2003 Edition

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)

Age structure

0-14 years: 25.4% (male 2,161,510; female 2,089,780) 15-64 years: 66.8% (male 5,425,545; female 5,769,457) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 458,379; female 859,124) (2003 est.)

Agriculture - products

grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock

Airports

488 (2002)

Airports - with paved runways

over 3,047 m

7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 4

total

60

under 914 m

9 (2002)

Airports - with unpaved runways

over 3,047 m

11 2,438 to 3,047 m: 19 1,524 to 2,437 m: 44 914 to 1,523 m: 103

total

428

under 914 m

251 (2002) Military Kazakhstan

Area

land

2,669,800 sq km

total

2,717,300 sq km

water

47,500 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than four times the size of Texas

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

Birth rate

18.36 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$5.1 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2001 est.)

revenues

$4.2 billion

Capital

Astana; note - the government moved from Almaty to Astana in December 1998

Climate

continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

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)

Constitution

adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Kazakhstan

conventional short form

Kazakhstan

former

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

local long form

Qazaqstan Respublikasy

local short form

none

Currency

tenge (KZT)

Currency code

KZT

Death rate

10.78 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Debt - external

$6.6 billion (2002 est.)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER

embassy

99/97A Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan 480091

mailing address

use embassy street address

telephone

[7] (3272) 63-39-21, 63-13-75, 50-76-23, 50-76-27 (emergency number)

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV

Disputes - international

Kazakhstan and China have resolved their border dispute and are working to delimit their large open borders to control population migration, illegal activities, and trade; delimitation of boundary with Russia is scheduled for completion in 2003 - delimitations with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are complete with demarcations underway - delimitation with Kyrgyzstan is largely complete; equidistant seabed treaties have been signed 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; no resolution of Caspian seabed boundary with Turkmenistan

Distribution of family income - Gini index

35.4 (1996)

Economic aid - recipient

$610 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000

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 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. 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.

Electricity - consumption

48.36 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - exports

3.6 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - imports

3.2 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production

52.43 billion kWh (2001)

Electricity - production by source

fossil fuel

84.3%

hydro

15.7%

nuclear

0%

other

0% (2001)

Elevation extremes

highest point

Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

lowest point

Vpadina Kaundy -132 m

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 agreements

party to

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution

signed, but not ratified

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

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)

Exchange rates

tenge per US dollar - 153.28 (2002), 146.74 (2001), 142.13 (2000), 119.52 (1999), 78.3 (1998)

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

chief of state

President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December 1991)

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

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%

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

head of government

Prime Minister Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June 2003)

note

President NAZARBAYEV expanded his presidential powers by

Exports

$10.3 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)

Exports - partners

Russia 16.2%, Bermuda 12.1%, China 11.3%, Germany 8.8%, Italy 5.5%, Ukraine 4.9%, France 4% (2002)

FAX

[1] (202) 232-5845

[7] (3272) 63-38-83

chancery

1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

consulate(s)

New York

telephone

[1] (202) 232-5488

Fiscal year

calendar year Communications Kazakhstan

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

GDP

purchasing power parity - $120 billion (2002 est.)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture

9%

industry

40%

services

51% (2002 est.)

GDP - per capita

purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2002 est.)

GDP - real growth rate

9.5% (2002 est.)

Geographic coordinates

48 00 N, 68 00 E

Geography - note

landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome People Kazakhstan

Government type

republic

Highways

paved

77,020 km

total

81,331 km

unpaved

4,311 km (2000)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths

less than 300 (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

6,000 (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

27.3% (2001)

lowest 10%

2.8%

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 18 December, 2003

Imports

$9.6 billion f.o.b. (2002 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8% (2001)

Imports - partners

Russia 37.1%, US 9.3%, China 9.3%, Germany 9.1% (2002)

Independence

16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Industrial production growth rate

10% (2002 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

Infant mortality rate

female

53.83 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)

male

63.41 deaths/1,000 live births

total

58.73 deaths/1,000 live births

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

6% (2002 est.)

