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Ka·zakh·stan (kä'zäk-stän', kə-zäk'-) pronunciation (Formerly also Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic)
A country of west-central Asia south of Russia and northeast of the Caspian Sea. The original Turkic inhabitants were overrun by the Mongols in the 13th century and ruled by various khanates until the Russian conquest of 1730 to 1853. The region became an autonomous republic of the USSR in 1920 and was a constituent republic from 1936 to 1991, when it gained its independence. Astana is the capital and Almaty the largest city. Population: 15,100,000.
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Kazakhstan
Country, Central Asia. Area: 1,052,090 sq mi (2,724,900 sq km). Population (2005 est.): 15,186,000. Capital: Astana. Kazakhs, a Turkic-speaking people who are the region's original inhabitants, make up more than half of the population; Russians constitute nearly one-third, as do small minorities of Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, and others. Languages: Kazakh (official), Russian. Religions: Islam (mostly Sunni), Christianity. Currency: tenge. From the steppe and desert lands of western and central Kazakhstan, the terrain rises to high mountains in the southeast along the border with Kyrgyzstan and China. Its highest point is Mount Khan-Tengri, 22,949 ft (6,995 m) high. The country is intensively developed agriculturally, but much of the land area is used for pasture, with sheep and goats as the main livestock. Manufacturing includes cast iron and rolled steel; mining and oil drilling are also important. Kazakhstan is a republic with a parliament consisting of two chambers; its head of state and government is the president, assisted by the prime minister. The area came under Mongol rule in the 13th century. The Kazakhs consolidated a nomadic empire in the 15th–16th century. Under Russian rule by the mid-19th century, it became part of the Kirgiz Autonomous Republic formed by the Soviets in 1920, and in 1925 its name was changed to the Kazakh Autonomous S.S.R. Kazakhstan obtained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. After several years of economic troubles, it began a period of sustained growth.
For more information on Kazakhstan, visit Britannica.com.
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Kazakhstan or Kazakstan (kä'zäkstän') , officially Republic of Kazakhstan, republic (2005 est. pop. 15,186,000), c.1,050,000 sq mi (2,719,500 sq km), central Asia. It borders on Siberian Russia in the north, China in the east, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan in the south, and the Caspian Sea and European Russia in the west. Astana is the capital and Almaty (Alma-Ata) is the largest city. Other major cities include Shymkent, Semey, Aqtöbe, and Öskemen.
Land and People
Kazakhstan consists of a vast flatland, bordered by a high mountain belt in the southeast. It extends nearly 2,000 mi (3,200 km) from the lower Volga and the Caspian Sea in the west to the Altai Mts. in the east. It is largely lowland in the north and west (W Siberian, Caspian, and Turan lowlands), hilly in the center (Kazakh Hills), and mountainous in the south and east (Tian Shan and Altai ranges). Kazakhstan is a region of inland drainage; the Syr Darya, the Ili, the Chu, and other rivers drain into the Aral Sea and Lake Balkash. Most of the region is desert or has limited and irregular rainfall.
The population of Kazakhstan consists mainly of Muslim Kazakhs (more than 45% of the population) and Russians (some 35%, many of whom belong to the Russian Orthodox Church); there are smaller minorities of Ukrainians, Germans, Uzbeks, and Tatars. Kazakh, a Turkic language, is the official tongue, but Russian is still widely used. There is considerable friction between the now dominant Kazakhs and the formerly favored ethnic Russians, who continue to emigrate in large numbers. Almaty is the site of Kazakhstan Univ. (founded 1934) and the Kazakh Academy of Sciences (founded 1946).
Economy
Despite Kazakhstan's largely arid conditions, its vast steppes accommodate both livestock and grain production. In the 1950s, the Virgin Lands Program under Khrushchev brought hundreds of thousands of Russian, Ukrainian, and German settlers to the area. Wheat, cotton, sugar beets, and tobacco are the main crops. The raising of cattle and sheep is also important, and Kazakhstan produces much wool and meat. In addition, there are rich fishing grounds, famous for their caviar-producing sturgeon, in the N Caspian, although these have been hurt by overfishing.
The Kazakh Hills in the core of the region have important mineral resources. Coal is mined at Qaraghandy and Ekibastuz, and there are major oil fields in the Emba basin (which includes the important Tengiz fields), in the Mangyshlak Peninsula, and at Karachaganak (near the Russian border NE of Aksai). Kashagan, a field S of Atyrau in the NE Caspian Sea, appears to have great potential. A pipeline was built in the 1990s to connect the nation's oil fields to the Black Sea. Kazakhstan also has large deposits of natural gas, iron ore, manganese, chrome, lead, zinc, silver, copper, nickel, titanium, bauxite, and gold. The Irtysh River hydroelectric stations are a major source of power.
The country's industries are located along the margins of the country. Steel, agricultural and mining machinery, superphosphate fertilizers, phosphorus acids, artificial fibers, synthetic rubber, textiles, and medicines are among the manufactured goods. Temirtau is the iron and steel center. Semey was the Soviet center of space-related industries, and the surrounding region was the site of Soviet nuclear testing; radiation pollution is widespread in the area, which experienced a severe economic downturn following the end of nuclear testing in 1991. The Baikonur (Bayqongyr) Cosmodrome in central Kazakhstan was the Soviet space-operations center and continues to serve Russian space exploration through an agreement between the two nations. The main trading partners are Russia, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.
Government
Under the constitution of 1995, Kazakhstan is headed by a strong executive president, who is elected by popular vote. There is a bicameral parliament, most of whose members are elected, but its powers are limited. The country is divided into 14 administrative units, or oblasts.
History
The original nomadic Turkic tribes inhabiting the region had a culture that featured the Central Asian epics, ritual songs, and legends. These Kazakh groups were conquered by the Mongols in the 13th cent. and ruled by various khanates until the Russian conquest (1730–1840). The 19th cent. saw the growth of the Kazakh intelligentsia. A written literature strongly influenced by Russian culture was then developed.
