Kazakhstan

current issues:

• radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with its former defense industries and test ranges are found throughout the country and 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 salinization from faulty irrigation practices

natural hazards:

NA

international agreements:

party to - Biodiversity, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Climate Change, Desertification

0-14 years:

30% (female 2,589,509; male 2,664,952)

15-64 years:

63% (female 5,531,519; male 5,371,563)

65 years and over:

7% (female 820,900; male 398,172) (July 1995 est.)

noun:

Kazakhstani(s)

adjective:

Kazakhstani

conventional long form:

Republic of Kazakhstan

conventional short form:

Kazakhstan

local long form:

Qazaqstan Respublikasy

local short form:

none

former:

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

chief of state:

• President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV (since NA April 1990);
• Vice President Yerik ASANBAYEV (since 1 December 1991);
• election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 1996);
• results - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV ran unopposed;
• note - NAZARBAYEV has extended his term to the year 2000 by a nationwide referendum held 30 April 1995

head of government:

• Prime Minister Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN (since 12 October 1994);
• First Deputy Prime Ministers Nigmatzhan ISINGARIN (since 12 October 1994) and Vitalia METTE (since March 1995)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers; appointed by the prime minister

• elections last held 7 March 1994 (next to be held NA 1999);
• results - percent of vote by party NA;
• seats - (177 total) Union Peoples' Unity of Kazakhstan 33, Confederation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan 11, Peoples' Congress of Kazakhstan Party 9, Socialist Party of Kazakhstan 8, Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakhstan 4, Social Movement LAD 4, Organization of Veterans 1, Union of Youth of Kazakhstan 1, Democratic Committee for Human Rights 1, Association of Lawyers of Kazakhstan 1, International Public Committee "Aral-Asia-Kazakhstan" 1, Congress of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan 1, Deputies of the 12th Supreme Soviet 40, independents 62

note: the Supreme Council disbanded 12 March 1995 following a Constitutional Court ruling that the March 1994 elections were invalid

• People's Unity Party (PUP; was Union of People's Unity), Kuanysh SULTANOV, chairman;
• People's Congress of Kazakhstan (PCK), Olzhas SULEYMENOV, chairman;
• Socialist Party of Kazakhstan (SPK; former Communist Party), Yermukhamet YERTYSHBAYEV, co-chairman;
• Republican Party (Azat), Kamal ORMANTAYEV, chairman;
• Democratic Progress (Russian) Party, Alexandra DOKUCHAYEVA, chairman;
• Confederation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Kazakhstan;
• Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakhstan (KPU);
• Social Movement LAD, V. MIKHAYLOV, chairman;
• Union of Youth of Kazakhstan;
• Democratic Committee for Human Rights;
• Association of Lawyers of Kazakhstan;
• International Public Committee "Aral-Asia-Kazakhstan";
• Congress of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan;
• Deputies of the 12th Supreme Soviet;
• People's Cooperative Party, Umirzak SARSENOV, chairman;
• Organization of Veterans

chief of mission:

Ambassador Tuleutai S. SULEYMENOV

chancery:

(temporary) 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 333-4504 through 4507

chief of mission:

Ambassador William H. COURTNEY

embassy:

99/97 Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan 480012

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[7] (3272) 63-24-26

• 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 yellow

revenues:

$NA

expenditures:

$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

• accounts for 26% of net national product;
• extractive industries (oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur), iron and steel, nonferrous metal, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials

• accounts for 20% of GDP;
• employs about 26% of the labor force;
• grain, mostly spring wheat;
• meat, cotton, wool

• illicit cultivation of cannabis and opium poppy;
• mostly for CIS consumption;
• limited government eradication program;
• used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Western Europe and North America from Southwest Asia

total:

14,460 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines

broad gauge:

14,460 km 1.520-m gauge (1990)

total:

189,000 km

paved and graveled:

108,100 km

unpaved:

earth 80,900 km (1990)

• 2.2 million telephones;
• telephone service is poor;
• about 17 telephones/100 persons in urban areas and 7.6 telephones/100 persons in rural areas;
• Almaty has 184,000 telephones

local:

NA

intercity:

land line and microwave radio relay

international:

• international traffic with other former USSR republics and China carried by landline and microwave, and with other countries by satellite and through 8 international telecommunications circuits at the Moscow international gateway switch;
• INTELSAT earth station;
• new satellite earth station established at Almaty with Turkish financial help (December 1992) with 2500 channel band width

broadcast stations:

AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA

radios:

4.088 million (with multiple speakers for program diffusion 6,082,000)

broadcast stations:

Orbita (TV receive only) earth station

televisions:

4.75 million

• males age 15-49 4,513,089;
• males fit for military service 3,605,584;
• males reach military age (18) annually 154,280 (1995 est.)