from
CIA World Factbook 2006
Kazakhstan
Introduction
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.
Geography
Location: Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west
of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe
Geographic 48 00 N, 68 00 E
coordinates:
Map Asia
references:
Area: total: 2,717,300 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km
Area - slightly less than four times the size of Texas
comparative:
Land total: 12,012 km
boundaries: 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 none (landlocked)
claims:
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 lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
extremes: highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri)
6,995 m
Natural major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron
resources: 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 35,560 sq km (2003)
land:
Natural earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty
hazards:
Environment - radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with
current former defense industries and test ranges scattered
issues: 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 - party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change,
international Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes,
agreements: Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
Geography - landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of
note: territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January
2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050
People
Population: 15,233,244 (July 2006 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 23% (male 1,792,685/female 1,717,294)
15-64 years: 68.8% (male 5,122,027/female 5,357,819)
65 years and over: 8.2% (male 438,541/female 804,878)
(2006 est.)
Median age: total: 28.8 years
male: 27.2 years
female: 30.5 years (2006 est.)
Population 0.33% (2006 est.)
growth rate:
Birth rate: 16 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Death rate: 9.42 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Net migration -3.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
rate:
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: 0.55 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Infant total: 28.3 deaths/1,000 live births
mortality male: 32.88 deaths/1,000 live births
rate: female: 23.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Life total population: 66.89 years
expectancy at male: 61.56 years
birth: female: 72.52 years (2006 est.)
Total 1.89 children born/woman (2006 est.)
fertility
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 0.2% (2001 est.)
adult
prevalence
rate:
HIV/AIDS - 16,500 (2001 est.)
people living
with HIV/AIDS:
HIV/AIDS - less than 200 (2003 est.)
deaths:
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.)
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 republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little
type: power outside the executive branch
Capital: name: Astana
geographic coordinates: 51 10 N, 71 30 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington,
DC during Standard Time)
note: Kazakhstan is divided into three time zones
Administrative 14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities*
divisions: (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 Independence Day, 16 December (1991)
holiday:
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 chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
branch: (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); Deputy Prime Minister Karim
MASIMOV (since 19 January 2006)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the
president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a
seven-year term (no term limits); election last held 4
December 2005 (next to be held in 2012); prime minister
and first deputy prime minister appointed by the
president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected
president; percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
91.1%, Zharmakhan A. TUYAKBAI 6.6%, Alikhan M. BAIMENOV
1.6%
note: President NAZARBAYEV arranged a referendum in
1995 that extended his term of office and 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 bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats;
branch: 7 senators are appointed by the president; other
members are elected by local government bodies, 2 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 Mazhilis (77
seats; 10 out of the 77 Mazhilis members are elected
from the winning party's lists; members are popularly
elected to serve five-year terms)
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held December 2005;
next to be held in 2011; Mazhilis - last held 19
September and 3 October 2004 (next to be held in
September 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party -
NA; seats by party - NA; candidates nominated by local
councils; Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - Otan 42, AIST 11, ASAR (All Together)
4, Aq Zhol (Bright Path) 1, Democratic Party 1 (party
refused to take the seat due to criticism of the
election and seat remained unoccupied), independent 18;
note - most independent candidates are affiliated with
parastatal enterprises and other pro-government
institutions
Judicial Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7
branch: members)
Political Adilet (Justice) [Maksut NARIKBAYEV, co-chair, Zeynulla
parties and ALSHIMBAYEV, co-chair, Bakhytbek AKHMETZHAN, co-chair,
leaders: Yerkin ONGARBAYEV, co-chair, Tolegan SYDYKOV, co-chair]
(formerly Democratic Party of Kazakhstan); Aq Zhol
Party (Bright Path) [Alikhan BAIMENOV, chairman]; AUL
(Village) [Gani KALIYEV, chairman]; Communist Party of
Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first
secretary]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan
[Vladislav KOSAREV, first secretary]; Otan [Bakhytzhan
ZHUMAGULOV, acting chairman] (the Agrarian, Asar, and
Civic parties merged with Otan); Patriots' Party [Gani
KASYMOV, chairman]; Rukhaniyat (Spirituality)
[Altynshash ZHAGANOVA, chairwoman]
Political Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group
pressure [Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions
groups and [Sergei BELKIN]; For a Just Kazakhstan [Bolat ABILOV,
leaders: Altynbek SARSENBAYEV]; For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy
ZHOVTIS, Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash
NUSUPBAYEV]; 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 AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO,
organization ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO,
participation: Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
representation chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
in the US: telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
representation embassy: Ak Bulak 4, Str. 23-22, Building #3, Astana
from the US: 010010
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3172) 70-21-00
FAX: [7] (3172) 34-08-90
Flag sky blue background representing the endless sky and a
description: 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
Economy - Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics
overview: in territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous
fossil fuel reserves and 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 - 9%
or more per year in 2002-05 - 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 raised export capacity. Kazakhstan also
has begun work on an ambitious cooperative construction
effort with China to build an oil pipeline that will
extend from the country's Caspian coast eastward to the
Chinese border. The country has embarked upon an
industrial policy designed to diversify the economy
away from overdependence on the oil sector by
developing light industry. 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; tensions continue. Upward
pressure on the local currency continued in 2005 due to
massive oil-related foreign-exchange inflows.