In 1916 the Kazakhs rebelled against Russian domination and were in the process of establishing a Western-style state at the time of the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, but by 1920 the region was under the control of the Red Army. Organized as the Kirghiz Autonomous SSR in 1920, it was renamed the Kazakh Autonomous SSR in 1925 and became a constituent republic in 1936. During the Stalin era, collectivization was instituted and millions of Kazakhs were forced to resettle in the region's south in order to strengthen Russian rule. In the early 1960s parts of republic saw extensive agricultural development as the Virgin Lands Territory.
Kazakhstan declared its independence from the Soviet Union on Dec. 16, 1991, and the new nation became a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. Nursultan Nazarbayev became the country's first president and soon began a gradual movement toward privatization of the economy. In 1994, Kazakhstan signed a series of security agreements with the United States, in which the latter would take control of enriched uranium usable for nuclear weapons and aid Kazakhstan in removing extant nuclear weapons, closing missile silos, converting biological-weapons-production centers, and destroying its nuclear test ranges. These projects were financed by the United States, and many had been completed by late 1999.
Elections in 1994 gave a parliamentary majority to allies of Nazarbayev, but they resisted his reform plans. In Apr., 1995, after the 1994 election results were dismissed as invalid by the constitutional court, he suspended parliament and ruled by decree. New elections in Dec., 1995, gave his allies a majority in parliament but were criticized by the opposition and others as flawed. On the basis of referendums held in 1995 and 1996 that were denounced by the opposition, Nazarbayev's term in office was extended to the year 2000 and his powers were increased. In an election rescheduled to Jan., 1999, Nazarbayev was reelected after disqualifying the major opposition candidate. Later the same year, the governing party and its allies won a majority in parliament.
Kazakhstan, along with Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, signed an economic cooperation pact with Russia in 1996. In 1997 the capital was moved from Almaty to the more centrally located Astana (formerly Aqmola). In 1999, as Kazakhstan's economy worsened, the government agreed to sell some of its stake in the vast Tengiz oil field. In Sept., 2003, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine signed an agreement to create a common economic space. Parliamentary elections in 2004 were criticized by foreign observers as biased toward the government, and the main moderate opposition party accused the government of tampering with the vote. Following the collapse of the government in neighboring Kyrgyzstan in 2005, the parliament passed a series of repressive measures intended to prevent a similar popular revolt in Kazakhstan. Nazarbayev was reelected in Dec., 2005, but the campaign and balloting was called undemocratic by European observers.
The killing of a leading opposition figure in February (the second such killing since Nov., 2005) provoked an outcry from opposition politicians and media. The government announced that a senior senate adminstrative official had confessed to ordering the February murder, and that members of a special forces unit had been arrested for carrying it out. Both murdered men were former government officials who had accused the president's family of corruption, and many opponents of the government believed that the accused senate official was a scapegoat.
Bibliography
See S. Akiner, The Islamic Peoples of the Soviet Union (1986); M. B. Olcott, The Kazakhs (1987).
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The international dialing code for Kazakhstan is: 7
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Local Time: Nov 3, 11:19 AM
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Local Time: Nov 3, 12:19 PM
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Kazakhstan (kah-zahk-stahn)
Republic in west-central Asia, bordered on the northwest and north by Russia, on the east by China, on the south by Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, and on the west by the Caspian Sea. Its capital and largest city is Alma-Ata.
* This former member of the Soviet Union declared its independence in 1990. It possesses valuable oil reserves.
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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 coordinates:48 00 N, 68 00 E
Map references:Asia
Area:total: 2,717,300 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
water: 47,500 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: 7.98%
permanent crops: 0.05%
other: 91.97% (2001)
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 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 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, Hazardous Wastes, 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; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050
People
Population:15,185,844 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure:0-14 years: 23.7% (male 1,834,535/female 1,758,988)
15-64 years: 68.4% (male 5,075,243/female 5,312,536)
65 years and over: 7.9% (male 424,341/female 780,201) (2005 est.)
Median age:total: 28.52 years
male: 26.92 years
female: 30.25 years (2005 est.)
Population growth rate:0.3% (2005 est.)
Birth rate:15.78 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate:9.46 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate:-3.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
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: 0.54 male(s)/female
total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2005 est.)
Infant mortality rate:total: 29.21 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 33.85 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 24.3 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:total population: 66.55 years
male: 61.21 years
female: 72.2 years (2005 est.)
Total fertility rate:1.89 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:0.2% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:16,500 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths:less than 200 (2003 est.)
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: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type:republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
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 (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: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 Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June 2003); First Deputy Prime Minister Akhmetzhan YESIMOV (since 14 May 2004)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
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
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 arranged a referendum in 1995 that 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 branch:bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 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; note - formerly composed of 47 seats) 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)
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 17 September 1999 (next to be held December 2005); Majilis - last held 19 September and 3 October 2004 (next to be held September 2009)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - NA; candidates nominated by local councils; Majilis - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Otan 42, AIST 11, ASAR (All Together) 4, Ak Zhol (Bright Path) 1, Democratic Party 1, independent 18; note - most independent candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises and other pro-government institutions
Judicial branch:Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)
Political parties and leaders:Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV]; AIST (Agrarian Party-Civic Party Bloc) [leader NA]; Ak Zhol Party "Bright Path" [Bulat ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV, Lyudmila ZHULANOVA, Alikhan BAYMENOV, Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, co-chairs]; ASAR "All Together" [Dariga NAZARBAYEVA, chairwoman]; AUL "Village" [Gani KALIYEV]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV, first secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first secretary]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV]; Democratic Choice Party of Kazakhstan [Galiymzhan ZHAKIYANOV]; Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Maksut NARIKBAEV]; Otan "Fatherland" [Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, chairman]; Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV]; Rukhaniyat [Altynshash JAGANOVA]
note: twelve parties in Kazakhstan were registered for the elections in the fall of 2004
Political pressure groups and leaders:Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; 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 organization participation:AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, 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 representation in the US:chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
embassy: 99/97A Fumanova, Samal-2, Almaty, 480099
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 50-48-02
FAX: [7] (3272) 50-48-84
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
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 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 - and a solid 9.5% in 2002 - thanks largely to its booming energy sector, but also to economic reform, good harvests, and foreign investment. Growth remained at the high 9% level in 2003 and 2004. 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.
