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. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states combined largely due to the country's vast natural resources and a recent history of political stability. 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; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's competitiveness; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.

Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in eastern-most Europe

48 00 N, 68 00 E

Asia

slightly less than four times the size of Texas

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)

none (landlocked)

continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

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

major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

35,560 sq km (2003)

109.6 cu km (1997)

earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Almaty

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

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

15,460,484 (July 2010 est.)

0.399% (2010 est.)

16.66 births/1,000 population (2010 est.)

9.39 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.)

-3.28 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.)

1.87 children born/woman (2010 est.)

0.1% (2007 est.)

12,000 (2007 est.)

fewer than 500 (2007 est.)

Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%, German 2.4%, Tatar 1.7%, Uyghur 1.4%, other 4.9% (1999 census)

Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%

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

2.3% of GDP (2005)

republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch

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)

16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

Independence Day, 16 December (1991)

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

based on Islamic law and Roman law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction

18 years of age; universal

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)

Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (seven members)

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 Party [Bolat ABILOV] (formerly True Ak Zhol 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) [Altynshash ZHAGANOVA]

Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; For Fair Elections [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, Sabit ZHUSUPOV, Sergey DUVANOV, Ibrash NUSUPBAYEV]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pan-National Social Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergey ZLOTNIKOV]

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

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

Kazakhstan, the largest of the former Soviet republics in territory, excluding Russia, possesses enormous fossil fuel reserves and plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. Kazakhstan's industrial sector is primarily focused on the extraction and processing of these natural resources. Kazakhstan enjoyed double-digit growth in 2000-01 and 8% or more per year in 2002-07 - thanks largely to its booming energy sector but also to economic reform, good harvests, and increased foreign investment; GDP growth slowed to 3.3% in 2008, and to 1% in 2009, however, as a result of declines in oil and metals prices and problems in the banking sector following the global financial crisis. In the energy sector, the opening of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium in 2001, from western Kazakhstan's Tengiz oilfield to the Black Sea, substantially raised export capacity. In 2006, Kazakhstan completed the Atasu-Alashankou portion, and, in 2009, the Kenkiyak-Kumkol portion of an oil pipeline to China that will extend from the country's Caspian coast eastward to the Chinese border, according to plans. The country has embarked upon an industrial policy designed to diversify the economy away from overdependence on the oil sector by developing its manufacturing potential. The policy changed the corporate tax code to favor domestic industry as a means 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, most recently, with regard to the Kashagan project in 2007-08 and the Karachaganak project in 2009. Since 2007, Astana has provided financial support to the banking sector that has been struggling with poor asset quality and large foreign loans - problems that have been amplified by the global financial crisis in 2009.

$182.3 billion (2009 est.)

$180.5 billion (2008 est.)

$174.7 billion (2007 est.)

$108.3 billion (2009 est.)

1% (2009 est.)

3.3% (2008 est.)

8.9% (2007 est.)

$11,800 (2009 est.)

$11,800 (2008 est.)

$11,400 (2007 est.)

8.7 million (2009 est.)

6.3% (2009 est.)

6.6% (2008 est.)

12.1% (2008)

28.8 (2008)

31.5 (2003)

31.9% of GDP (2009 est.)

14% of GDP (2009 est.)

8.6% of GDP (2008 est.)

7.3% (2009)

17% (2008 est.)

7% (31 December 2009)

10.5% (31 December 2008)

NA%

$16.12 billion (31 December 2008)

$12.74 billion (31 December 2007)

$35.76 billion (31 December 2008)

$25.75 billion (31 December 2007)

$44.53 billion (31 December 2008)

$43.75 billion (31 December 2007)

$31.08 billion (31 December 2008)

$41.38 billion (31 December 2007)

$43.69 billion (31 December 2006)

grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; livestock

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

1.7% (2009 est.)

78.4 billion kWh (2009 est.)

77.9 billion kWh (2009 est.)

3.617 billion kWh (2007 est.)

1.94 billion kWh (2009 est.)

1.528 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

239,000 bbl/day (2008 est.)

1.345 million bbl/day (2009 est.)

164,000 bbl/day (2007 est.)

30 billion bbl (1 January 2009 est.)

35.61 billion cu m (2009 est.)

33.68 billion cu m (2008 est.)

17.66 billion cu m (2008 est.)

3.72 billion cu m (2009 est.)

2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2009 est.)

-$2.8 billion (2009 est.)

$6.6 billion (2008 est.)

$41.64 billion (2009 est.)

$71.97 billion (2008 est.)

oil and oil products 59%, ferrous metals 19%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal

China 13.4%, Russia 11.1%, Germany 10.6%, Italy 6.9%, Romania 6.6%, France 5.7%, Ukraine 5.4%, Turkey 4.1% (2008)

$25.15 billion (2009 est.)

$38.45 billion (2008 est.)

machinery and equipment, metal products, foodstuffs

Russia 34%, China 25%, Germany 6.2%, Ukraine 4.7% (2008)

$23.21 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$19.87 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$93.21 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$107.8 billion (31 December 2008)

$63.63 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$55.63 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

$3.617 billion (31 December 2009 est.)

$4.617 billion (31 December 2008 est.)

tenge (KZT) per US dollar - 147.84 (2009), 120.25 (2008), 122.55 (2007), 126.09 (2006), 132.88 (2005)

3.41 million (2008)

14.911 million (2008)

AM 60, FM 18, shortwave 9 (2008)

12 (plus 9 repeaters) (1998)

.kz

48,873 (2009)

2.3 million (2008)

99 (2009)

4 (2009)

condensate 658 km; gas 11,146 km; oil 10,376 km; refined products 1,095 km (2009)

4,000 km; on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River (2008)

Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)

Kazakhstani Armed Forces: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Mobile Forces, Air Defense Forces (2010)

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

0.9% of GDP (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)

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; 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

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; significant consumer of opiates