Statistical information Kazakhstan 1993

Kazakhstan in the World
top of pageBackground: As a republic within the USSR (1920-91), Kazakhstan suffered greatly from Stalinist purges, from environmental damage, and saw the ethnic Russian portion of its population rise to 37% while other non-Kazakhs made up almost 20%. Current issues include the pace of market reform and privatization; fair and free elections and democratic reform; ethnic differences between Russians and Kazakhs; environmental problems; and how to convert the country's abundant energy resources into a better standard of living.
top of pageLocation:
South Asia, between Russia and Uzbekistan, bordering on the
Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea
Geographic coordinatesMap reference:
Asia, Commonwealth of Independent States - Central Asian
States, Standard Time Zones of the World
AreaTotal: 2,717,300 km²
Land: 2,669,800 km²
Land boundariesCoastline: 0 km; Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea (1,015 km) and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km)
Maritime claims:
landlocked, but boundaries with Uzbekistan in the Sea of
Azov and with Russia, Azerbaijan, and Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea are yet to be determined
Climate: continental, arid and semiarid
Terrain: extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oasis and desert in Central Asia
ElevationNatural resources: petroleum, coal, iron, manganese, chrome, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium, iron
Land useArable land: 15%
Permanent crops: 0%
Meadows and pastures: 57%
Forest and woodland: 4%
Other: 24%
Irrigated land: 23,080 km² (1990)
Major riversMajor watersheds area km²Total water withdrawalTotal renewable water resourcesNatural hazardsGeographytop of pagePopulation: 17,156,370 (July 1993 est.)
Growth rate: 0.65% (1993 est.)
NationalityNoun: Kazakhstani(s)
Adjective: Kazakhstani
Ethnic groups:
Kazakh (Qazaq) 41.9%, Russian 37%, Ukrainian 5.2%,
German 4.7%, Uzbek 2.1%, Tatar 2%, other 7.1%
Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq; official language), Russian (language of interethnic communication)
Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 15%, Protestant 2%, other 36%
Demographic profileAge structureDependency ratiosMedian agePopulation growth rate: 0.65% (1993 est.)
Birth rate: 19.55 births/1000 population (1993 est.)
Death rate: 7.95 deaths/1000 population (1993 est.)
Net migration rate: -5.06 migrant(s)/1000 population (1993 est.)
Population distributionUrbanizationMajor urban areasEnvironmentCurrent issues: drying up of Aral Sea is causing increased concentrations of chemical pesticides and natural salts; industrial pollution
Current issues note: landlocked
Air pollutantsSex ratioMothers mean age at first birthMaternal mortality ratioInfant mortality rate: 41.8 deaths/1000 live births (1993 est.)
Life expectancy at birthTotal population: 67.83 years
Male: 63.17 years
Total fertility rate: 2.45 children born/woman (1993 est.)
Contraceptive prevalence rateDrinking water sourceCurrent health expenditurePhysicians densityHospital bed densitySanitation facility accessHiv/AidsMajor infectious diseasesObesity adult prevalence rateAlcohol consumptionTobacco useChildren under the age of 5 years underweightEducation expendituresLiteracy: age 9-49 can read and write (1970)
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 100%
School life expectancy primary to tertiary educationYouth unemploymenttop of pageCountry nameConventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
Conventional short form: Kazakhstan
Local long form: Kazakhstan Respublikasy
Local short form: none
Former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Government type: republic
Capital: Almaty (Alma-Ata)
Administrative divisions:
19 oblasts (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 1 city (qalalar, singular - qala)*; Almaty*, Almaty, Aqmola, Aqtobe, Atyrau,
Batys Qazaqstan, Kokshetau, Mangghystau, Ongtustik Qazaqstan, Qaraghandy,
Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Pavlodar, Semey, Shyghys Qazaqstan, Soltustik Qazaqstan,
Taldyqorghan, Torghay, Zhambyl, Zhezqazghan,
Dependent areasIndependence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 16 December
Constitution: adopted 18 January 1993
Legal systemInternational law organization participationCitizenshipSuffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: president, cabinet of ministers, prime minister
Legislative branch: unicameral Supreme Soviet
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leadersInternational organization participation:
CIS, CSCE, EBRD, ECO, IBRD, IDA, IMF, OIC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU
Diplomatic representationIn the us chief of mission: Ambassador Alim S. DJAMBOURCHINE
In the us chancery: 3,421 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20,007
In the us telephone: (202) 333-4,504
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador William H. COURTNEY
