Background: Ethnic Kazakhs a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated to the region by 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. Non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs back to Kazakhstan. These trends have allowed Kazakhs to become the titular majority again. This dramatic demographic shift has also undermined the previous religious diversity and made the country more than 70 percent Muslim. 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; managing Islamic revivalism; 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

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

Land boundaries
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 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
Permanent crops: 0.03%
Other: 91.15% (2011)

Irrigated land: 20,660 km² (2010)

Total renewable water resources: 107.5 km³ (2011)

Natural hazards: earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Almaty

Geography
Note: world's largest landlocked country; 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: 17,948,816 (July 2014 est.)
Rank: 62
Growth rate: 1.17% (2014 est.)
Growth rate rank: 103
Below poverty line: 5.3% (2011 est.)

Nationality
Adjective: Kazakhstani

Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 63.1% Russian 23.7% Uzbek 2.9% Ukrainian 2.1% Uighur 1.4% Tatar 1.3% German 1.1% other 4.4% (2009 est.)

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

Religions: Muslim 70.2% Christian 26.2% (mainly Russian Orthodox) other 0.2% atheist 2.8% unspecified 0.5% (2009 est.)

Age structure
15-24 years: 16.1% (male 1,469,275/female 1,418,175)
25-54 years: 42.6% (male 3,720,498/female 3,927,626)
55-64 years: 9.2% (male 724,683/female 935,416)
65 years and over: 6.8% (male 429,565/female 821,206) (2014 est.)

Dependency ratios
Youth dependency ratio: 38.7 %
Elderly dependency ratio: 10 %
Potential support ratio: 10 (2014 est.)

Median age
Male: 28.4 years
Female: 31.1 years (2014 est.)

Population growth rate: 1.17% (2014 est.)
Rank: 103

Birth rate: 19.61 births/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 88

Death rate: 8.31 deaths/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 88

Net migration rate: 0.42 migrant(s)/1000 population (2014 est.)
Rank: 72

Urbanization
Rate of urbanization: 0.87% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)

Major urban areas
Population: Almaty 1.426 million; ASTANA (capital) 664,000 (2011)

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 signed but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Sex ratio
0-14 years: 1 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.52 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.92 male(s)/female (2014 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 25 (2011 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Rank: 83
Male: 24.34 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 19.06 deaths/1000 live births (2014 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Rank: 150
Male: 64.98 years
Female: 75.17 years (2014 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.34 children born/woman (2014 est.)
Rank: 91

Contraceptive prevalence rate: 51% (2011)

Drinking water source:

Physicians density: 3.84 physicians/1000 population (2011)

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

Sanitation facility access:

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.1% (2009 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 153
People living with hivaids: 13,000 (2009 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 97
Deaths: fewer than 500 (2009 est.)
Deaths rank: 90

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 23.7% (2008)
Rank: 74

Children under the age of 5 years underweight: 3.7% (2011)
Rank: 100

Education expenditures: 3.1% of GDP (2009)
Rank: 138

Literacy
Total population: 99.7%
Male: 99.8%
Female: 99.7% (2009 est.)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Male: 15 years
Female: 15 years (2012)

Country name
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
Geographic coordinates: 51 10 N 71 25 E
Time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington DC during Standard Time)

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 [North Kazakhstan] (Petropavlovsk) Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)

Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day 16 December (1991)

Constitution: previous 1937 1978 (preindependence ); latest adopted 28 January 1993 approved by referendum 30 August 1995 effective 5 September 1995; amended 1998 2007 2011 (2012)

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
Head of government: Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 2 April 2014); First Deputy Prime Minister Bakytzhan SAGINTAYEV (since 16 January 2013); Deputy Prime Ministers Gulshara ABDYKALIKOVA (since 28 November 2013) Aset ISEKESHEV (since 25 September 2012); Bakyt SULTANOV (since 6 November 2013)
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 in 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; NAZARBAYEV has official status as the 'First President of Kazakhstan' and is allowed unlimited terms
Election results: Nursultan Abishuly NAZARBAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Nursultan Abishuly 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 August 2011 (next to be held in 2014); Mazhilis - last held on 15 January 2012 (next to be held in 2017)
Election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Nur Otan 16; Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Nur-Otan 81% Ak Zhol 7.5% Communist People's Party 7.2% other 4.3%; seats by party - Nur-Otan 83 Ak Zhol 8 Communist People's Party 7

Judicial branch
Judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges proposed by the president of ther epublic on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council and confirmed by the Senate; judge tenure NA; Constitutional Council - the president of the republic the Senate chairperson the Majilis chairperson each appoints one member for a 3-year term and each appoints one member for a 6-year term; chairperson of the Constitutional Council appointed by the president of the republic for a 6-year term
Subordinate courts: regional and local courts

Political parties and leaders:

International organization participation: ADB CICA CIS CSTO EAEC EAPC EBRD ECO EITI (candidate country) FAO GCTU IAEA IBRD ICAO ICC (NGOs) 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 (NGOs) WHO WIPO WMO WTO (observer) ZC

Diplomatic representation
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: New York
From the us embassy: Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Ave. No 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) 54-09-14

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
Lyrics and music: Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV

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. Extractive industries have been and will continue to be the engine of Kazakhstan's growth although the country is aggressively pursuing diversification strategies. Landlocked with restricted access to the high seas Kazakhstan relies on its neighbors to export its products especially oil and grain. Although its Caspian Sea ports pipelines and rail lines carrying oil have been upgraded civil aviation and roadways continue to need attention. Telecoms are improving but require considerable investment as does the information technology base. Supply and distribution of electricity can be erratic because of regional dependencies but the country is moving forward with plans to improve reliability of electricity and gas supply to its population. 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 helped by prudent government measures. Rising commodity prices have helped the recovery. 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 petrochemicals and food processing. In 2010 Kazakhstan joined the Belarus-Kazakhstan-Russia Customs Union in an effort to boost foreign investment and improve trade relationships.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 53

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 57

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 96

Gross national saving:
Rank: 31

Gdp composition by end use
Government consumption: 12.4%
Investment in fixed capital: 22.1%
Investment in inventories: 2.5%
Exports of goods and services: 44.6%
Imports of goods and services: -32.6%: (2013 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Industry: 37.9%
Services: 56.9% (2011 est.)

Agriculture products: grain (mostly spring wheat and barley) potatoes vegetables melons; 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: 2.1% (2013 est.)
Rank: 122

Labor force: 9.022 million (2013 est.)
Rank: 52
By occupation industry: 11.9%
By occupation services: 62.3% (2012)

Unemployment rate: 5.3% (2012 est.)
Rank: 51

Population below poverty line: 5.3% (2011 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Highest 10: 23.7% (2011 est.)

Distribution of family income gini index: 31.5 (2003)
Rank: 122

Budget
Expenditures: $49 billion (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -2.3% of GDP (2013 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 93

Taxes and other revenues: 19.5% of GDP (2013 est.)
Rank: 168

Public debt: 13.2% of GDP (2012 est.)
Rank: 143

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices: 5.1% (2012 est.)
Rank: 168

Central bank discount rate: 7.5% (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 37

Commercial bank prime lending rate: 6.6% (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 127

Stock of narrow money: $25.82 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 63

Stock of broad money: $65.71 billion (31 December 2011 est.)
Rank: 63

Stock of domestic credit: $83.08 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 56

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 50

Current account balance: $640.5 million (2012 est.)
Rank: 41

Exports: $86.93 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 43
Commodities: oil and oil products natural gas ferrous metals chemicals machinery grain wool meat coal
Partners: China 19.3% Italy 18.1% Netherlands 8.8% France 6.6% Switzerland 5.8% Austria 5.8% (2012)

Imports: $49.08 billion (2012 est.)
Rank: 55
Commodities: machinery and equipment metal products foodstuffs
Partners: China 28% Ukraine 10.9% Germany 8.5% US 7.9% (2012)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $28.28 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 53

Debt external: $133.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 43

Stock of direct foreign investment at home: $111.5 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 37

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad: $25.53 billion (31 December 2012 est.)
Rank: 44

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Production: 90.53 billion kWh (2012 est.)
Production rank: 36
Consumption: 88.11 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 33
Exports: 1.8 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 43
Imports: 3.7 billion kWh (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 43
Installed generating capacity: 18.73 million kW (2010 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 40
Generation sources fossil fuels: 88.2% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 82
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 121
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 11.8% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 109
Generation sources other renewable sources: 0% of total installed capacity (2010 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 190

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 1.606 million bbl/day (2012 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 17
Crude oil exports: 1.406 million bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 12
Crude oil imports: 119,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 46
Crude oil proven reserves: 30 billion bbl (1 January 2013 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 11

Refined petroleum
Products production: 288,600 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products production rank: 42
Products consumption: 244,200 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products consumption rank: 52
Products exports: 149,800 bbl/day (2011 est.)
Products exports rank: 37
Products imports: 94,430 bbl/day (2010 est.)
Products imports rank: 52

Natural gas
Production: 20.2 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Production rank: 31
Consumption: 10.2 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Consumption rank: 45
Exports: 9.7 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Exports rank: 24
Imports: 10.7 billion m³ (2011 est.)
Imports rank: 28
Proven reserves: 2.407 trillion m³ (1 January 2013 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 14

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 195.4 million Mt (2011 est.)

Telephones
Main lines in use: 4.34 million (2012)
Main lines in use rank: 40
Mobile cellular: 28.731 million (2012)
Mobile cellular rank: 37

Telephone system
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 has increased rapidly and the subscriber base now exceeds 140 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; households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media; a small number of commercial radio stations operate along with state-run radio stations; recent legislation requires all media outlets to register with the government and all TV providers to broadcast in digital format by 2015 (2008)

Internet
Country code: .kz
Hosts: 67,464 (2012)
Hosts rank: 90
Users: 5.299 million (2009)
Users rank: 44

Military expenditures:
Rank: 84

Military service age and obligation: 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation is 2 years but Kazakhstan may be transitioning to a contract force; 19 is the legal minimum age for voluntary service; military cadets in intermediate (ages 15-17) and higher (ages 17-21) education institutes are classified as military service personnel (2012)

Airports: 96 (2013)
Rank: 60
With paved runways over 3047 m: 10
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 25
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 15
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With paved runways under 914 m: 8 (2013)
With unpaved runways over 3047 m: 5
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 7
With unpaved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 3
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 5
With unpaved runways: 13 (2013)

Heliports: 3 (2013)

Pipelines: condensate 658 km; gas 12,432 km; oil 11,313 km; refined products 1095 km; water 1465 km (2013)

Railways
Rank: 18
Broad gauge: 15,333 km 1.520-m gauge (4,000 km electrified) (2012)

Roadways
Rank: 46
Paved: 87,140 km
Unpaved: 10,278 km (2012)

Waterways: 4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River) (2010)
Rank: 27

Merchant marine
Rank: 111
By type: cargo 1 petroleum tanker 8 refrigerated cargo 1 specialized tanker 1
Foreign owned: 3 (Austria 1 Ireland 1 Turkey 1) (2010)

Ports and terminals
River port: Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk) Pavlodar Semey (Semipalatinsk) (Irtysh River)

Disputes international: Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstan; field demarcation of the boundaries commenced with Uzbekistan in 2004 and with Turkmenistan in 2005; ongoing demarcation with Russia began 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 sea

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 Europ