Kazakhstan

                                 Kazakhstan

                                  Geography


Location: Central Asia, northwest of China

Geographic coordinates: 48 00 N, 68 00 E

Map references: Commonwealth of Independent States

Area:
total: 2,717,300 sq km
land: 2,669,800 sq km
water: 47,500 sq km

AreaŃcomparative: slightly less than four times the size of Texas

Land boundaries:
total: 12,012 km
border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan 1,051 km, Russia 6,846 km,
Turkmenistan 379 km, Uzbekistan 2,203 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)
note: Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea (1,015 km) and the Caspian Sea (1,894
km)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

Terrain: extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and from the plains
in western Siberia to oasis and desert in Central Asia

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m
highest point: Zhengis Shingy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m

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

Land use:
arable land: 12%
permanent crops: 11%
permanent pastures: 57%
forests and woodland: 4%
other: 16% (1996 est.)

Irrigated land: 22,000 sq km (1996 est.)

Natural hazards: earthquakes in the south, mudslides around Almaty

EnvironmentŃcurrent 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

EnvironmentŃinternational agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

GeographyŃnote: landlocked

                                   People


Population: 16,846,808 (July 1998 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 29% (male 2,486,607; female 2,413,207)
15-64 years: 64% (male 5,243,028; female 5,523,199)
65 years and over: 7% (male 393,950; female 786,817) (July 1998 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.17% (1998 est.)

Birth rate: 17.24 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Death rate: 10.15 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.5 male(s)/female (1998 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 58.25 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 63.59 years
male: 58.12 years
female: 69.33 years (1998 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.12 children born/woman (1998 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kazakhstani(s)
adjective: Kazakhstani

Ethnic groups: Kazakh (Qazaq) 46%, Russian 34.7%, Ukrainian 4.9%, German
3.1%, Uzbek 2.3%, Tatar 1.9%, other 7.1% (1996)

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

Languages: Kazakh (Qazaq) official language spoken by over 40% of
population, Russian official language spoken by two-thirds of population and
used in everyday business

Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 98%
male: 99%
female: 96% (1989 est.)

                                 Government


Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code: KZ

Government type: republic

National capital: Astana (Akmola)
note: the government has recently moved from Almaty to Astana

Administrative divisions: 14 oblystar (singularŃoblys) and 1 city (qalalar,
singularŃqala)*; Almaty Qalasy*, Almaty Oblysy, Aqmola Oblysy (Astana),
Aqtobe Oblysy, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Mangghystau
Oblysy (Aqtau; formerly Gur'yev), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent),
Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy,
Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Petropavl), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz; formerly Dzhambul)
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 Bayqongyr (Baykonur) space launch facilities and
the city of Bayqongyr (Leninsk)

Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 25 October (1991); Republic Day, 16
December (1991)

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

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme
Soviet from 22 February 1990-91, president since 1 December 1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Nurlan BALGIMBAYEV (since 10 October
1997) and First Deputy Prime Minister Uraz ZHANDOSOV (since 20 February
1998)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; election
last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000); noteŃPresident
NAZARBAYEV's term was extended to the year 2000 by a nationwide referendum
held 30 April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed
by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV elected president without
opposition; percent of voteŃNA
note: President NAZARBAYEV has expanded his presidential powers by decree:
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

Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47 seats; 7
senators are appointed by the president; other members are popularly
elected, two each from each oblast and Almaty, to serve four-year terms) and
the Majilis (67 seats; members are popularly elected to serve four-year
terms); noteŃwith the oblasts being reduced to 14, the Senate will
eventually be reduced to 37
elections: SenateŃ(indirect) last held 5 December 1995 (next to be held NA
1999); MajilisŃlast held 9 December and 23 December 1995 (next to be held NA
1999)
election results: SenateŃpercent of vote by partyŃNA; seats by partyŃparty
members 13, no party affiliation 34, of which "independent" state officials
25, nominated by the president 7, elected by popular vote 15;
MajilisŃpercent of vote by partyŃNA; seats by partyŃPUP 24, December
National Democratic Party 12, Kazakh Agrarian Union 5, Confederation of
Kazakh Trade Unions 5, KPK 2, independents and others 19

Judicial branch: Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7
members)

Political parties and leaders: Alash National Freedom Party [Aron ATABEK];
People's Unity Party or PUP (was Union of People's Unity) [Akhan BIZHANOV,
chairman]; Democratic Party [Tulegen ZHUKEYEV and Altynbek SARSENBAYEV,
cochairmen]; People's Congress of Kazakhstan or NKK [Anuar ISMAILOV,
chairman]; AZAMAT Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSIITOV,
cochairmen]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first secretary];
National Democratic Party [Hasen KOZHAKHMETOV, chairman]; AZAT party
[Toleubek KARAMENDIN, chairman]; Labor and Workers Movement [Madel ISMAILOV,
chairman]; Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakhstan or KPU; Republican
People's Slavic Movement-Harmony or Lad [Aleksander SAMARKIN, chairman];
Party for Social Justice and Economic Revival "Tagibat"; Social Democratic
Party of Kazakhstan or SDPK [Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman]; People's Cooperative
Party [Umirzak SARSENOV, chairman]; Organization of Veterans; Republican
Party [Sabetkazy AKATAYEV]; Russian Center or RT [Nina SIDOROVA,
chairwoman]; Russian Cossacks [Vladimir DESYATOV, head (ataman)]; Pensioners
Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Liberal Movement
[Asylbek BISENBAYEV, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Independent Trade Union Center
[Leonid SOLOMIN, president]; Kazakhstani-American Bureau on Human Rights
[Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Democratic Committee on Human Rights
[Baretta YERGALIEVA, chairwoman]; Independent Miners Union [Victor GAIPOV,
president]; The Almaty-Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights [Ninel FOKINA,
chairwoman]; Legal Development of Kazakhstan [Vitaliy VORONOV, chairman]