From the us embassy: Furumanova 99/97, Almaty
From the us mailing address: US Department of State, Washington, D.C. 20,521-7,030
From the us telephone: (3,272) 63-24-26 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in yellow
Flag description
National symbolsNational anthemNational heritagetop of pageEconomy overview: The second-largest in area of the 15 former Soviet republics, Kazakhstan has vast oil, coal, and agricultural resources. Kazakhstan is highly dependent on trade with Russia, exchanging its natural resources for finished consumer and industrial goods. Kazakhstan now finds itself with serious pollution problems, backward technology, and little experience in foreign markets. The government in 1992 continued to push privatization of the economy and freed many prices. Output in 1992 dropped because of problems common to the ex-Soviet Central Asian republics, especially the cumulative effects of the disruption of old supply channels and the slow process of creating new economic institutions. Kazakhstan lacks the funds, technology, and managerial skills for a quick recovery of output. US firms have been enlisted to increase oil output but face formidable obstacles; for example, oil can now reach Western markets only through pipelines that run across independent former Soviet republics. Finally, the end of monolithic Communist control has brought ethnic grievances into the open. The 6 million Russians in the republic, formerly the favored class, now face the hostility of a society dominated by Muslims. Ethnic rivalry will be just one of the formidable obstacles to the prioritization of national objectives and the creation of a productive, technologically advancing society.
Real gdp purchasing power parityReal gdp growth rate: -15% (1992 est.)
Real gdp per capita: $NA
Gross national savingGdp composition by sector of origin
Gdp composition by end useGdp composition by sector of originAgriculture products: accounts for almost 40% of net material product; employs about 25% of the labor force; grain, mostly spring wheat; meat, cotton, wool
Industries: extractive industries (oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur), iron and steel, nonferrous metal, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials
Industrial production growth rate: growth rate -15% (1992 est.), accounts for 30% of net material product
Labor force: 7.563 million
By occupation industry and construction: 32%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 23%
By occupation other: 45% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 0.4% includes only officially registered unemployed; also large numbers of underemployed workers
Youth unemploymentPopulation below poverty lineGini indexHousehold income or consumption by percentage shareDistribution of family income gini indexBudget: revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $1.76 billion (1991)
Taxes and other revenuesPublic debtRevenueFiscal year: calendar year
Inflation rate consumer pricesCentral bank discount rateCommercial bank prime lending rateStock of narrow moneyStock of broad moneyStock of domestic creditMarket value of publicly traded sharesCurrent account balanceExports: $1.5 billion to outside the successor states of the former USSR (1992)
Commodoties: oil, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, grain, wool, meat (1991)
Partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan
Imports: $500 million from outside the successor states of the former USSR (1992)
Commodoties: machinery and parts, industrial materials
Partners: Russia and other former Soviet republics, China
Reserves of foreign exchange and goldDebt externalStock of direct foreign investment at homeStock of direct foreign investment abroadExchange rates: rubles per US$1 - 415 (24 December 1992) but subject to wide fluctuations
top of pageElectricityCoalPetroleumCrude oilRefined petroleumNatural gasCarbon dioxide emissionsEnergy consumption per capitatop of pageTelephonesTelephone systemBroadcast mediaInternetBroadband fixed subscriptionstop of pageMilitary expendituresPercent of gdp: 69,326 million rubles, NA% of GDP (forecast for 1993; note - conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military and security forcesMilitary service age and obligationSpace programTerrorist groupstop of pageNational air transport systemCivil aircraft registration country code prefixAirports: 365
Usable: 152
With permanentsurface runways: 49
With runways over 3659 m: 8
With runways 2440-3659 m: 38
With runways 1220-2439 m: 71
HeliportsPipelines: crude oil 2,850 km, refined products 1,500 km, natural gas 3,480 km (1992)
RailwaysRoadwaysWaterways: Syr Darya
Merchant marinePorts and terminalstop of pageDisputes international: none
Refugees and internally displaced personsIllicit drugs: illicit producers of cannabis and opium; mostly for CIS consumption; limited government eradication program; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe