009 est.) |
| Investment (gross fixed): | Investment (gross fixed): 25.2% of GDP (2010 est.) |
| Budget: | revenues: $29.18 billion expenditures: $32.77 billion (2010 est.) |
| Public debt: | 15.5% of GDP (2010 est.) 13.5% of GDP (2009 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, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials |
| Industrial production growth rate: | 10% (2010 est.) |
| Electricity - production: | 75.61 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - consumption: | 77.9 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Electricity - exports: | 2.483 billion kWh (2008 est.) |
| Electricity - imports: | 1.94 billion kWh (2009 est.) |
| Oil - production: | 1.61 million bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - consumption: | 249,000 bbl/day (2010 est.) |
| Oil - exports: | 1.501 million bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - imports: | 172,500 bbl/day (2009 est.) |
| Oil - proved reserves: | 30 billion bbl (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Natural gas - production: | 35.61 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - consumption: | 8.572 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - exports: | 9.9 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - imports: | 6.1 billion cu m (2009 est.) |
| Natural gas - proved reserves: | 2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2011 est.) |
| Current account balance: | $4.319 billion (2010 est.) -$4.221 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports: | $60.84 billion (2010 est.) $43.93 billion (2009 est.) |
| Exports - commodities: | oil and oil products 59%, ferrous metals 19%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal |
| Exports - partners: | China 20.2%, Germany 9.1%, Russia 8.5%, France 7.1%, Turkey 4.5%, Canada 4.5%, Italy 4.1% (2010) |
| Imports: | $31.96 billion (2010 est.) $28.96 billion (2009 est.) |
| Imports - commodities: | machinery and equipment, metal products, foodstuffs |
| Imports - partners: | Russia 34.3%, China 27.7%, Germany 5.2%, Ukraine 4% (2010) |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: | $28.29 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $23.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Debt - external: | $97.57 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $109.9 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home: | $79.13 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $69.17 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad: | $13.76 billion (31 December 2010 est.) $5.958 billion (31 December 2009 est.) |
| Market value of publicly traded shares: | $60.74 billion (31 December 2010) $57.66 billion (31 December 2009) $31.08 billion (31 December 2008) |
| Exchange rates: | tenge (KZT) per US dollar - 147.28 (2010) 147.5 (2009) 120.25 (2008) 122.55 (2007) 126.09 (2006) |
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| Communications | |
| Telephones in use: | 3.763 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 43 |
| Cellular Phones in use: | 14.995 million (2009) |
| Telephone system: | general assessment: inherited an outdated telecommunications network from the Soviet era requiring modernization domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of fixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-line teledensity now roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing and the subscriber base now is roughly 100 per 100 persons 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 (2008) |
| Radio broadcast stations: | |
| Television broadcast stations: | |
| Internet country code: | .kz |
| Internet hosts: | 53,984 (2010) |
| Internet users: | 5.299 million (2009) |
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| Transportation | |
| Airports: | 97 (2010) country comparison to the world: 62 |
| Airports (paved runways): | total: 65 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 8 (2010) |
| Airports (unpaved runways): | total: 32 over 3,047 m: 5 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 13 (2010) |
| Heliports: | 3 (2010) |
| Pipelines: | condensate 658 km; gas 12,317 km; oil 11,201 km; refined products 1,095 km; water 1,465 km (2010) |
| Railways: | total: 15,079 km broad gauge: 15,079 km 1.520-m gauge (4,000 km electrified) (2010) |
| Roadways: | total: 93,612 km paved: 84,100 km unpaved: 9,512 km (2008) |
| Waterways: | 4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River) (2010) |
| Merchant marine: | total: 8 by type: petroleum tanker 6, refrigerated cargo 1, specialized tanker 1 foreign-owned: 1 (Ireland 1) (2010) |
| Ports and terminals: | Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk) |
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| Military | |
| Military branches: | Kazakhstan Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Mobile Forces, Air Defense Forces (2010) |
| 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 16-49: 4,163,629 females age 16-49: 4,179,051 (2010 est.) |
| Manpower fit for military service: | males age 16-49: 2,909,999 females age 16-49: 3,528,169 (2010 est.) |
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