International organization participation

AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (observer)

Internet country code

.kz

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

10 (with their own international channels) (2001)

Internet users

100,000 (2002) Transportation Kazakhstan

Irrigated land

23,320 sq km (1998 est.)

Judicial branch

Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)

Labor force

8.4 million (1999)

Labor force - by occupation

industry 30%, agriculture 20%, services 50% (2002 est.)

Land boundaries

border countries

China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

total

12,012 km

Land use

arable land

11.23%

other

88.72% (1998 est.)

permanent crops

0.05%

Languages

Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)

Legal system

based on civil law system

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)

Life expectancy at birth

female

69.06 years (2003 est.)

male

58.16 years

total population

63.48 years

Literacy

definition

age 15 and over can read and write

female

97.7% (1999 est.) Government Kazakhstan

male

99.1%

total population

98.4%

Location

Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

Median age

female

29.7 years (2002)

male

26.6 years

total

28.2 years

Merchant marine

convenience

US 1 (2002 est.)

note

includes a foreign-owned ship registered here as a flag of

ships by type

roll on/roll off 1

total

1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,064 GRT/646 DWT

Military branches

Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force, Border Service, Republican Guard

Military expenditures - dollar figure

$221.8 million (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP

0.9% (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02) Transnational Issues Kazakhstan

Military manpower - availability

males age 15-49

4,580,754 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service

males age 15-49

3,658,815 (2003 est.)

Military manpower - military age

18 years of age (2003 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually

males

174,111 (2003 est.)

National holiday

Republic Day, 25 October (1990)

Nationality

adjective

Kazakhstani

noun

Kazakhstani(s)

Natural gas - consumption

14.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - exports

4.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - imports

8.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - production

10.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)

Natural gas - proved reserves

920.3 billion cu m (37257)

Natural hazards

earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty

Natural resources

major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Net migration rate

-5.89 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)

Oil - consumption

195,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - exports

NA (2001)

Oil - imports

NA (2001)

Oil - production

798,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)

Oil - proved reserves

2.709 billion bbl (37257)

Pipelines

condensate 640 km; gas 10,527 km; oil 9,771 km; refined products 1,187 km; water 1,465 km (2003)

Political parties and leaders

Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV]; Ak Zhol Party "White Road" [Bulat ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV, Zhanat YERTLESOVA, cofounders]; AUL "Village" [leader NA]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV, first secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first secretary]; Otan "Fatherland" [Gani YESIMOV, chairman]; Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV]

note

only seven parties in Kazakhstan have been registered under the new political party law passed in July 2002

Political pressure groups and leaders

Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Alash [Sabet-Kazy AKATAY]; AZAMAT "Citizen" Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSEITOV, cochairmen]; Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan [Galymzhan ZHAKIYANOV, Nurzhan SUBKHANBERDIN, cochairmen]; Labor and Worker's Movement [Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Orleu "Development" Movement [Seidakhmet KUTTYKADAM]; 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]

Population

16,763,795 (July 2003 est.)

Population below poverty line

26% (2001 est.)

Population growth rate

0.17% (2003 est.)

Ports and harbors

Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Radio broadcast stations

AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)

Radios

6.47 million (1997)

Railways

broad gauge

13,601 km 1.520-m gauge (3,661 km electrified) (2002)

total

13,601 km

Religions

Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

Sex ratio

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.92 male(s)/female (2003 est.)

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

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Telephone system

domestic

intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; mobile cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan

general assessment

service is poor; equipment antiquated

international

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

Telephones - main lines in use

1.92 million (2001)

Telephones - mobile cellular

400,000 (2001)

Television broadcast stations

12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)

Televisions

3.88 million (1997)

Terrain

extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia

Total fertility rate

2.16 children born/woman (2003 est.)

Unemployment rate

8.8% (2002 est.)

Waterways

3,900 km

note

on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers