2009 Edition

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. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states combined, largely due to the country's vast natural resources and a recent history of political stability. 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; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's competitiveness; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.

Area

total: 2,724,900 sq km country comparison to the world: 9 land: 2,699,700 sq km water: 25,200 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly less than four times the size of Texas

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)

Elevation extremes

lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

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 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

Environment - international 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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

total: 35 cu km/yr (2%/17%/82%) per capita: 2,360 cu m/yr (2000)

Geographic coordinates

48 00 N, 68 00 E

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

Irrigated land

35,560 sq km (2003)

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

Land use

arable land: 8.28% permanent crops: 0.05% other: 91.67% (2005)

Location

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

Map references

Asia

Maritime claims

none (landlocked)

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

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

Total renewable water resources

109.6 cu km (1997)

Age structure

0-14 years: 21.8% (male 1,717,469/female 1,643,920) 15-64 years: 70.2% (male 5,279,292/female 5,534,607) 65 years and over: 7.9% (male 426,494/female 797,655) (2009 est.)

Birth rate

16.6 births/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 127

Death rate

9.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 75

Education expenditures

2.3% of GDP (2005) country comparison to the world: 163

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)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate

0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119

HIV/AIDS - deaths

fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 93

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS

12,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 97

Infant mortality rate

total: 25.73 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 86 male: 30.15 deaths/1,000 live births female: 21.06 deaths/1,000 live births (2009 est.)

Languages

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

Life expectancy at birth

total population: 67.87 years country comparison to the world: 152 male: 62.58 years female: 73.47 years (2009 est.)

Literacy

definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.5% male: 99.8% female: 99.3% (1999 est.)

Median age

total: 29.6 years male: 28.1 years female: 31.3 years (2009 est.)

Nationality

noun: Kazakhstani(s) adjective: Kazakhstani

Net migration rate

-3.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 152

Population

15,399,437 (July 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 62

Population growth rate

0.392% (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 166

Religions

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

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

total: 15 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2007)

Sex ratio

at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2009 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.88 children born/woman (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 147

Urbanization

urban population: 58% of total population (2008) rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)

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 (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

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

Constitution

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

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

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

Diplomatic representation in the US

chief of mission: Ambassador Yerlan IDRISOV chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488

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) and Deputy Prime Ministers Yerbol ORYNBAYEV (since 29 October 2007) and Serik AKHMETOV (since 3 March 2009) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held 4 December 2005 (next to be held in 2012); prime minister and first deputy prime minister 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 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%

FAX

[1] (202) 232-5845 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles consulate(s): New York

[7] (7172) 34-08-90

Flag description

sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold

Government type

republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

Independence

16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

International organization participation

ADB, 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, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)

Judicial branch

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

Legal system

based on Islamic law and Roman law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

Legislative branch

bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47 seats; 15 members are appointed by the president; other members are 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 are 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 October 2008; next to be held in 2011; Mazhilis - last held 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 .8% Ruhaniyat .4%; seats by party - Nur-Otan 98; note - parties must achieve a threshold of 7% of the electorate to qualify for seats in the Mazhilis

National holiday

Independence Day, 16 December (1991)

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 BAIMENOV]; Alga [Vladimir KOZLOV] (unregistered); Auyl (Village) [Gani KALIYEV]; Azat Party (formerly True Ak Zhol Party) [Bolat ABILOV]; Communist Party of Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV]; National Social Democratic Party (NSDP)[Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]; Nur-Otan [Bakhytzhan ZHUMAGULOV] (the Agrarian, Asar, and Civic parties merged with Otan); Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV]; Rukhaniyat (Spirituality) [Altynshash ZHAGANOVA]

Political pressure groups and leaders

Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pan-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAI]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agriculture - products

grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock

Budget

revenues: $33.47 billion expenditures: $36.23 billion (2008 est.)

Central bank discount rate

10.5% (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 31 11% (31 December 2007)

Current account balance

$6.978 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 29 -$8.226 billion (2007 est.)

Debt - external

$107.8 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 35 $96.91 billion (31 December 2007)

Distribution of family income - Gini index

30.4 (2005) country comparison to the world: 112 31.5 (2003)

Economy - overview

Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics 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. Kazakhstan enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 and 8% or more per year in 2002-07 - thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to economic reform, good harvests, and increased foreign investment; growth slowed to 2.4% in 2008, however, as a result of declining oil prices and a softening world economy. Inflation reached 10% in 2007 and 17% in 2008. In the energy sector, the opening of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in 2001, from western Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised export capacity. In 2006, Kazakhstan completed the Atasu-Alashankou portion of an oil pipeline to China that is planned in future construction to 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 its manufacturing potential. The policy changed the corporate tax code to favor domestic industry as a means 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, most recently, with regard to the Kashagan project in 2007-08. Since 2007, Astana has provided financial support to the banking sector which has been struggling with poor asset quality and large foreign loans.

