1.
[syn: Kazakhstan, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakstan, Kazakh, Kazak]
WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):
Kazakhstan
n 1: a landlocked republic to the south of Russia and to the
northeast of the Caspian Sea; the original Turkic-speaking
inhabitants were overrun by Mongols in the 13th century; an
Asian soviet from 1936 to 1991 [syn: Kazakhstan,
Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakstan, Kazakh, Kazak]
CIA World Factbook 2002:
Kazakhstan
Introduction Kazakhstan
-----------------------
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 has 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.
Geography Kazakhstan
--------------------
Location: Central Asia, northwest of China
Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N, 68 00 E
Map references: Asia
Area: total: 2,717,300 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km
land: 2,669,800 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: 11.23%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 88.72% (1998 est.)
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 its former defense
industries and test ranges
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 party to: Air Pollution,
agreements: Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Desertification, Endangered Species,
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
People Kazakhstan
-----------------
Population: 16,741,519 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 26% (male 2,212,985;
female 2,141,392)
15-64 years: 66.5% (male 5,393,281;
female 5,731,288)
65 years and over: 7.5% (male
434,879; female 827,694) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.1% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 17.83 births/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Death rate: 10.69 deaths/1,000 population (2002
est.)
Net migration rate: -6.16 migrant(s)/1,000 population
(2002 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.53 male(s)/
female
total population: 0.92 male(s)/
female (2002 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 58.95 deaths/1,000 live births (2002
est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 63.38 years
female: 69.01 years (2002 est.)
male: 58.02 years
Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (2002 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.04% (1999 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/ 3,500 (1999 est.)
AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 100 (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kazakhstani(s)
adjective: Kazakhstani
Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%,
Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%, German
2.4%, Uighur 1.4%, other 6.6% (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.)
Government Kazakhstan
---------------------
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of
Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan
Respublikasy
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist
Republic
local short form: none
Government type: republic
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 (Baykonyr, formerly
Leninsk)
Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet
Union)
National holiday: Republic Day, 25 October (1990)
Constitution: adopted by national referendum 30
August 1995; first post-independence
constitution was adopted 28 January
1993
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
Imangali TASMAGAMBETOV (since 28
January 2002)
cabinet: Council of Ministers
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 expanded
his presidential powers by decree:
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
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
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the
Senate (39 seats - previously 47
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) 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)
election results: note - the
election results are for the old
Senate structure; Senate - percent
of vote by party - NA%; seats by
party - NA; 16 seats up for election
in 1999, candidates nominated by
local councils; Majilis - percent of
vote by party - NA%; seats by party
- Otan 23, Civic Party 13, Communist
Party 3, Agrarian Party 3, People's
Cooperative Party 1, independents
34; note - most independent
candidates are affiliated with
parastatal enterprises and other
pro-government institutions
elections: Senate - (indirect) last
held 17 September 1999 (next to be
held NA December 2005); Majilis -
last held 10 and 24 October and 26
December 1999 (next to be held NA
2004)
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (44 members);
Constitutional Council (7 members)
Political parties and leaders: Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV];
Alash [Sabet-Kazy AKATAY]; AZAMAT
"Citizen" Movement [Petr SVOIK,
Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSEITOV,
cochairmen]; Civic Party [Azat
PERUASHEV, first secretary];
Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn
ABDILDIN, first secretary]; Forum of
Democratic Forces [a union of
opposition parties, movements, and
NGOs which includes Communists,
RNPK, Orleu "Development" Movement,
Pokoleniye "Generation" Pensioners'
Movement, Labor Movement,
Association of Independent Mass
Media of Central Asia, and the
Tabighat "Nature" Ecological
Movement]; Labor and Worker's
Movement [Madel ISMAILOV, chairman];
Orleu "Development" Movement
[Seidakhmet KUTTYKADAM]; Otan
"Fatherland" [Sergei TERESCHENKO,
chairman]; Pensioners Movement or
Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA,
chairwoman]; People's Congress of
Kazakhstan of NKK [Olzhas
SULEIMENOV, chairman]; People's
Cooperative Party of Kazakhstan
[Umirzak SARSENOV]; Republican
People's Party of Kazakhstan or RNPK
[Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN]; Socialist
Party [Petr SVOIK]; United
Democratic Party (a new party not
yet registered) [leader NA]
Political pressure groups and Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA];
leaders: Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan
[Galymzhan ZHAKIYANOV, Uraz
ZHANDOSOV, Nurzhan SUBKHANBERDIN,
Mukhtar ABLYAZOV, Zhanat YERTLESOVA,
Bulat ABILOV, cofounders];
Kazakhstan International Bureau on
Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS,
executive director]
International organization AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
participation: ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS
(associate), ILO, IMF, IMO,
Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO,
ITU, NAM (observer), OAS (observer),
OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat
B. SAUDABAYEV
chancery: 1401 16th Street NW,
Washington, DC 20036
consulate(s): New York
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
Diplomatic representation from the chief of mission: Ambassador Larry
US: C. NAPPER
embassy: 99/97A Furmanova Street,
Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
480091
mailing address: American Embassy
Almaty, Department of State,
Washington, DC 20521-7030
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-21, 50-
76-23, 50-76-27 (emergency number)
FAX: [7] (3272) 63-38-83, 50-76-24
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 Kazakhstan
------------------
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 is a large
agricultural - livestock and grain -
producer. 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
has enjoyed double-digit growth in
2000-01 thanks largely to its
booming energy sector, but also to
economic reform, good harvests, and
foreign investment. The opening of
the Caspian Consortium pipeline in
2001, from western Kazakhstan's
Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea,
substantially raises export
capacity. Astana has embarked upon
an industrial policy designed to
diversify the economy away from
overdependence on the oil sector by
developing light industry.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $98.1
billion (2001 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 12.2% (2001 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $5,900
(2001 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 10%
industry: 30%
services: 60% (2000 est.)