GDP:purchasing power parity - $118.4 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:9.1% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita:purchasing power parity - $7,800 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:agriculture: 7.4%
industry: 37.8%
services: 54.8% (2004 est.)
Labor force:7.95 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation:agriculture 20%, industry 30%, services 50% (2002 est.)
Unemployment rate:8% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line:19% (2004 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:lowest 10%: 3.3%
highest 10%: 26.5% (2004 est.)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:31.5 (2003)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):6.9% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed):23.9% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget:revenues: $8.67 billion
expenditures: $8.968 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Public debt:13.7% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products:grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock
Industries:oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate:10.6% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production:66.82 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - consumption:62.21 billion kWh (203)
Electricity - exports:4.975 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports:2.506 billion kWh (2003)
Oil - production:1.2 million bbl/day (2004 est.)
Oil - consumption:189,400 bbl/day (2003 est.)
Oil - exports:890,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - imports:47,000 bbl/day (2003)
Oil - proved reserves:26 billion bbl (1 January 2004)
Natural gas - production:11.6 billion cu m (2004 est.)
Natural gas - consumption:14.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports:11.01 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - imports:8.696 billion cu m (2003 est.)
Natural gas - proved reserves:1.8 trillion cu m (1 January 2004)
Current account balance:$-39.02 million (2004 est.)
Exports:$18.47 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities:oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)
Exports - partners:Russia 13.5%, Bermuda 13.4%, China 10.4%, Germany 9.2%, Switzerland 9.1%, France 6.7% (2004)
Imports:$13.07 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities:machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8% (2001)
Imports - partners:Russia 33.9%, China 13.6%, Germany 9.6%, France 6.8% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:$14.35 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external:$26.03 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient:$74.2 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000 (FY2004)
Currency (code):tenge (KZT)
Exchange rates:tenge per US dollar - 136.04 (2004), 149.58 (2003), 153.28 (2002), 146.74 (2001), 142.13 (2000)
Fiscal year:calendar year
Communications
Telephones - main lines in use:2,081,900 (2002)
Telephones - mobile cellular:1.027 million (2002)
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: 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 broadcast stations:AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)
Television broadcast stations:12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)
Internet country code:.kz
Internet hosts:21,984 (2004)
Internet users:250,000 (2002)
Transportation
Railways:total: 13,700 km
broad gauge: 13,700 km 1.520-m gauge (3,700 km electrified) (2004)
Highways:total: 82,980 km
paved: 77,918 km
unpaved: 5,062 km (2002)
Waterways:4,000 km
note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers (2004)
Pipelines:condensate 18 km; gas 10,370 km; oil 10,158 km; refined products 1,187 km (2004)
Ports and harbors:Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
Merchant marine:total: 3 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,064 GRT/646 DWT
by type: cargo 2, refrigerated cargo 1
foreign-owned: 2 (United Kingdom 2) (2005)
Airports:314 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:total: 67
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 26
1,524 to 2,437 m: 17
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 11 (2004 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:total: 247
over 3,047 m: 6
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 11
914 to 1,523 m: 27
under 914 m: 197 (2004 est.)
Heliports:1 (2004 est.)
Military
Military branches:Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force, Republican Guard
Military manpower - military age and obligation:18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteers NA (2004)
Military manpower - availability:males age 18-49: 3,758,255 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:males age 18-49: 2,473,529 (2005 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:males: 173,129 (2005 est.)
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
Disputes - international:in 2005, Kazakhstan agreed with Russia, Turkmenistan, 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
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
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Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.
The noun Kazakhstan has one meaning:
Meaning #1: a landlocked republic south of Russia and 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
Synonyms: Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakstan, Kazakh, Kazak
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Kazakhstan
Қазақстан Республикасы
Qazaqstan Respublïkası
Республика Казахстан
Respublika Kazakhstan
Republic of Kazakhstan
Flag of Kazakhstan Coat of arms of Kazakhstan
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: none
Anthem: My Kazakhstan
Location of Kazakhstan
Capital Astana
51°10′N 71°30′E
Largest city Almaty
Official language(s) Kazakh (state language), Russian
Government Republic
- President Nursultan Nazarbayev
- Prime Minister Daniyal Akhmetov
Independence From the Soviet Union
- Declared December 16, 1991
- Finalized December 25, 1991
Area
- Total 2,724,900 km² (9th)
(1,052,085 sq mi)
- Water (%) 1.7%
Population
- 2006 est. 15,300,000 (62nd)
- Density 5.4/km² (215th)
(14.0/sq mi)
GDP (PPP) 2005 estimate
- Total $125.5 billion (56th)
- Per capita $8,318 (70th)
HDI (2003) 0.761 (80th) – medium
Currency Tenge (KZT)
Time zone (UTC+5 to +6)
- Summer (DST) (UTC+5 to +6)
Internet TLD .kz
Calling code +7
Kazakhstan, also spelled Kazakstan, (Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, IPA [qɑzɑqˈstɑn]; Russian: Казахстан, Kazakhstán, IPA [kəzʌxˈstan]), officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of northern and central Eurasia. A portion of its territory west of the Ural River is located in eastern-most Europe. It has borders with Russia, the People's Republic of China, and the Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and has a coastline on the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan was a republic of the former Soviet Union and is now a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States. It is the ninth-largest country in the world by area, but its semi-deserts (steppe) make it only the 62nd country in population, with approximately 6 persons per km² (15 per sq. mi.). Population in 2006 is estimated at 15,300,000, down from 16,464,464 in 1989 [1]. The name Kazakhstan is derived from Persian, meaning "land of the Kazakhs". Nursultan Nazarbayev is currently the president of Kazakhstan.