Electricity - consumption

64.69 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

Electricity - exports

3.617 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports

3.27 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production

72.41 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 37

Exchange rates

tenge (KZT) per US dollar - 120.25 (2008 est.), 122.55 (2007), 126.09 (2006), 132.88 (2005), 136.04 (2004)

Exports

$71.97 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 45 $48.35 billion (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities

oil and oil products 59%, ferrous metals 19%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)

Exports - partners

China 13.5%, Russia 12%, Germany 10.6%, Italy 6.9%, Romania 6.6%, France 5.7%, Ukraine 5.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2008)

GDP - composition by sector

agriculture: 5.3% industry: 40.9% services: 53.8% (2008 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP)

$11,500 (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 96 $11,300 (2007 est.) $10,400 (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

GDP - real growth rate

2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 145 8.5% (2007 est.) 10.6% (2006 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$135.6 billion (2008 est.)

GDP (purchasing power parity)

$176.2 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 57 $172.1 billion (2007 est.) $158.6 billion (2006 est.) note: data are in 2008 US dollars

Household income or consumption by percentage share

lowest 10%: 3.3% highest 10%: 26.5% (2004 est.)

Imports

$38.45 billion (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 56 $33.26 billion (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities

machinery and equipment, metal products, foodstuffs

Imports - partners

Russia 35.9%, China 24.3%, Germany 6%, Ukraine 4.5% (2008)

Industrial production growth rate

2.4% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 94

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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

17% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 199 10.8% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed)

27.8% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 33

Labor force

8.412 million (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

Labor force - by occupation

agriculture: 31.5% industry: 18.4% services: 50% (2006)

Market value of publicly traded shares

$31.08 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 60 $41.38 billion (31 December 2007) $43.69 billion (31 December 2006)

Natural gas - consumption

33.68 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 27

Natural gas - exports

9.221 billion cu m (2008) country comparison to the world: 21

Natural gas - imports

9.517 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 25

Natural gas - production

33.38 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 24

Natural gas - proved reserves

2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 13

Oil - consumption

239,000 bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 51

Oil - exports

1.313 million bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 19

Oil - imports

164,000 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 55

Oil - production

1.429 million bbl/day (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 20

Oil - proved reserves

30 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 11

Population below poverty line

13.8% (2007)

Public debt

8.6% of GDP (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 13.7% of GDP (2004 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

$19.87 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 52 $17.63 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad

$4.617 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 58 $3.97 billion (September 2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home

$55.63 billion (31 December 2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 50 $41.08 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Stock of domestic credit

$44.53 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 51 $43.75 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of money

$16.12 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 36 $12.74 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money

$35.76 billion (31 December 2008) country comparison to the world: 34 $25.75 billion (31 December 2007)

Unemployment rate

6.6% (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 83 7.3% (2007 est.)

Internet country code

.kz

Internet hosts

48,873 (2009) country comparison to the world: 84

Internet users

2.3 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 66

Radio broadcast stations

AM 60, FM 18, shortwave 9 (2008)

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 exceeds 20 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing rapidly 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)

Telephones - main lines in use

3.41 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 45

Telephones - mobile cellular

14.911 million (2008) country comparison to the world: 43

Television broadcast stations

12 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)

Airports

99 (2009) country comparison to the world: 61

Airports - with paved runways

total: 67 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 5 under 914 m: 9 (2009)

Airports - with 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 (2009)

Heliports

4 (2009)

Merchant marine

total: 5 country comparison to the world: 132 by type: petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1 (2008)

Pipelines

condensate 658 km; gas 11,146 km; oil 10,376 km; refined products 1,095 km; water 1,465 km (2008)

Ports and terminals

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

Railways

total: 13,700 km country comparison to the world: 19 broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2008)

Roadways

total: 91,563 km country comparison to the world: 53 paved: 83,717 km unpaved: 7,846 km (2006)

Waterways

4,000 km (on the Ertis ((Irtysh)) River (80%) and Syr Darya ((Syrdariya)) River) (2008) country comparison to the world: 26

Kazakh Armed Forces

Ground Forces, Navy, Air Mobile Forces, Air Defense Forces (2009)

Manpower available for military service

males age 16-49: 4,176,731 females age 16-49: 4,219,636 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service

males age 16-49: 2,888,931 females age 16-49: 3,550,014 (2009 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually

male: 139,262 female: 133,047 (2009 est.)

Military expenditures

0.9% of GDP (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02) country comparison to the world: 145

Military service age and obligation

18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteers NA (2004)

Disputes - international

Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstan; field demarcation of the boundaries with Turkmenistan commenced in 2005, and with Uzbekistan in 2004; demarcation is scheduled to get underway with Russia in 2007; demarcation with China was completed in 2002; creation of a seabed boundary with Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea remains under discussion; 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; significant consumer of opiates page last updated on November 11, 2009

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin): 3,700 (Russia); 508 (Afghanistan) (2007)