GDP $125.3 billion (2005 est.)
(purchasing
power parity):
GDP (official $47.39 billion (2005 est.)
exchange
rate):
GDP - real 9.5% (2005 est.)
growth rate:
GDP - per $8,300 (2005 est.)
capita (PPP):
GDP - agriculture: 6.7%
composition by industry: 38.6%
sector: services: 54.7% (2005 est.)
Labor force: 7.85 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - agriculture: 20%
by occupation: industry: 30%
services: 50% (2002 est.)
Unemployment 8.1% (2005 est.)
rate:
Population 19% (2004 est.)
below poverty
line:
Household lowest 10%: 3.3%
income or highest 10%: 26.5% (2004 est.)
consumption by
percentage
share:
Distribution 31.5 (2003)
of family
income - Gini
index:
Inflation rate 7.6% (2005 est.)
(consumer
prices):
Investment 26.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
(gross fixed):
Budget: revenues: $12.19 billion
expenditures: $12.44 billion; including capital
expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Public debt: 10.5% of GDP (2005 est.)
Agriculture - grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock
products:
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 4.6% (2005 est.)
production
growth rate:
Electricity - 60.33 billion kWh (2003)
production:
Electricity - fossil fuel: 84.3%
production by hydro: 15.7%
source: nuclear: 0%
other: 0% (2001)
Electricity - 52.55 billion kWh (2003)
consumption:
Electricity - 6 billion kWh (2003)
exports:
Electricity - 2.45 billion kWh (2003)
imports:
Oil - 1.3 million bbl/day (2005 est.)
production:
Oil - 221,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
consumption:
Oil - exports: 890,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports: 47,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved 26 billion bbl (1 January 2004)
reserves:
Natural gas - 18.5 billion cu m (2004 est.)
production:
Natural gas - 15.2 billion cu m (2004 est.)
consumption:
Natural gas - 4.1 billion cu m (2004 est.)
exports:
Natural gas - NA cu m
imports:
Natural gas - 3 trillion cu m (1 January 2004)
proved
reserves:
Current $-485.7 million (2005 est.)
account
balance:
Exports: $30.09 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Exports - oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals
commodities: 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)
Exports - Bermuda 12.5%, Russia 11.1%, Germany 10.7%, China 10%,
partners: Italy 7.9%, France 7.7%, Romania 4.5%, US 4% (2005)
Imports: $17.51 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Imports - machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%,
commodities: foodstuffs 8% (2001)
Imports - Russia 35.9%, China 21.4%, Germany 7.1% (2005)
partners:
Reserves of $7.07 billion (2005 est.)
foreign
exchange and
gold:
Debt - $41.66 billion (2005 est.)
external:
Economic aid - $74.2 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000
recipient: (FY2004)
Currency tenge (KZT)
(code):
Currency code: KZT
Exchange tenge per US dollar - 132.88 (2005), 136.04 (2004),
rates: 149.58 (2003), 153.28 (2002), 146.74 (2001)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones - 2.5 million (2004)
main lines in
use:
Telephones - 4.955 million (2005)
mobile
cellular:
Telephone general assessment: service is poor; equipment
system: 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 AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Radios: 6.47 million (1997)
Television 12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)
broadcast
stations:
Televisions: 3.88 million (1997)
Internet .kz
country code:
Internet 21,187 (2006)
hosts:
Internet 10 (with their own international channels) (2001)
Service
Providers
(ISPs):
Internet 400,000 (2005)
users:
Transportation
Airports: 150 (2006)
Airports - total: 67
with paved over 3,047 m: 9
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 27
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Airports - total: 83
with unpaved over 3,047 m: 5
runways: 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 9
914 to 1,523 m: 10
under 914 m: 53 (2006)
Heliports: 4 (2006)
Pipelines: condensate 658 km; gas 11,019 km; oil 10,338 km;
refined products 1,095 km (2006)
Railways: total: 13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km
electrified) (2005)
Roadways: total: 258,029 km
paved: 247,347 km
unpaved: 10,682 km (2003)
Waterways: 4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) (80%) and Syr Darya
(Syrdariya) rivers) (2005)
Merchant total: 6 ships (1000 GRT or over) 27,173 GRT/43,475 DWT
marine: by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated
cargo 1
foreign-owned: 2 (Oman 2) (2006)
Ports and Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen
terminals: (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
Military
Military Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force,
branches: Republican Guard
Military 18 years of age for compulsory military service;
service age conscript service obligation - two years; minimum age
and for volunteers NA (2004)
obligation:
Manpower males age 18-49: 3,758,255
available for females age 18-49: 3,822,845 (2005 est.)
military
service:
Manpower fit males age 18-49: 2,473,529
for military females age 18-49: 3,168,048 (2005 est.)
service:
Manpower males age 18-49: 173,129
reaching females age 18-49: 168,697 (2005 est.)
military
service age
annually:
Military $221.8 million (Ministry of Defense expenditures)
expenditures - (FY02)
dollar figure:
Military 0.9% (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)
expenditures -
percent of
GDP:
Transnational
Issues
Disputes - in 2005, Kazakhstan agreed with Russia, Turkmenistan,
international: 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
Refugees and refugees (country of origin): 13,684 (Russia) (2005)
internally
displaced
persons:
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