History
Main article: History of Kazakhstan
Humans have inhabited what is now known as Kazakhstan since the earliest Stone Age, generally pursuing the nomadic movement pastoralism for which the region's climate and terrain are best suited. In fact, historians believe the vast steppes of modern day Kazakhstan were where humans first domesticated the horse. From the 4th century through the beginning of the 7th century, southern parts of the territory of what is now Kazakhstan were a part of and ruled by the Persian Empire, and after the invasion of Persia by Arabs, ruled by a few nomadic kingdoms[2]. Following the Mongolian invasion in the early 13th century, administrative districts were established under the Mongol Empire, which eventually became the territories of the Kazakh Khanate (Ak Horde). The major medieval cities of Aulie-Ata and Turkestan were founded along the northern route of the Great Silk Road during this period.
Traditional nomadic life on the vast steppe and semi-desert lands was characterized by a constant search for new pasture to support the livestock-based economy. The Kazakhs emerged from a mixture of tribes living in the region in about the 15th century and by the middle of the 16th century had developed a common language, culture, and economy. In the early 1600s, the Kazakh Khanate separated into the Great, Middle and Little (or Small) Hordes (jüz)—confederations based on extended family networks. Political disunion, competition among the hordes, and a lack of an internal market weakened the Kazakh Khanate. The beginning of the 18th century marked the zenith of the Kazakh Khanate. The area was a bone of contention between the Kazak emirs and the Persian Kings for many centuries.
In the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to expand, and spread into Central Asia. The "Great Game" period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the Anglo-Russian Convention of 1907. Following the Bolshevik Revolution of 1917 a second less intensive phase followed. The tsars effectively ruled over most of the territory belonging to what is now the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The Russian Empire introduced a system of administration and built military garrisons and barracks in its effort to establish a presence in Central Asia in the so-called "Great Game" between it and the United Kingdom. Russia enforced the Russian language in all schools and governmental organizations. Russian efforts to impose its system aroused the resentment of the Kazakh people, and by the 1860s, most Kazakhs resisted Russia's annexation largely because of the disruption it wrought upon the traditional nomadic lifestyle and livestock-based economy. The Kazakh national movement, which began in the late 1800s, sought to preserve the Kazakh language and identity. From the 1890s onwards ever-larger numbers of Slavic settlers began colonising the territory of present-day Kazakhstan, in particular the province of Semirechie. The number of settlers rose still further once the Trans-Aral Railway from Orenburg to Tashkent was completed in 1906, and the movement was overseen and encouraged by a specially created Migration Department (Переселенческое Управление) in St. Petersburg. The competition for land and water which ensued between the Kazakhs and the incomers caused great resentment against colonial rule during the final years of tsarist Russia, with the most serious uprising, the Central Asian Revolt, occurring in 1916.
Although there was a brief period of autonomy during the tumultuous period following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Kazakhs eventually succumbed to Soviet rule. In 1920, the area of present-day Kazakhstan became an autonomous republic within Russia and, in 1936, a Soviet republic.
Soviet repression of the traditional elites, along with forced collectivization in late 1920s-1930s, brought about mass hunger and led to unrest. Soviet rule, however, took hold, and a communist apparatus steadily worked to fully integrate Kazakhstan into the Soviet system. Kazakhstan experienced population inflows of thousands exiled from other parts of the Soviet Union during the 1930s and later became home for hundreds of thousands evacuated from the Second World War battlefields. The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) contributed five national divisions to the Soviet Union's World War II effort.
The period of World War II marked an increase in industrialization and increased mineral extraction in support of the war effort. At the time of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's death, however, Kazakhstan still had an overwhelmingly agricultural-based economy. In 1953, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev initiated the ambitious "Virgin Lands" program to turn the traditional pasturelands of Kazakhstan into a major grain-producing region for the Soviet Union. The Virgin Lands policy, along with later modernizations under Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev, sped up the development of the agricultural sector, which to this day remains the source of livelihood for a large percentage of Kazakhstan's population.
Growing tensions within Soviet society led to a demand for political and economic reforms, which came to a head in the 1980s. In December 1986, mass demonstrations by young ethnic Kazakhs took place in Almaty to protest the methods of the communist system. Soviet troops suppressed the unrest, and dozens of demonstrators were jailed or killed. In the waning days of Soviet rule, discontent continued to grow and find expression under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost. Caught up in the groundswell of Soviet republics seeking greater autonomy, Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty as a republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in October 1990. Following the August 1991 abortive coup attempt in Moscow and the subsequent dissolution of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared independence on December 16, 1991.
The years following independence have been marked by significant reforms to the Soviet command-economy and political monopoly on power. Under Nursultan Nazarbayev, who initially came to power in 1989 as the head of the Kazakh Communist Party and was eventually elected President in 1991, Kazakhstan has made significant progress toward developing a market economy and a fledgling democracy. The country has enjoyed significant economic growth since 2000, partly due to its large oil, gas, and mineral reserves.
Politics
Main articles on politics and government of Kazakhstan can be found at the Politics and government of Kazakhstan series.
Nursultan Nazarbayev
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Nursultan Nazarbayev
Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic with a strong presidency. The president is the head of state. The president also is the commander in chief of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by the Parliament. President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has been in office since Kazakhstan became independent, won a new 7-year term in the 1999 election that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. The prime minister, who serves at the pleasure of the president, chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in the Cabinet. Daniyal K. Akhmetov became the Prime Minister in June 2003.
Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament, comprised of the lower house (the Majilis) and upper house (the Senate). Single mandate districts popularly elect 67 seats in the Majilis; there also are 10 members elected by party-list vote rather than by single mandate districts. The Senate has 39 members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies (Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan's 16 principal administrative divisions (14 regions, or oblasts, plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The president appoints the remaining seven senators. Majilis deputies and the government both have the right of legislative initiative, though the government proposes most legislation considered by the Parliament.
Elections to the Majilis in September 2004 yielded a lower house dominated by the pro-government Otan party, headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other parties considered sympathetic to the president, including the agrarian-industrial bloc AIST and the Asar party, founded by President Nazarbayev’s daughter, won most of the remaining seats. Opposition parties, which were officially registered and competed in the elections, won a single seat during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards.
In 1999, Kazakhstan applied for observer status at the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly. The official response of the Assembly was that Kazakhstan could apply for full membership, because it is partially located in Europe, but that they would not be granted any status whatsoever at the Council until their democracy and human rights records improved.
On December 4, 2005, Nursultan Nazarbayev was reelected in a land-slide victory. The electoral commission announced that he had won over 90 % of the vote. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concluded the election did not meet international standards despite some improvements in the administration of the election. Xinhua News Agency reported that Chinese observers, responsible in overseeing 25 polling stations in Astana, found that voting in those polls was conducted in a "transparent and fair" manner. [3] Furthermore, Western governments were muted in their criticism of the election.
Kazakh Intelligence Services
Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) was established on 13 June 1992. It includes the Service of Internal Security, Military Counterintelligence, Border Guard, several Commandos units, and Foreign Intelligence (Barlau). The latter is considered by many as the most important part of KNB. Its director is Major General Omirtai Bitimov.
Administrative Divisions
Kazakhstan is divided into 14 provinces (oblys) and three municipal districts (qala)*:
Taldy-Korgan, Almaty*, Aqmola (Astana), Aqtöbe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau; formerly Shevchenko), Ongtustik Qazaqstan (Shymkent), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik Qazaqstan (Petropavl), Zhambyl (Taraz; known as Dzhambul in the Soviet period, but before that as Aulie-Ata)
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 square kilometres (2,300 sq. mi); enclosing the Bayqongyr (Baykonur) space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (formerly Leninsk). Just recently, the lease of Bayqongyr facilities was extended through 2050.
Each is headed by an Akim (provincial governor) appointed by the president. Municipal Akims are appointed by oblast Akims. The Government of Kazakhstan transferred its capital from Almaty to Astana on December 10, 1997.
Geography
Main article: Geography of Kazakhstan, List of cities in Kazakhstan
Map of Kazakhstan
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Map of Kazakhstan
With an area of 2.7 million square kilometers (1.05 million sq. mi), Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest nation in the world. It is equivalent to the size of Western Europe. It shares borders of 6,846 kilometers (4,254 mi) with Russia, 2,203 kilometers (1,369 mi) with Uzbekistan, 1,533 kilometers (953 mi) with China, 1,051 kilometers (653 mi) with Kyrgyzstan, and 379 kilometers (235 mi) with Turkmenistan. Major cities include Astana (capital since December 1997), Almaty (the former capital), Karaganda, Shymkent (Chimkent), Semey (Semipalatinsk) and Turkestan.
Syrdrya river in Kyzylorda province
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Syrdrya river in Kyzylorda province
The terrain extends west to east from the Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains and north to south from the plains of Western Siberia to the oasis and desert of Central Asia. The Kazakh Steppe, with an area of around 804,500 square kilometres (310,600 sq. mi), occupies one-third of the country and is the world's largest dry steppe region. The steppe is characterized by large areas of grasslands and sandy regions. Important rivers and lakes include: the Aral Sea, Ili River, Irtysh River, Ishim River, Ural River, Lake Balkhash, and Lake Zaysan
The climate is continental, with hot summers and colder winters. Precipitation varies between arid and semi-arid conditions.
Economy
Main article: Economy of Kazakhstan
Main square in the new capital of Astana (built in 1998)
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Main square in the new capital of Astana (built in 1998)
The government of Kazakhstan plans to double its Gross domestic product (GDP) by 2008 and triple by 2015 compared to 2000. The GDP growth was stable in the last five years, and was higher than 9%. Analysts estimate a 9.3% growth rate for 2005. The GDP growth in 2004 was 9.4%. Kazakhstan's economy grew by 9.2% in 2003, buoyed by high world crude oil prices. GDP grew 9.5% in 2002; it grew 13.2% in 2001, up from 9.8% in 2000.
Kazakhstan's monetary policy has been well managed. Its principal challenges in 2002 were to manage strong foreign currency inflows without sparking inflation. In 2003 inflation did not remain under control, registering at 6.8% instead of the forecast level of 5.3%-6.0%. In 2002 inflation was 6.6%, compared to 6.4% in 2001. Because of its strong macroeconomic performance and financial health, in 2000 Kazakhstan became the first former Soviet republic to repay all of its debt to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), 7 years ahead of schedule. In March 2002, the U.S. Department of Commerce graduated Kazakhstan to market economy status under U.S. trade law. The change in status recognized substantive market economy reforms in the areas of currency convertibility, wage rate determination, openness to foreign investment, and government control over the means of production and allocation of resources.
In September 2002, Kazakhstan became the first country in the former Soviet Union to receive an investment-grade credit rating from a major international credit rating agency. As of late December 2003, Kazakhstan's gross foreign debt was about $22.9 billion. Total governmental debt was $4.2 billion. This amounts to 14% of the GDP. There has been a noticeable reduction in the ratio of debt to GDP observed in past years; the ratio of total governmental debt to GDP in 2000 was 21.7%, in 2001 it was 17.5%, and in 2002 it was 15.4%.
