CIA World Fact Book, 2004/Kazakhstan


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!| 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.
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!| Location: !| Geographic coordinates: !| Map references: !| Area: water: 47,500 sq km land: 2,669,800 sq km !| Area - comparative: !| Land boundaries: border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km !| Coastline: !| Climate: !| Terrain: !| Elevation extremes: highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m !| Natural resources: !| Land use: permanent crops: 0.05% other: 91.97% (2001) !| Irrigated land: !| Natural hazards: !| Environment - current issues: !| Environment - international agreements: signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol !| Geography - note:
 * Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural River in eastern-most Europe
 * 48 00 N, 68 00 E
 * Asia
 * total: 2,717,300 sq km
 * slightly less than four times the size of Texas
 * total: 12,012 km
 * 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)
 * continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
 * extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains in western Siberia to oases and desert in Central Asia
 * lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
 * major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
 * arable land: 7.98%
 * 23,320 sq km (1998 est.)
 * 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 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
 * party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
 * 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
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!| Population: !| Age structure: 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: male: 26.6 years female: 30 years (2004 est.) !| Population growth rate: !| Birth rate: !| Death rate: !| Net migration rate: !| Sex ratio: under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female total population: 0.94 male(s)/female (2004 est.) !| Infant mortality rate: female: 25.57 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) male: 35.24 deaths/1,000 live births !| Life expectancy at birth: male: 60.72 years female: 71.73 years (2004 est.) !| Total fertility rate: !| HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: !| HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: !| HIV/AIDS - deaths: !| Nationality: adjective: Kazakhstani !| Ethnic groups: !| Religions: !| Languages: !| Literacy: total population: 98.4% male: 99.1% female: 97.7% (1999 est.)
 * 15,143,704 (July 2004 est.)
 * 0-14 years: 24.4% (male 1,884,369; female 1,807,585)
 * total: 28.3 years
 * 0.26% (2004 est.)
 * 15.52 births/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * 9.59 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * -3.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.)
 * at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female
 * total: 30.54 deaths/1,000 live births
 * total population: 66.07 years
 * 1.9 children born/woman (2004 est.)
 * 0.1% (2001 est.)
 * 6,000 (2001 est.)
 * less than 200 (2003 est.)
 * noun: Kazakhstani(s)
 * Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%, German 2.4%, Uygur 1.4%, other 6.6% (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.)
 * definition: age 15 and over can read and write
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!| Country name: conventional short form: Kazakhstan local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic local short form: none !| Government type: !| Capital: !| 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 sq km enclosing the Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (Baykonur, formerly Leninsk) !| Independence: !| National holiday: !| Constitution: !| Legal system: !| Suffrage: !| Executive branch: 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 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 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 !| Legislative branch: 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 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) !| Judicial branch: !| Political parties and leaders: note: twelve parties in Kazakhstan were registered for the elections in the fall of 2004 !| Political pressure groups and leaders: !| International organization participation: !| Diplomatic representation in the US: FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845 consulate(s): New York telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488 chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 !| Diplomatic representation from the US: embassy: 99/97A Fumanova, Samal-2, Almaty, 480099 mailing address: use embassy street address telephone: [7] (3272) 50-48-02 FAX: [7] (3272) 50-48-84 !| Flag description:
 * conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
 * republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
 * Astana; note - the government moved from Almaty to Astana in December 1998
 * 14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qala, singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy (Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
 * 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
 * Independence Day, 16 December (1991)
 * adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993
 * based on civil law system
 * 18 years of age; universal
 * chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December 1991)
 * bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats; 7 senators are appointed by the president; other members are popularly elected, two from each of the 14 oblasts, the capital of Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve six-year terms; note - formerly composed of 47 seats) and the Majilis (77 seats; 10 out of the 77 Majilis members are elected from the winning party's lists; members are popularly elected to serve five-year terms)
 * Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)
 * Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV]; AIST (Agrarian Party-Civic Party Bloc); Ak Zhol Party "Bright Path" [Bulat ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV, Lyudmila ZHULANOVA, Alikhan BAYMENOV, Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, co-chairs]; ASAR "All Together" [Dariga NAZARBAYEVA, chairwoman]; AUL "Village" [Gani KALIYEV]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV, first secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first secretary]; Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV]; Democratic Choice Party of Kazakhstan [Galiymzhan ZHAKIYANOV]; Democratic Party of Kazakhstan [Maksut NARIKBAEV]; Otan "Fatherland" [Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, chairman]; Patriots' Party [Gani KASYMOV]; Rukhaniyat [Altynshash JAGANOVA]
 * Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Almaty Helsinki Group [Ninel FOKINA]; Confederation of Free Trade Unions [Sergei BELKIN]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Republican Network of International Monitors [Dos KUSHIM]; Transparency International [Sergei ZLOTNIKOV]
 * 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)
 * chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
 * chief of mission: Ambassador John M. ORDWAY
 * 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
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!| Economy - overview: !| GDP: !| GDP - real growth rate: !| GDP - per capita: !| GDP - composition by sector: industry: 37.7% services: 54.6% (2003 est.) !| Investment (gross fixed): !| Population below poverty line: !| Household income or consumption by percentage share: highest 10%: 27.3% (2001) !| Distribution of family income - Gini index: !| Inflation rate (consumer prices): !| Labor force: !| Labor force - by occupation: !| Unemployment rate: !| Budget: expenditures: $6.999 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2003 est.) !| Public debt: !| Agriculture - products: !| Industries: !| Industrial production growth rate: !| Electricity - production: !| Electricity - consumption: !| Electricity - exports: !| Electricity - imports: !| Oil - production: !| Oil - consumption: !| Oil - exports: !| Oil - imports: !| Oil - proved reserves: !| Natural gas - production: !| Natural gas - consumption: !| Natural gas - exports: !| Natural gas - imports: !| Natural gas - proved reserves: !| Current account balance: !| Exports: !| Exports - commodities: !| Exports - partners: !| Imports: !| Imports - commodities: !| Imports - partners: !| Reserves of foreign exchange & gold: !| Debt - external: !| Economic aid - recipient: !| Currency: !| Currency code: !| Exchange rates: !| Fiscal year:
 * 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.
