Kazakhstan

mean elevation:

387 m

elevation extremes:

-132 m lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy; 6995 highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri)

• most of the country displays a low population density, particularly the interior;
• population clusters appear in urban agglomerations in the far northern and southern portions of the country

• 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;
• desertification;
• 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, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

• world's largest landlocked country and one of only two landlocked countries in the world that extends into two continents (the other is Azerbaijan);
• Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome;
• in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

noun:

Kazakhstani(s)

adjective:

Kazakhstani

0-14 years:

26.09% (male 2,406,397 /female 2,483,562)

15-24 years:

13.55% (male 1,295,882 /female 1,244,540)

25-54 years:

42.32% (male 3,884,454 /female 4,049,072)

55-64 years:

10.14% (male 831,872 /female 1,068,651)

65 years and over:

7.9% (male 517,471 /female 962,647) (2018 est.)

total dependency ratio:

50.4 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio:

40.3 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio:

10.2 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio:

9.8 (2015 est.)

• most of the country displays a low population density, particularly the interior;
• population clusters appear in urban agglomerations in the far northern and southern portions of the country

at birth:

0.93 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

0-14 years:

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years:

0.95 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years:

0.78 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over:

0.53 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population:

0.92 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

conventional long form:

Republic of Kazakhstan

conventional short form:

Kazakhstan

local long form:

Qazaqstan Respublikasy

local short form:

Qazaqstan

former:

Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

• the name "Kazakh" derives from the Turkic word "kaz" meaning "to wander," recalling the Kazakh's nomadic lifestyle;
• the Persian suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so the word Kazakhstan literally means "Land of the Wanderers"

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 has two time zones

history:

previous 1937, 1978 (preindependence), 1993; latest approved by referendum 30 August 1995, effective 5 September 1995 (2017)

amendments:

• proposed by the president of the republic, on the recommendation of Parliament, or by the government;
• the president has the option of submitting draft amendments to Parliament or directly to a referendum;
• passage of amendments by Parliament requires four-fifths majority vote of both houses and the signature of the president;
• passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote by more than one-half of the voters in at least two-thirds of the oblasts, major cities, and the capital, followed by the signature of the president;
• amended several times, last in 2017 (2017)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Kazakhstan

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

highest courts:

Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of the chairman and 6 members)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges proposed by the president of the republic on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council and confirmed by the Senate;
• judges normally serve until age 65 but can be extended to age 70;
• Constitutional Council - the president of the republic, the Senate chairperson, and the Majilis chairperson each appoints 2 members for a 6-year term;
• chairman of the Constitutional Council appointed by the president for a 6-year term

subordinate courts:

regional and local courts

chief of state:

President Nursultan Abishuly NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December 1991)

head of government:

Prime Minister Bakytzhan SAGINTAYEV (since 9 September 2016); First Deputy Prime Minister Askar MAMIN (since 13 September 2016)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers appointed by the president

elections/appointments:

• president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term);
• election last held on 26 April 2015 (next scheduled for 2020);
• prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Mazhilis;
• note - constitutional amendments in May 2007 shortened the presidential term from 7 to 5 years and established a 2-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 (Nur Otan) 97.8%, other 2.2%

• Ak Zhol (Bright Path) Party or Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol [Azat PERUASHEV]
• Auyl National Patriotic Party [Ali BEKTAYEV] (a merger of the Patriots’ Party and the Auyl Social Democratic Party)
• Birlik (Unity) [Serik SULTANGALI] (a merger of Adilet (Justice; formerly Democratic Party of Kazakhstan) and Rukhaniyat (Spirituality))
• Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [Vladislav KOSAREV]
• National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]
• Nur Otan (Radiant Fatherland) Democratic People's Party [Nursultan NAZARBAYEV] (the Agrarian, Asar, and Civic parties merged with Otan)

chief of mission:

Ambassador Erzhar KAZYKHANOV (since 24 April 2017)

chancery:

1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone:

[1] (202) 232-5488

FAX:

[1] (202) 232-5845

consulate(s) general:

New York

chief of mission:

Ambassador George KROL (since 18 March 2015)

embassy:

Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Ave. No 3, Astana 010010

mailing address:

use embassy street address

telephone:

[7] (7172) 70-21-00

FAX:

[7] (7172) 54-09-14

consulate(s) general:

Almaty

• 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

name:

"Menin Qazaqstanim" (My Kazakhstan)

lyrics/music:

Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV

note: adopted 2006; President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV played a role in revising the lyrics

• 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

agriculture:

18.1%

industry:

20.4%

services:

61.6% (2017 est.)

lowest 10%:

23.3% (2016)

highest 10%:

23.3% (2016)

general assessment:

• one of the most progressive telecoms sectors in Central Asia;
• vast 4G network;
• low fixed-line and fixed-broadband penetration, moderate mobile broadband penetration and high mobile penetration (2017)

domestic:

• intercity by landline and microwave radio relay;
• number of fixed-line connections is 20 per 100 persons;
• mobile-cellular usage increased rapidly and the subscriber base approaches 143 per 100 persons (2017)

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 (2017)

• the state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks;
• there are 96 TV channels, many of which are owned by the government, and 4 state-run radio stations;
• 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 2018;
• broadcasts reach some 99% of the population as well as neighboring countries (2018)

number of registered air carriers:

10 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 71 (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

5,081,631 (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

37,669,008 mt-km (2015)

total:

16,104 km (2016)

broad gauge:

16,104 km 1.520-m gauge (4,200 km electrified) (2016)

total:

97,418 km (2012)

paved:

87,140 km (2012)

unpaved:

10,278 km (2012)

total:

119 (2017)

by type:

general cargo 4, oil tanker 10, other 105 (2017)

major seaport(s):

Caspian Sea - Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev)

river port(s):

Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk) (Irtysh River)

• 18 is the legal minimum age for compulsory military service;
• conscript service obligation is 2 years, but Kazakhstan is transitioning to a largely contract force;
• military cadets in intermediate (ages 15-17) and higher (ages 17-21) education institutes are classified as military service personnel (2017)

Kyrgyzstan has yet to ratify the 2001 boundary delimitation with Kazakhstanfield demarcation of the boundaries commenced with Uzbekistan in 2004 and with Turkmenistan in 2005ongoing demarcation with Russia began in 2007demarcation with China was completed in 2002creation of a seabed boundary with Turkmenistan in the Caspian Sea remains under discussionAzerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Russia ratified Caspian seabed delimitation treaties based on equidistance, while Iran continues to insist on a one-fifth slice of the sea

• 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