The upturn in economic growth, combined with the results of earlier tax and financial sector reforms, dramatically improved government finances from the 1999 budget deficit level of 3.5% of GDP to a deficit of 1.2% of GDP in 2003. Government revenues grew from 19.8% of GDP in 1999 to 22.6% of GDP in 2001, but decreased to 16.2% of GDP in 2003. In 2000, Kazakhstan adopted a new tax code in an effort to consolidate these gains. On November 29, 2003 the Law on Changes to Tax Code was adopted, which reduced tax rates. The value added tax fell from 16% to 15%, the social tax from 21% to 20%, and the personal income tax from 30% to 20%. Kazakhstan furthered its reforms by adopting a new land code on June 20, 2003 and a customs code on April 5, 2003.
The Tenge, Kazakhstan's currency
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The Tenge, Kazakhstan's currency
Energy is the leading economic sector. Production of crude oil and natural gas condensate in Kazakhstan amounted to 51.2 million tons in 2003, which was 8.6% more than in 2002. Kazakhstan raised oil and gas condensate exports to 44.3 million tons in 2003, 13% higher than in 2002. Gas production in Kazakhstan in 2003 amounted to 13.9 billion cubic meters (491 billion cu. ft), up 22.7% compared to 2002, including natural gas production of 7.3 billion cubic meters (258 billion cu. ft); Kazakhstan holds about 4 billion tons of proven recoverable oil reserves and 2,000 cubic kilometers (480 cu mi) of gas. Industry analysts believe that planned expansion of oil production, coupled with the development of new fields, will enable the country to produce as much as 3 million barrels (477,000 m³) per day by 2015, lifting Kazakhstan into the ranks of the world's top 10 oil-producing nations. Kazakhstan's 2003 oil exports were valued at more than $7 billion, representing 65% of overall exports and 24% of the GDP. Major oil and gas fields and their recoverable oil reserves are Tengiz with 7 billion barrels (1.1 km³); Karachaganak with 8 billion barrels (1.3 km³) and 1,350 km³ of natural gas); and Kashagan with 7 to 9 billion barrels (1.1 to 1.4 km³).
Kazakhstan instituted an ambitious pension reform program in 1998. As of January 1, 2005 the pension assets were about $4.1 billion. There are 16 saving pension funds in the republic. The State Accumulating Pension Fund, the only state-owned fund, could be privatized as early as 2006. The country's unified financial regulatory agency oversees and regulates the pension funds. The pension funds' growing demand for quality investment outlets triggered rapid development of the debt securities market. Pension fund capital is being invested almost exclusively in corporate and government bonds, including Government of Kazakhstan Eurobonds. The Kazakhstani banking system is developing rapidly. The banking system's capitalization now exceeds $1 billion. The National Bank has introduced deposit insurance in its campaign to strengthen the banking sector. Several major foreign banks have branches in Kazakhstan, including ABN AMRO, Citibank, and HSBC.
Agriculture
Agriculture accounted for 13.6% of Kazakhstan's GDP in 2003. Grain (Kazakhstan is the sixth-largest producer in the world) and livestock are the most important agricultural commodities. Agricultural land occupies more than 846,000 square kilometres (32,700 sq. mi). The available agricultural land consists of 205,000 square kilometres (79,000 sq. mi) of arable land and 611,000 square kilometres (236,000 sq. mi) of pasture and hay land. Chief livestock products are dairy products, leather, meat, and wool. The country's major crops include wheat, barley, cotton, and rice. Wheat exports, a major source of hard currency, rank among the leading commodities in Kazakhstan's export trade. In 2003 Kazakhstan harvested 17.6 million tons of grain in gross, 2.8% higher compared to 2002.
Natural resources
Kazakhstan has an abundant supply of accessible mineral and fossil fuel resources. Development of petroleum, natural gas, and mineral extraction has attracted most of the over $40 billion in foreign investment in Kazakhstan since 1993 and accounts for some 57% of the nation's industrial output. According to some estimates [4], Kazakhstan has the second largest uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc reserves, the third largest manganese reserves, the fifth largest copper reserves, and ranks in the top ten for coal, iron, and gold. It is also an exporter of diamonds.
In total, there are 160 deposits with over 2.7 billion tons of petroleum. Oil explorations have shown that the deposits on the Caspian shore are only a small part of a much larger deposit. It is said that 3.5 billion tons of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic meters of gas could be found in that area. Overall the estimate of Kazakhstan's oil deposits is 6.1 billion tons. However, there are only 3 refineries within the country, situated in Atirau, Pavlodar, and Shymkent. These are not capable of processing the crude output, much of it is exported to Russia.
Foreign relations
Kazakhstan has good relations with other countries - Nursultan Nazarbayev with Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine
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Kazakhstan has good relations with other countries - Nursultan Nazarbayev with Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine
Kazakhstan has stable relationships with all of its neighbors and is a member of the United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). It is an active participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) Partnership for Peace program. Kazakhstan is also a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization along with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic Community in 2000 to re-energize earlier efforts at harmonizing trade tariffs and the creation of a free trade zone under a customs union.
Since independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has pursued what is known as the multidimensional foreign policy (многовекторная внешняя политика), seeking equally good relations with two large neighbors, Russia and China, and the United States and the West generally. The policy has yielded results in the oil and gas sector, where companies from the U.S., Russia, China, and Europe are present at all major fields, and in the multidimensional directions of oil export pipelines out of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan possesses the Soviet equivalent to the United States' Cape Canaveral, where the Soviet Union launched its version of the space shuttle and the well-known space station Mir. Russia currently leases approximately 6,000 km² (2,300 mi²) of territory enclosing the Baikonur Cosmodrome space launch site in south central Kazakhstan.
