Background: Ethnic 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-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 drove many of these newcomers to emigrate. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; diversifying the economy outside the oil gas and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness; developing a multiparty parliament and advancing political and social reform; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.

Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N 68 00 E

Map reference: Asia

Area
Total: 2,724,900 km²
Rank: 9
Land: 2,699,700 km²
Water: 25,200 km²
Comparative: slightly less than four times the size of Texas

Land boundaries
Total: 12,185 km
Border countries: (5) China 1533 km; Kyrgyzstan 1224 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)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: continental cold winters and hot summers arid and semiarid

Terrain: vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south

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: 8.28%
Permanent crops: 0.05%
Other: 91.67% (2005)

Irrigated land: 35,560 km² (2008)

Total renewable water resources: 109.6 km³ (1997)

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: 15,522,373 (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 64
Growth rate: 0.4% (2011 est.)
Growth rate rank: 157
Below poverty line: 8.2% (2009)

Nationality
Noun: Kazakhstani
Adjective: Kazakhstani

Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 63.1% Russian 23.7% Uzbek 2.8% Ukrainian 2.1% Uighur 1.4% Tatar 1.3% German 1.1% other 4.5% (2009 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: 21.6%
15-64 years: 71% (male 5,373,755/female 5,654,461)
65 years and over: 7.4% (male 392,689/female 754,407) (2011 est.)

Median age
Total: 30.2 years
Male: 28.7 years
Female: 31.9 years (2011 est.)

Population growth rate: 0.4% (2011 est.)
Rank: 157

Birth rate: 16.65 births/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 121

Death rate: 9.38 deaths/1000 population (July 2011 est.)
Rank: 63

Net migration rate: -3.27 migrant(s)/1000 population (2011 est.)
Rank: 178

Urbanization
Urban population: 59% of total population
Rate of urbanization: 1.3% annual rate of change (2010-15 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 that flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation it is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices
International agreements party to: Air Pollution Biodiversity Climate Change Desertification Endangered Species Environmental Modification Hazardous Wastes Ozone Layer Protection Ship Pollution Wetlands
International agreements signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.058 male/female
Under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.53 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 24.15 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 83
Male: 28.44 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.62 deaths/1000 live births (2011 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 68.51 years
Rank: 152
Male: 63.24 years
Female: 74.08 years (2011 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.87 children born/woman (2011 est.)
Rank: 147

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.877 physicians/1000 population (2007)
Rank: 15

Hospital bed density: 7.6 beds/1000 population (2009)
Rank: 11

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 134
People living with hivaids: 13,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 89
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 89

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 4.9% (2006)
Rank: 85

Education expenditures: 2.8% of GDP (2007)
Rank: 137

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.5%
Male: 99.8%
Female: 99.3% (1999 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 15 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 16 years (2010)

Country name
Conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
Conventional short form: Kazakhstan
Local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
Local short form: Qazaqstan
Former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type: republic; authoritarian presidential rule with little power outside the executive branch

Capital
Name: Astana
Geographic coordinates: 51 10 N 71 25 E
Time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)
Note: Kazakhstan is divided into two time zones

Administrative divisions: 14 provinces (oblystar singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qalalar singular - qala); Almaty Oblysy Almaty Qalasy* Aqmola Oblysy (Astana) Aqtobe Oblysy Astana Qalasy* Atyrau Oblysy Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy [West Kazakhstan] (Oral) Bayqongyr Qalasy [Baykonur]* Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau) Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy [South Kazakhstan] (Shymkent) Pavlodar Oblysy Qaraghandy Oblysy Qostanay Oblysy Qyzylorda Oblysy Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy [East Kazakhstan] (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 km² enclosing the Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (Baykonur formerly Leninsk); in 2004 a new agreement extended the lease to 2,050

Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 16 December (1991)

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

Legal system: civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV
Head of government: Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 10 January 2007); First Deputy Prime Minister Umirzak SHUKEYEV (since 3 March 2009) Deputy Prime Ministers Yerbol ORYNBAYEV (since 29 October 2007) Aset ISEKESHEV (since 12 March 2010)
Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
Elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election last held on 3 April 2011 (next to be held December 2016); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president with Mazhilis approval; note - constitutional amendments of May 2007 shortened the presidential term from seven years to five years and established a two-consecutive-term limit; changes will take effect after NAZARBAYEV's term ends; he and only he is allowed to run for president indefinitely
Note: constitutional amendments of January 2011 moved election date from 2012 to April 2011 but kept five-year term; subsequent election to take place December 2016
Election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 95.5% other 4.5%