 * purchasing power parity - $105.5 billion (2003 est.)
 * 9.2% (2003 est.)
 * purchasing power parity - $6,300 (2003 est.)
 * agriculture: 7.7%
 * 23.9% of GDP (2003)
 * 26% (2001 est.)
 * lowest 10%: 2.8%
 * 35.4 (1996)
 * 6.6% (2003 est.)
 * 7.634 million (2003)
 * agriculture 20%, industry 30%, services 50% (2002 est.)
 * 8.8% (2003 est.)
 * revenues: $6.729 billion
 * 15.5% of GDP (2003)
 * 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
 * 8.8% (2003 est.)
 * 52.43 billion kWh (2001)
 * 48.36 billion kWh (2001)
 * 3.6 billion kWh (2001)
 * 3.2 billion kWh (2001)
 * 798,200 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * 195,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
 * NA (2001)
 * NA (2001)
 * 2.709 billion bbl (1 January 2002)
 * 10.08 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 14.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 4.1 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 8.3 billion cu m (2001 est.)
 * 920.3 billion cu m (1 January 2002)
 * $-68.8 million (2003)
 * $12.72 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * oil and oil products 58%, ferrous metals 24%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal (2001)
 * Bermuda 17%, Russia 15.2%, Switzerland 13%, China 12.8%, Italy 7.8% (2003)
 * $8.621 billion f.o.b. (2003 est.)
 * machinery and equipment 41%, metal products 28%, foodstuffs 8% (2001)
 * Russia 39%, Germany 8.7%, China 6.2%, US 5.6% (2003)
 * $4.962 billion (2003)
 * $24.45 billion (2003 est.)
 * $610 million in US assistance programs, 1992-2000 (2000)
 * tenge (KZT)
 * KZT
 * tenge per US dollar - 149.576 (2003), 153.279 (2002), 146.736 (2001), 142.133 (2000), 119.523 (1999)
 * calendar year
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!| Telephones - main lines in use: !| Telephones - mobile cellular: !| Telephone system: 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 !| Radio broadcast stations: !| Radios: !| Television broadcast stations: !| Televisions: !| Internet country code: !| Internet hosts: !| Internet Service Providers (ISPs): !| Internet users:
 * 2,081,900 (2002)
 * 1.027 million (2002)
 * general assessment: service is poor; equipment antiquated
 * AM 60, FM 17, shortwave 9 (1998)
 * 6.47 million (1997)
 * 12 (plus nine repeaters) (1998)
 * 3.88 million (1997)
 * .kz
 * 21,984 (2004)
 * 10 (with their own international channels) (2001)
 * 250,000 (2002)
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!| Railways: broad gauge: 13,601 km 1.520-m gauge (3,661 km electrified) (2003) !| Highways: paved: 77,020 km unpaved: 4,311 km (2000) !| Waterways: note: on the Syr Darya (Syrdariya) and Ertis (Irtysh) rivers (2004) !| Pipelines: !| Ports and harbors: !| Merchant marine: by type: roll on/roll off 1 foreign-owned: 26 Netherlands 1 (2004 est.) !| Airports: !| Airports - with paved runways: over 3,047 m: 9 2,438 to 3,047 m: 26 914 to 1,523 m: 3 under 914 m: 10 (2003 est.) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 16 !| Airports - with unpaved runways: under 914 m: 217 (2003 est.) over 3,047 m: 7 2,438 to 3,047 m: 11 914 to 1,523 m: 71 1,524 to 2,437 m: 22 !| Heliports:
 * total: 13,601 km
 * total: 81,331 km
 * 4,000 km
 * condensate 18 km; gas 10,370 km; oil 10,158 km; refined products 1,187 km (2004)
 * Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
 * total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,064 GRT/646 DWT
 * 392 (2003 est.)
 * total: 64
 * total: 328
 * 1 (2003 est.)
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!| Military branches: !| Military manpower - military age and obligation: !| Military manpower - availability: !| Military manpower - fit for military service: !| Military manpower - reaching military age annually: !| Military expenditures - dollar figure: !| Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
 * Ground Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces, Naval Force, Republican Guard
 * 18 years of age for compulsory military service; conscript service obligation - 2 years; minimum age for volunteers NA (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 4,233,623 (2004 est.)
 * males age 15-49: 3,381,606 (2004 est.)
 * males: 169,004 (2004 est.)
 * $221.8 million (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)
 * 0.9% (Ministry of Defense expenditures) (FY02)
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