On June 18, 2006, Kazakhstan joined the club of the world's space powers in its own right when it launched its first commercial satellite, KazSat 1, from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Russian built booster rocket. [5]
Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Kazakhstan
Kazakh celebration
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Kazakh celebration
The majority of modern Kazakhstanis are currently either ethnic Kazakhs (58%-60%) or Russians (25%-27%), with smaller Ukrainian, Uzbek, German, Uyghur, Koreans and other minorities totalling 15%-17%. There is also a small but visible Jewish community. Before 1991, one million Volga Germans lived in Kazakhstan; much of this community emigrated to Germany following the breakup of the Soviet Union. The main religious groupings are Sunni Islam, Russian Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism and Ukrainian Orthodoxy.
Kazakhstan is a bilingual country: the Kazakh language, spoken by 64.4% of the population, has the status of the "state" language, while Russian is declared the "official" language, and is used routinely in business.
The 1990s were marked by the emigration of many of the country's Europeans, a process that began in the 1970s; this was a major factor in giving the autochthonous Kazakhs a majority along with higher Kazakh birthrates and ethnic Kazakh immigration from China, Mongolia and Russia. In the early 21st century, Kazakhstan has become one of the leading nations in international adoptions.
Kazakhs and Kazakhstanis (terminology)
For many years, Russians often outnumbered the Kazakhs in many parts of the area known today as Kazakhstan. Even now, Russians and people of other ethnic origins play an important role in the economy, government, etc. Many non-Kazakhs, however, consider the country their home. A term was coined in Russian to describe any citizens of Kazakhstan including non-Kazakhs (казахстанец), which in English is usually rendered "Kazakhstani". In its correct usage, the word "Kazakh" should only refer to people of actual Kazakh descent (including those living in China, Afghanistan, and other Central Asian countries). A term that better grasps the people in the country as a whole, as well as their collective culture and land is "Kazakhstani". The name Kazakh, both for the people and for the nation itself, is derived from the ancient Turkic words "ka" which means "great" and "sak" which means the name of ancient tribe and the Avestan/Old Persian (See Indo-European languages) word "stan" which means "land" or "place of". It is the result of Kazakhs' nomadic horseback culture and is related to the term "cossack".
Education
Main article: Education in Kazakhstan
Education is universal and mandatory through to the secondary level, and the adult literacy rate is 99.5%. Education consists in three main educational phases: primary education (forms 1-4), basic general education (forms 5-9) and senior level education (forms 10-11 or 12) divided into continued general education and professional education. (Primary education is preceded by one year of pre-school education.) These three levels of education can be followed in one institution or in different ones (e.g. primary school, then secondary school). Recently, several secondary schools, specialized schools, magnet schools, gymnasiums, lyceums, linguistic and technical gymnasiums, have been founded. Secondary professional education is offered in special professional or technical schools, lyceums or colleges and vocational schools.
At present, there are universities, academies, and institutes, conservatories, higher schools and higher colleges. There are three main levels: basic higher education that provides the fundamentals of the chosen field of study and leads to the award of the Bachelor degree; specialized higher education after which students are awarded the Specialist's Diploma; and scientific-pedagogical higher education which leads to the Master's Degree. Postgraduate education leads to the Kandidat Nauk (Candidate of Sciences) and the Doctor of Sciences. With the adoption of the Laws on Education and on Higher Education, a private sector has been established and several private institutions have been licensed.
Culture
Main article: Culture of Kazakhstan
* Abai Kunanbaev
* Islam in Kazakhstan
* Khoja Ahmad Yasavi
* Music of Kazakhstan
Public holidays
Date English Name Local Name Remarks
January 1st New Year's Day Жаңа жыл ~
January 7th Russian Orthodox Christmas Рождество Христово This is not an official state holiday, but it is usually taken as a vacation from work.
Floating date, marked on last day of Hajj to Mecca) Qurban Ait (Eid al-Adha, or Islamic Feast of the Sacrifice) Құрбан айт This is not an official state holiday, but it is usually taken as a vacation from work.
March 8th International Women’s Day Халықаралық әйелдер күні ~
March 22nd Nauryz Meyrami (Traditional Spring Holiday) Наурыз мейрамы Traditionally this Holiday means beginning of a New Year, and usually in past was celebrated almost till 21st of April.
May 1st Kazakhstan People’s Unity Day Қазақстан Ұлттарының Бірлік Күні ~
May 9th World War II Victory Day Жеңіс күні ~
August 30th Constitution Day Конституция күні ~
October 25th Republic Day Республика күні ~
December 16th (and 17th) National holiday Егеменділік күні
Miscellaneous topics
* Environmental issues in Kazakhstan
* Foreign relations of Kazakhstan
* Human rights in Kazakhstan
* Kipchaks
* List of Kazakh historical figures
* Media in Kazakhstan
* Military of Kazakhstan
* Organization of the Scout Movement of Kazakhstan
* Postage stamps and postal history of Kazakhstan
* Sports in Kazakhstan
* Transport in Kazakhstan
See also
* Baikonur Cosmodrome
* Elections in Kazakhstan
* Kazakh Steppe
* List of schools in Kazakhstan
* Communications in Kazakhstan
Further reading
* Epicenter of Peace by Nursultan Nazarbayev
* Kazakhstan: Coming of Age by Michael Furgus and Janar Jandosova
* Kazakhstan : Power and the Elite Sally Cummings
* Kazakhstan: Unfulfilled Promise Martha Brill Olcott
* Lonely Planet Guide: Central Asia by Paul Clammer, Michael Kohn and Bradley Mayhew
* The Lost Heart of Asia by Colin Thubron
* Once in Kazakhstan : The Snow Leopard Emerges Keith Rosten
* Post-Soviet Chaos : Violence and Dispossession in Kazakhstan by Joma Nazpary
* The Russian Colonization of Kazakhstan by George Demko
* Uneasy Alliance: Relations Between Russia and Kazakhstan in the Post-Soviet Era, 1992-1997 by Mikhail Alexandrov
* Journey into Kazakhstan: The True Face of the Nazabayev Regime Alexandra George
* Law and Custom in the Steppe by Virginia Martin
* "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?" by Ted Rall
References
* US State Department - Background Note: Kazakhstan
* Embassy of Kazakhstan to the USA and Canada
External links
Find more information on Kazakhstan by searching Wikipedia's sister projects:
Dictionary definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
Source texts from Wikisource
Images and media from Commons
News stories from Wikinews
* Kazakhstan travel guide from Wikitravel
* Kaz-Market Business Portal
* Kazakhstan's location on a 3D globe (Java)
* President of the Republic of Kazakhstan
* Article on Winter Sports in Kazakhstan
* Kazakhstan’s Vision Sets it up as an Investment Gateway to Central Asia
* Welcome to Kazakhstan
* Suhbat.com
* Government of Kazakhstan
* National Bank of Kazakhstan
* Open Directory Project - Kazakhstan directory category
* Khabar: Kazakhstan News Agency
* Kazakhstan: Travel Guide
* Kazakhstan provincies and cities guide.
