Kazakhstan

mean elevation:

387 m

lowest point:

Vpadina Kaundy -132 m

highest point:

Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

• 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

• Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 83.1% (understand spoken language) and trilingual (Kazakh, Russian, English) 22.3% (2017 est.);
• Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 94.4% (understand spoken language) (2009 est.)

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.)

total:

30.9 years (2018 est.)

male:

29.7 years

female:

32.2 years

• 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:

0.94 male(s)/female

0-14 years:

0.97 male(s)/female

15-24 years:

1.04 male(s)/female

25-54 years:

0.96 male(s)/female

55-64 years:

0.78 male(s)/female

65 years and over:

0.54 male(s)/female

total population:

0.91 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

total:

19 deaths/1,000 live births (2018 est.)

male:

21.6 deaths/1,000 live births

female:

16.6 deaths/1,000 live births

total population:

71.4 years (2018 est.)

male:

66.2 years

female:

76.3 years

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"

history:

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

amendments:

• introduced by a referendum initiated 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 2019 (2019)

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

chief of state:

• President Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (since 20 March 2019);
• note - Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, who was president since 24 April 1990 (and in power since 22 June 1989 under the Soviet period), resigned on 20 March 2019;
• NAZARBAYEV retained the title and powers of "First President";
• TOKAYEV completed NAZARBAYEV's term, which was shortened due to the early election of 9 June 2019, and then continued as president following his election victory

head of government:

• Prime Minister Askar MAMIN (since 25 February 2019);
• First Deputy Prime Minister Alikhan SMAILOV (since 25 February 2019);
• Deputy Prime Ministers Berdibek SAPARBAYEV and Roman SKLYAR (since 18 September 2019)

cabinet:

• the president appoints ministers after consultations with the Chair of the Security Council (NAZARBAYEV) who has veto power over all appointments except for the ministers of defense, internal affairs, and foreign affairs;
• however, the president is required to discuss these three offices with the National Security Committee, which NAZARBAYEV chairs under a lifetime appointment

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 9 June 2019 (next to be held in 2024);
• prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Mazhilis

election results:

Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV elected president; percent of vote - Kassym-Jomart TOKAYEV (Nur Otan) 71%, Amirzhan KOSANOV (Ult Tagdyry) 16.2%, Daniya YESPAYEVA (Ak Zhol) 5.1%, other 7.7%

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 Mazhilis 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

• Ak Zhol (Bright Path) Party or Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol [Azat PERUASHEV]
• Birlik (Unity) Party [Serik SULTANGALI]
• Communist People's Party of Kazakhstan [informal leader Aikyn KONUROV]
• National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY]
• Nur Otan (Radiant Fatherland) Democratic People's Party [Nursultan NAZARBAYEV]
• People's Democratic (Patriotic) Party "Auyl" [Ali BEKTAYEV]
• Ult Tagdyry (Conscience of the Nation)

chief of mission:

Ambassador William MOSER (since 27 March 2019)

telephone:

[7] (7172) 70-21-00

embassy:

Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Ave. No 3, Astana 010010

mailing address:

use embassy street address

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%:

4.2%

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 (2018)

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 (2018)

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

• 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

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:

16,614 km (2017)

broad gauge:

16,614 km 1.520-m gauge (4,200 km electrified) (2017)

total:

95,409 km (2017)

paved:

81,814 km (2017)

unpaved:

13,595 km (2017)

total:

121

by type:

general cargo 3, oil tanker 10, other 108 (2018)

major seaport(s):

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

river port(s):

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

• in January 2019, the Kyrgyz Republic ratified the demarcation agreement of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border;
• the demarcation of the Kazakh-Uzbek borders is ongoing;
• the ongoing demarcation with Russia began in 2007;
• demarcation with China completed in 2002

• 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