Population below poverty line: 26% (2001 est.)
Household income or consumption by lowest 10%: 2.8%
percentage share: highest 10%: 27.3% (2001)
Distribution of family income - Gini 35.4 (1996)
index:
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 8.5% (2001 est.)
Labor force: 8.4 million (1999)
Labor force - by occupation: industry 30%, agriculture 20%,
services 50% (2001 est.)
Unemployment rate: 10% (2001 est.)
Budget: revenues: $4.2 billion
expenditures: $5.1 billion,
including capital expenditures of
$NA (2001 est.)
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: 11.4% (2001 est.)
Electricity - production: 48.692 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel: 86.4%
hydro: 13.6%
other: 0% (2000)
nuclear: 0%
Electricity - consumption: 48.336 billion kWh (2000)
Electricity - exports: 50 million kWh (2000)
Electricity - imports: 3.102 billion kWh (2000)
Agriculture - products: grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton;
wool, livestock
Exports: $10.5 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Exports - commodities: oil and oil products 52.8%, ferrous
metals 12.9%, machinery, chemicals,
grain, wool, meat, coal (2000)
Exports - partners: Russia 19.5%, China 7.3%, Germany
6.2% (2000)
Imports: $8.2 billion (f.o.b., 2001 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and parts 29.5%, energy
and fuels 11.3%, electrical
equipment 8.8%, vehicles 8.7%,
ferrous metals 6.4% (2000)
Imports - partners: Russia 48.7%, Germany 6.6%, US 5.5%
(2000)
Debt - external: $11.6 billion (2001 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $610 million in US assistance
programs, 1992-2000
Currency: tenge (KZT)
Currency code: KZT
Exchange rates: tenge per US dollar - 151.14
(January 2002), 146.74 (2001),
142.13 (2000), 119.52 (1999), 78.30
(1998), 75.44 (1997)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Kazakhstan
-------------------------
Telephones - main lines in use: 1.92 million (2001)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 400,000 (2001)
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: international traffic
with other former Soviet republics
and China carried by landline and
microwave radio relay; 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 Service Providers (ISPs): 10 (with their own international
channels) (2001)
Internet users: 85,000 (2001)
Transportation Kazakhstan
-------------------------
Railways: total: 13,601 km in common carrier
service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 13,601 km 1.520-m gauge
(3,661 km electrified) (2001)
Highways: total: 189,000 km
paved: 108,100 km (includes some
all-weather gravel-surfaced roads)
unpaved: 80,900 km (these roads are
made of unstabilized earth and are
difficult to negotiate in wet
weather) (1990)
Waterways: 3,900 km
note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya)
and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers
Pipelines: crude oil 2,850 km; refined products
1,500 km; natural gas 3,480 km
(1992)
Ports and harbors: Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau
(Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-
Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey
(Semipalatinsk)
Merchant marine: total: 1 ship (1,000 GRT or over)
totaling 1,064 GRT/646 DWT
note: includes a foreign-owned ship
registered here as a flag of
convenience: United States 1 (2002
est.)
ships by type: roll on/roll off 1
Airports: 449 (2001)
Airports - with paved runways: total: 28
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 14
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
under 914 m: 3 (2001)
Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 421
over 3,047 m: 11
2,438 to 3,047 m: 18
1,524 to 2,437 m: 45
914 to 1,523 m: 101
under 914 m: 246 (2001)
Military Kazakhstan
-------------------
Military branches: Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense
Forces, Naval Force, Border Service,
Republican Guard
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age (2002 est.)
Military manpower - availability: males age 15-49: 4,545,168 (2002
est.)
Military manpower - fit for military males age 15-49: 3,629,219 (2002
service: est.)
Military manpower - reaching males: 163,628 (2002 est.)
military age annually:
Military expenditures - dollar $173 million (Ministry of Defense
figure: expenditures) (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of 1% (Ministry of Defense
GDP: expenditures) (FY01)
Transnational Issues Kazakhstan
-------------------------------
Disputes - international: Kazakhstan is working rapidly with
China and Russia to delimit its
large open borders to control
population migration, illegal
activities, and trade; signed
bilateral agreement with Russia
delimiting the Caspian Sea seabed,
but littoral states are far from any
multilateral agreement on dividing
the waters and seabed regimes - Iran
insists on division of Caspian Sea
into five equal sectors while
Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and
Turkmenistan have generally agreed
upon equidistant seabed boundaries;
border largely delimited with
Uzbekistan, but unresolved dispute
remains over sovereignty of two
border villages, Bagys and
Turkestan, and around the Arnasay
dam; Kazakhstan, Tajikistan,
Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan wrestle
with sharing limited water resources
and the regional environmental
degradation caused by the shrinking
of the Aral Sea; disputes with
Kyrgyzstan over providing water and
hydropower to Kazakhstan
Illicit drugs: significant illicit cultivation of
cannabis and limited cultivation of
opium poppy and ephedra (for the
drug ephedrone); limited government
eradication program; cannabis
consumed largely in the CIS; used as
transshipment point for illicit
drugs to Russia, North America, and
Western Europe from Southwest Asia;
developing heroin addiction problem