* The Kazakhstan Post
* The Times of Central Asia (Kazakhstan events)
* US Dept. of Energy Country Analysis Brief
* Folk song Aday
* Folk song Cildizım
* TIKA
* The World Factbook (CIA)
Countries in Central Asia
Afghanistan • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Mongolia • Russia • Tajikistan • Turkmenistan • Uzbekistan
Countries and territories of Asia
Sovereign states: Afghanistan • Armenia • Azerbaijan1 • Bahrain • Bangladesh • Bhutan • Brunei • Cambodia • People's Republic of China • Cyprus • East Timor2 • Egypt3 • Georgia1 • India • Indonesia2 • Iran • Iraq • Israel • Japan • Jordan • Kazakhstan1 • Kuwait • Kyrgyzstan • Laos • Lebanon • Malaysia • Maldives • Mongolia • Myanmar • Nepal • North Korea • Oman • Pakistan • Philippines • Qatar • Russia1 • Saudi Arabia • Singapore • South Korea • Sri Lanka • Syria • Republic of China (Taiwan)4 • Tajikistan • Thailand • Turkey1 • Turkmenistan • United Arab Emirates • Uzbekistan • Vietnam • Yemen
Other entities and territories: Hong Kong • Macau • Nagorno-Karabakh (Azerbaijan) • Palestinian territories (Israel/Palestinian Authority) • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (Cyprus)
Geographical notes: (1) Partly in Europe; (2) Partly or wholly reckoned in Oceania; (3) Mostly in Africa; (4) See political status of Taiwan.
Countries of Europe
Albania • Andorra • Armenia2 • Austria • Azerbaijan1 • Belarus • Belgium • Bosnia and Herzegovina • Bulgaria • Croatia • Cyprus2 • Czech Republic • Denmark • Estonia • Finland • France • Georgia1 • Germany • Greece • Hungary • Iceland • Ireland • Italy • Kazakhstan1 • Latvia • Liechtenstein • Lithuania • Luxembourg • Republic of Macedonia • Malta • Moldova • Monaco • Montenegro • Netherlands • Norway • Poland • Portugal • Romania • Russia1 • San Marino • Serbia • Slovakia • Slovenia • Spain • Sweden • Switzerland • Turkey1 • Ukraine • United Kingdom • Vatican City
Unrecognised countries: Abkhazia • Nagorno-Karabakh2 • South Ossetia • Transnistria • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus2 3
Geographical notes: (1) Partly in Asia; (2) Entirely in Asia but having sociopolitical connections with Europe; (3) Turkey is the only country that recognises Northern Cyprus. See: Cyprus dispute
Turkic-speaking nations
Flag of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan • Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan • Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan • Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Flag Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus1 • Flag of Uzbekistan Uzbekistan • Flag of Turkey Turkey • Flag of Turkmenistan Turkmenistan
Notes: (1) Turkey is the only country that recognises Northern Cyprus. See: Cyprus dispute
Flag_of_the_CIS.svg
Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
Armenia • Azerbaijan • Belarus • Georgia • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Moldova • Russia • Tajikistan • Ukraine • Uzbekistan
Associate Member: Turkmenistan
Eurasian Economic Community (EURASEC)
Belarus • Kazakhstan • Kyrgyzstan • Russia • Tajikistan • Uzbekistan
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Directory > Words > Translations
Translations for: Kazakhstan
Dansk (Danish)
n. - Kazakhstan
Français (French)
n. - Kazakhstan
Deutsch (German)
n. - Kasachstan
Português (Portuguese)
n. - Kazakhstan
Español (Spanish)
n. - Kazakistán
中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
哈萨克斯坦
中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 哈薩克
한국어 (Korean)
카자흐스탄 공화국 (Republic of ~; 서아시아의 독립국가 연합 가맹국; 1991년 소련의 해체와 더불어 독립국이 됨; 수도 Alma Ata)
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - קזאחסטאן
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Copyrights:
Dictionary definition of Kazakhstan
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2004, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. More from Dictionary
Britannica information about Kazakhstan
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. More from Britannica
Encyclopedia information about Kazakhstan
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition Copyright © 2003, Columbia University Press. Licensed from Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. www.cc.columbia.edu/cu/cup/ More from Encyclopedia
Map information about Kazakhstan
The World Factbook is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency. More from Map
Answers Corporation Dialing Code information about Kazakhstan
© 1999-2006 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. More from Dialing Code
Local Time information about Kazakhstan
Copyright © 2001 - Chaos Software. All rights reserved More from Local Time
Geography information about Kazakhstan
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr., Joseph F. Kett, and James Trefil. Copyright © 2002 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved. More from Geography
Stats information about Kazakhstan
The World Factbook 2005 is prepared by the Central Intelligence Agency. More from Stats
WordNet information about Kazakhstan
WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. More from WordNet
Wikipedia information about Kazakhstan
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Kazakhstan". More from Wikipedia
Translations for Kazakhstan
Copyright © 2006, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. More from Translations
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