International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE,
ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol,
IOC, ISO, ITU, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bolat K. NURGALIYEV
chancery: (temporary) 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-4504 through 4507
FAX: [1] (202) 333-4509

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador A. Elizabeth JONES
embassy: 99/97 Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan 480012
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-05, 63-13-75, 63-24-26
FAX: [7] (3272) 63-38-83

Flag description: 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

                                   Economy


EconomyŃoverview: Kazakhstan, the second largest of the former Soviet
republics in territory, possesses enormous untapped fossil fuel reserves as
well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has
considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating
both livestock and grain production. Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on
the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a
relatively large machine building sector specializing in construction
equipment, tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The
breakup of the USSR and the collapse of demand for Kazakhstan's traditional
heavy industry products have resulted in a sharp contraction of the economy
since 1991, 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. The December 1996 signing of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium
agreement to build a new pipeline from western Kazakhstan's Tengiz oil field
to the Black Sea increases prospects for substantially larger oil exports in
several years. The emigration of large numbers of skilled Slavic managers
and technicians from the northern industrial areas will hold back future
growth.

GDP: purchasing power parityŃ$50 billion (1997 est.)

GDPŃreal growth rate: 2.1% (1997 est.)

GDPŃper capita: purchasing power parityŃ$3,000 (1997 est.)

GDPŃcomposition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 25%
services: 63% (1996 est.)

Inflation rateŃconsumer price index: 12% (1997 est.)

Labor force:
total: 6.9 million
by occupation: industry 27%, agriculture and forestry 23%, other 50% (1996)

Unemployment rate: 2.6% includes only officially registered unemployed; also
large additional numbers of unemployed and underemployed workers (December
1996 est.)

Budget:
revenues: $3 billion
expenditures: $4.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $40 million
(1996 est.)

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; much of industrial capacity is shut down
and/or is in need of repair

Industrial production growth rate: 3% (1997 est.)

ElectricityŃcapacity: 18.9 million kW (1995)

ElectricityŃproduction: 61.7 billion kWh (1995)

ElectricityŃconsumption per capita: 3,800 kWh (1996 est.)

AgricultureŃproducts: grain, mostly spring wheat, cotton; wool, meat

Exports:
total value: $5.6 billion (1996)
commodities: oil, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, grain, wool,
meat, coal
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, China

Imports:
total value: $6 billion (1996)
commodities: machinery and parts, industrial materials, oil and gas
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Germany

DebtŃexternal: $3.3 billion (1996)

Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $10 million (1993)
note: commitments, 1992-95, $4,780 million ($1,795 million disbursements)

Currency: 1 Kazakhstani tenge = 100 tiyn

Exchange rates: tenges per US$1Ń76.4 (February 1998), 75.55 (January 1998),
75.44 (1997), 67.30 (1996), 60.95 (1995), 35.54 (1994)

Fiscal year: calendar year

                               Communications


Telephones: 2.2 million

Telephone system: service is poor
domestic: landline and microwave radio relay
international: international traffic with other former Soviet republics and
China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries
by satellite and through 8 international telecommunications circuits at the
Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth stationsŃ1 Intelsat and
a new satellite earth station established at Almaty of unknown type

Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA

Radios: 4.088 million (with multiple speakers for program diffusion 6.082
million)

Television broadcast stations: 1 broadcast station; Orbita (TV receive only)
earth station

Televisions: 4.75 million

                               Transportation


Railways:
total: 13,841 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial
lines
broad gauge: 13,841 km 1.520-m gauge (3,299 km electrified) (1992)

Highways:
total: 141,076 km
paved: 113,566 km
unpaved: 27,510 km (1996 est.)

Waterways: 4,002 km on the Syr Darya and Ertis Darya

Pipelines: crude oil 2,850 km; refined products 1,500 km; natural gas 3,480
km (1992)

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

Airports: 10 (1997 est.)

AirportsŃwith paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 4
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1997 est.)

AirportsŃwith unpaved runways:
total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)

                                  Military


Military branches: Ministry of Defense (Border Guards, General Purpose
Forces, Air Force), Republican Guard

Military manpowerŃmilitary age: 18 years of age

Military manpowerŃavailability:
males age 15-49: 4,429,484 (1998 est.)

Military manpowerŃfit for military service:
males: 3,534,839 (1998 est.)

Military manpowerŃreaching military age annually:
males: 154,218 (1998 est.)

Military expendituresŃdollar figure: 18.9 billion tenges (1995);
noteŃconversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the current
exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military expendituresŃpercent of GDP: NA%

                            Transnational Issues


DisputesŃinternational: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among
Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan

Illicit drugs: significant illicit cultivation of cannabis and limited
cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrone); limited
government eradication program; cannabis consumed largely in the CIS; used
as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia, North America, and
Western Europe from Southwest Asia