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47 seats; 15 members are appointed by the president; 32 members elected by local assemblies; members serve six-year terms but elections are staggered with half of the members up for re-election every three years) and the Mazhilis (107 seats; 9 out of the 107 Mazhilis members elected by the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan a presidentially appointed advisory body designed to represent the country's ethnic minorities; non-appointed members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
Elections: Senate - (indirect) last held in October 2008 (next to be held in 2011); Mazhilis - last held on 18 August 2007 (next to be held in 2012)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Nur Otan 16; Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Nur-Otan 88.1% NSDP 4.6% Ak Zhol 3.3% Auyl 1.6% Communist People's Party 1.3% Patriots Party 0.8% Ruhaniyat 0.4%; seats by party - Nur-Otan 98; note - parties had to achieve a threshold of 7% of the electorate to qualify for seats in the Mazhilis; changes to electoral legislation enacted since the 2007 election now ensure that the second-placed party will enter the Majilis at the next parliamentary election even if it does not clear the 7% threshold

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (seven members)

Political parties and leaders: Adilet (Justice) [Maksut NARIKBAYEV Zeynulla ALSHIMBAYEV Serik ABDRAHMANOV Bakhytbek AKHMETZHAN Yerkin ONGARBAYEV Tolegan SYDYKOV] (formerly Democratic Party of Kazakhstan); Agrarian and Industrial Union of Workers Block or AIST (Agrarian Party and Civic Party); Ak Zhol Party (Bright Path) [Alikhan BAYMENOV]; Alga [Vladimir KOZLOV] (unregistered); Auyl (Village) [Gani KALIYEV]; Azat (Freedom) Party [Bolat ABILOV] (formerly True Ak Zhol Party); Azat NSDP [co-chaired by Bolat ABILOV and Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]; Azat and NSDP united in 2009 but the authorities have refused to register Azat NSDP as a single party; Communist Party of Kazakhstan or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV]; National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]; Nur Otan [Bakhytzhan ZHUMAGULOV] (the Agrarian Asar and Civic parties merged with Otan); Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV]; Rukhaniyat (Spirituality) [Serikzhan MAMBETALIN]

International organization participation: ADB CICA CIS CSTO EAEC EAPC EBRD ECO FAO GCTU IAEA IBRD ICAO ICRM IDA IDB IFAD IFC IFRCS ILO IMF IMO Interpol IOC IOM IPU ISO ITSO ITU MIGA NAM (observer) NSG OAS (observer) OIC OPCW OSCE PFP SCO UN UNCTAD UNESCO UNIDO UNWTO UPU WCO WFTU WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer) ZC

Diplomatic representation
In the us chief of mission: Ambassador Yerlan IDRISSOV
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 consulate general: Los Angeles
In the us consulate: New York
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Richard E. HOAGLAND
From the us embassy: Ak Bulak 4 Str. 23-22 Building #3 Astana 10,010
From the us mailing address: use embassy street address
From the us telephone: [7] (7,172) 70-21-00
From the us fax: [7] (7,172) 34-08-90

Flag description: a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle both centered on a sky blue background; the hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern 'koshkar-muiz' (the horns of the ram) in gold; the blue color is of religious significance to the Turkic peoples of the country and so symbolizes cultural and ethnic unity; it also represents the endless sky as well as water; the sun a source of life and energy exemplifies wealth and plenitude; the sun's rays are shaped like grain which is the basis of abundance and prosperity; the eagle has appeared on the flags of Kazakh tribes for centuries and represents freedom power and the flight to the future

National symbols: golden eagle

National anthem
Name: 'Menin Qazaqstanim'
Lyricsmusic: Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV
Note: adopted 2006; President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV played a role in revising the lyrics

Economy overview: Kazakhstan geographically the largest of the former Soviet republics excluding Russia possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals such as uranium copper and zinc. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. In 2002 Kazakhstan became the first country in the former Soviet Union to receive an investment-grade credit rating and from 2000 through 2007 Kazakhstan's economy grew more than 9% per year. Extractive industries particularly hydrocarbons and mining have been the engines of this growth. However geographic limitations and decaying infrastructure present serious obstacles. Landlocked with restricted access to the high seas Kazakhstan relies on its neighbors to export its products especially oil and gas. Although its Caspian Sea ports and rail lines carrying oil have been upgraded civil aviation has been neglected. Telecoms are improving but require considerable investment as does the information technology base. Supply and distribution of electricity can be erratic. At the end of 2007 global financial markets froze up and the loss of capital inflows to Kazakhstani banks caused a credit crunch. The subsequent and sharp fall of oil and commodity prices in 2008 aggravated the economic situation and Kazakhstan plunged into recession. While the global financial crisis took a significant toll on Kazakhstan's economy it has rebounded well. In response to the crisis Kazakhstan's government devalued the tenge (Kazakhstan's currency) to stabilize market pressures and injected $19 billion in economic stimulus. Rising commodity prices have helped revive Kazakhstan's economy which registered 7% growth in 2010. Barring a dramatic decline in oil prices strong growth is expected to continue in 2011. Despite solid macroeconomic indicators the government realizes that its economy suffers from an overreliance on oil and extractive industries the so-called 'Dutch disease.' In response Kazakhstan has embarked on an ambitious diversification program aimed at developing targeted sectors like transport pharmaceuticals telecommunications

