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.

Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N 68 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 2,717,300 km²
Land: 2,669,800 km²
Water: 47,500 km²
Comparative: slightly less than four times the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 12,012 km
Border countries: (5) 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 (1070 km) and the Caspian Sea (1894 km)

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
Extremes 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 km² (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes in the south mudslides around Almaty

Geography
Note: landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6,000 km² of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004 Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2,050

Population: 15,143,704 (July 2004 est.)
Growth rate: 0.26% (2004 est.)
Below poverty line: 26% (2001 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Kazakhstani
Adjective: Kazakhstani

Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4% Russian 30% Ukrainian 3.7% Uzbek 2.5% German 2.4% Uygur 1.4% other 6.6% (1999 census)

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

Religions: Muslim 47% Russian Orthodox 44% Protestant 2% other 7%

Age structure
0-14 years: 24.4% (male 1,884,369; female 1,807,585)
15-64 years: 68% (male 5,028,455; female 5,268,726)
65 years and over: 7.6% (male 404,940; female 749,629) (2004 est.)

Median age
Total: 28.3 years
Male: 26.6 years
Female: 30 years (2004 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.26% (2004 est.)

Birth rate: 15.52 births/1000 population (2004 est.)

Death rate: 9.59 deaths/1000 population (2004 est.)

Net migration rate: -3.35 migrant(s)/1000 population (2004 est.)

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
International agreements party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.06 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male/female
65 years and over: 0.54 male/female
Total population: 0.94 male/female (2004 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 30.54 deaths/1000 live births
Male: 35.24 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 25.57 deaths/1000 live births (2004 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.07 years
Male: 60.72 years
Female: 71.73 years (2004 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2001 est.)
People living with hivaids: 6,000 (2001 est.)
Deaths: less than 200 (2003 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 98.4%
Male: 99.1%
Female: 97.7% (1999 est.)

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
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 km² enclosing the Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (Baykonur, formerly Leninsk)

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
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
Note: twelve parties in Kazakhstan were registered for the elections in the fall of 2004

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 WTrO (observer)

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
In the us chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,036
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 232-5,488
In the us fax: [1] (202) 232-5,845
In the us consulates: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
From the us embassy: 99/97A Fumanova, Samal-2, Almaty, 480,099
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [7] (3,272) 50-48-02
From the us fax: [7] (3,272) 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 overview: Kazakhstan the largest of the former Soviet republics in territory excluding Russia possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also is a large agricultural - livestock and grain - producer. Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a growing machine-building sector specializing in construction equipment tractors agricultural machinery and some defense items. The breakup of the USSR in December 1991 and the collapse in demand for Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products resulted in a short-term contraction of the economy with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97 the pace of the government program of economic reform and privatization quickened resulting in a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. Kazakhstan enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 - and a solid 9.5% in 2002 - thanks largely to its booming energy sector but also to economic reform good harvests and foreign investment. The opening of the Caspian Consortium pipeline in 2001 from western Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea substantially raised export capacity. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the oil sector by developing light industry. Additionally the policy aims to reduce the influence of foreign investment and foreign personnel; the government has engaged in several disputes with foreign oil companies over the terms of production agreements and tensions continue.

Real gdp growth rate: 9.2% (2003 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2003 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 7.7%
Industry: 37.7%
Services: 54.6% (2003 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: 8.8% (2003 est.)

Labor force: 7.634 million (2003)
By occupation agriculture: 20%
By occupation industry: 30%
By occupation services: 50% (2002 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.8% (2003 est.)

Population below poverty line: 26% (2001 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.8%
Highest 10: 27.3% (2001)

Distribution of family income gini index: 35.4 (1996)

Budget
Revenues: $6.729 billion
Expenditures: $6.999 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.)

Public debt: 15.5% of GDP (2003)

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 6.6% (2003 est.)

Current account balance: $-68.8 million (2003)

Exports: $12.72 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: oil and oil products 58% ferrous metals 24% chemicals 5% machinery 3% grain wool meat coal (2001)
Partners: Bermuda 17% Russia 15.2% Switzerland 13% China 12.8% Italy 7.8% (2003)

Imports: $8.621 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
Commodities: machinery and equipment 41% metal products 28% foodstuffs 8% (2001)
Partners: Russia 39% Germany 8.7% China 6.2% US 5.6% (2003)

Debt external: $24.45 billion (2003 est.)

Exchange rates: tenge per US dollar - 149.576 (2003) 153.279 (2002) 146.736 (2001) 142.133 (2000) 119.523 (1999)

Electricity
Production: 52.43 billion kWh (2001)
Consumption: 48.36 billion kWh (2001)
Exports: 3.6 billion kWh (2001)
Imports: 3.2 billion kWh (2001)

Natural gas
Production: 10.08 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Consumption: 14.3 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Exports: 4.1 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Imports: 8.3 billion m³ (2001 est.)
Proven reserves: 920.3 billion m³ (1 January 2002)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 2,081,900 (2002)
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

Internet
Country code: .kz
Hosts: 21,984 (2004)
Users: 250,000 (2002)

Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $221.8 million (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)
Percent of gdp: 0.9% (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)

Airports: 392 (2003 est.)
With paved runways total: 64
With paved runways over 3047 m: 9
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 26
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 16
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3
With paved runways under 914 m: 10 (2003 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 328
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 7
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 11
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 22
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 71
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 217 (2003 est.)

Heliports: 1 (2003 est.)

Pipelines: condensate 18 km; gas 10,370 km; oil 10,158 km; refined products 1187 km (2004)

Railways
Total: 13,601 km
Broad gauge: 13,601 km 1.520-m gauge (3,661 km electrified) (2003)

Waterways
Note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers (2004)

Merchant marine
Total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,064 GRT/646 DWT
By type: roll on/roll off 1
Foreign owned: 26 Netherlands 1 (2004 est.)

Disputes international: Kazakhstan and China have resolved their border dispute and are working to demarcate their borders to control population migration illegal activities and trade; delimitation of boundary with Russia is almost complete - delimitations with Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan are complete with demarcations underway - delimitation with Kyrgyzstan is largely complete; creation of a seabed boundary with Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea is under discussion; equidistant seabed treaties have been signed with Azerbaijan and Russia in the Caspian Sea but no resolution has been made on dividing the water column among any of the littoral states

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