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 54
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 35

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 92
Note: data are in 2010 US dollars

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 5.4%
Industry: 42.8%
Services: 51.8% (2010 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 uranium iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery electric motors construction materials

Industrial production growth rate: 10% (2010 est.)
Rank: 27

Labor force: 8.611 million (2010 est.)
Rank: 54
By occupation agriculture: 28.2%
By occupation industry: 18.2%
By occupation services: 53.6% (2010)

Unemployment rate: 6.6% (2009 est.)
Rank: 53

Population below poverty line: 8.2% (2009)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 3.8%
Highest 10: 25.2% (2007 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 31.5 (2003)
Rank: 132

Budget
Revenues: $29.18 billion
Expenditures: $32.77 billion (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.6% of GDP (2010 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 87

Taxes and other revenues: 21.1% of GDP (2010 est.)
Rank: 147

Public debt: 13.5% of GDP (2009 est.)
Rank: 120

Inflation rate consumer prices: 7.3% (2009 est.)
Rank: 178

Central bank discount rate: 7% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 47

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.757% (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 143

Stock of narrow money: $16.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 64

Stock of broad money: $52.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 63

Stock of domestic credit: $62.65 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 58

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 51

Current account balance: -$4.221 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 35

Exports: $43.93 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 49
Commodities: oil and oil products 59% ferrous metals 19% chemicals 5% machinery 3% grain wool meat coal
Partners: China 20.2% Germany 9.1% Russia 8.5% France 7.1% Turkey 4.5% Canada 4.5% Italy 4.1% (2010)

Imports: $28.96 billion (2009 est.)
Rank: 60
Commodities: machinery and equipment metal products foodstuffs
Partners: Russia 34.3% China 27.7% Germany 5.2% Ukraine 4% (2010)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $23.22 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 49

Debt external: $95.91 billion (31 December 2010 est.)
Rank: 37

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $69.17 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 41

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $5.958 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Rank: 50

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 75.61 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Production rank: 38
Consumption: 77.9 billion kWh (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 36
Exports: 2.483 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Imports: 1.94 billion kWh (2009 est.)

Natural gas
Production: 35.61 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Production rank: 25
Consumption: 8.572 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Consumption rank: 51
Exports: 9.9 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Exports rank: 20
Imports: 6.1 billion m³ (2009 est.)
Imports rank: 30
Proven reserves: 2.407 trillion m³ (1 January 2011 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 15

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.011 million (2010)
Main lines in use rank: 42
Mobile cellular: 19.768 million (2010)
Mobile cellular rank: 44

Telephone system
General assessment: inherited an outdated telecommunications network from the Soviet era requiring modernization
Domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of fixed-line connections is gradually increasing and fixed-line teledensity now roughly 25 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage is increasing and the subscriber base now is roughly 100 per 100 persons
International: country code - 7; international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (2008)

Broadcast media: state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks; nearly all nationwide TV networks are wholly or partly owned by the government; some former state-owned media outlets have been privatized and are controlled by the president's daughter who heads the Khabar Agency that runs multiple TV and radio stations; a number of privately-owned TV stations; households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media; a small number of commercial radio stations operating along with state-run radio stations (2008)

Internet
Country code: .kz
Hosts: 53,984 (2010)
Hosts rank: 85
Users: 5.299 million (2009)
Users rank: 44

Military expenditures: 1.1% of GDP (2010)
Rank: 124

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

Airports: 97 (2010)
Rank: 62
With paved runways total: 65
With paved runways over 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 26
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 16
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2010)
With unpaved runways total: 32
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 13 (2010)

Heliports: 3 (2010)

Pipelines: condensate 658 km; gas 12,317 km; oil 11,201 km; refined products 1095 km; water 1465 km (2010)

Railways
Total: 15,079 km
Rank: 19
Broad gauge: 15,079 km 1.520-m gauge (4,000 km electrified) (2010)

Roadways
Total: 93,612 km
Rank: 49
Paved: 84,100 km
Unpaved: 9,512 km (2008)

Waterways: 4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River) (2010)
Rank: 26

Merchant marine
Total: 8
Rank: 124
By type: petroleum tanker 6 refrigerated cargo 1 specialized tanker 1
Foreign owned: 1 (Ireland 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals: Aqtau (Shevchenko) Atyrau (Gur'yev) Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk) Pavlodar Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Disputes international: Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstan; field demarcation of the boundaries with Turkmenistan commenced in 2005 and with Uzbekistan in 2004; demarcation is scheduled to get underway with Russia in 2007; demarcation with China was completed in 2002; creation of a seabed boundary with Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea remains under discussion; Azerbaijan Kazakhstan and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the lake

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Refugees: 3,700 (Russia); 508 (Afghanistan) (2007)

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 re