Kazakhstan

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Republic of Kazakhstan
(Kazakh)
Qazaqstan Respublkas

(Russian)
Respublika Kazakhstan

Flag

Emblem

Anthem:
Meni Qazaqstanm
My Kazakhstan

Menu
0:00

Capital
Largest city

Astana
5110N 7125E

Almaty

Kazakh (state)

Russian (official)[1]

63.6% Kazakh

23.3% Russians

2.9% Uzbek

2.0% Ukrainian

1.4% Uyghur

1.2% Tatar

1.1% German

4.5% others

Official languages

Ethnic groups (2010[2])

Demonym
Government
- President
- Prime Minister
Legislature
- Upper house

Kazakhstani[3]
Dominant-party presidential republic
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Karim Massimov
Parliament
Senate

- Lower house
Mazhilis
Independence from the Soviet Union
- Declared
16 December 1991
- Finalized
25 December 1991
- Current constitution 30 August 1995
Area
2,724,900 km2 (9th)
- Total
1,052,085 sq mi
- Water (%)
1.7
Population
[3]
- July 2014 estimate 17,948,816[3] (62nd)
5.94/km2 (227th)
- Density
15.39/sq mi
GDP (PPP)
2014 estimate
- Total
$420.629 billion[4] (43rd)
- Per capita
$24,143[4] (50th)
GDP (nominal)
2014 estimate
- Total
$225.619 billion[4] (50th)
- Per capita
$12,950[4] (54th)
28.8[5]
Gini (2008)
low
0.757[6]
HDI (2013)
high 70th
Currency
Tenge () (KZT)
Time zone
West / East (UTC+5 / +6)
Drives on the
right
Calling code
+7-6xx, +7-7xx

.kz

Internet TLD

Kazakhstan ( i/k zkst n/ or /kzkstn/; Kazakh: Qazaqstan, pronounced

[qzqstn]; Russian: [kzxstan]), officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a
contiguous transcontinental country in Central Asia, with its smaller part west of the Ural River
in Europe.[3] Kazakhstan is the world's largest landlocked country by land area and the ninth
largest country in the world; its territory of 2,724,900 square kilometres (1,052,100 sq mi) is
larger than Western Europe.[3][7] It has borders with (clockwise from the north) Russia, China,
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, and also adjoins a large part of the Caspian Sea. The
terrain of Kazakhstan includes flatlands, steppe, taiga, rock canyons, hills, deltas, snow-capped
mountains, and deserts. With an estimated 17 million people as of 2013[8] Kazakhstan is the 61st
most populous country in the world, though its population density is among the lowest, at less
than 6 people per square kilometre (15 people per sq. mi.). The capital is Astana, where it was
moved from Almaty in 1997.

The territory of Kazakhstan has historically been inhabited by nomadic tribes. This changed in
the 13th century, when Genghis Khan occupied the country. Following internal struggles among
the conquerors, power eventually reverted to the nomads. By the 16th century, the Kazakhs
emerged as a distinct group, divided into three jz (ancestor branches occupying specific
territories). The Russians began advancing into the Kazakh steppe in the 18th century, and by the
mid-19th century all of Kazakhstan was part of the Russian Empire. Following the 1917 Russian
Revolution, and subsequent civil war, the territory of Kazakhstan was reorganized several times
before becoming the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic in 1936, an integral part of the Soviet
Union.
Kazakhstan was the last of the Soviet republics to declare independence following the
dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991; the current President, Nursultan Nazarbayev, has been
leader of the country since then. Kazakhstan pursues a balanced foreign policy and works to
develop its economy, especially its dominant hydrocarbon industry.[9]
Kazakhstan is populated by 131 ethnicities, including Kazakh (who make up 63 percent of the
population), Russian, Uzbek, Ukrainian, German, Tatar, and Uyghur.[10] Islam is the religion of
about 70% of the population, with Christianity practiced by 26%;[11] Kazakhstan allows freedom
of religion. The Kazakh language is the state language, while Russian has equal official status for
all levels of administrative and institutional purposes.[3][12]

Contents

1 Etymology

2 History
o 2.1 Kazakh Khanate
o 2.2 Kazakhstan under Russian Empire rule
o 2.3 Kazakhstan as part of Soviet Union
o 2.4 Independence

3 Politics
o 3.1 Political system
o 3.2 Nuclear weapons non-proliferation
o 3.3 Elections

4 Foreign relations and policies

o 4.1 Kazakhstan and United Nations

o 4.2 Ukraine conflict
o 4.3 Military

5 Government
o 5.1 Ministry of Investments and Development

6 Geography
o 6.1 Administrative divisions

7 Economy
o 7.1 Macroeconomic trends
o 7.2 Agriculture
o 7.3 Natural resources
o 7.4 Transport
o 7.5 Banking
o 7.6 Green economy
o 7.7 Foreign direct investment
o 7.8 Bond market
o 7.9 Economic competitiveness
o 7.10 Housing market
o 7.11 "Nurly Zhol" economic policy

8 Infrastructure

9 Demographics
o 9.1 Language

o 9.2 Religion

10 Education

11 Human rights and media

12 Rule of Law

13 Anti-corruption initiatives

14 Culture
o 14.1 Cuisine
o 14.2 Sport
o 14.3 Film
o 14.4 UNESCO World Heritage sites
o 14.5 Public holidays

15 Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy

o 15.1 Astana Roundtable

16 Membership of international organizations

17 See also

18 References

19 Further reading

20 External links
o 20.1 General
o 20.2 Government

21 Trade

Etymology

While the word "Kazakh" is generally used to refer to people of ethnic Kazakh descent,
including those living in China, Russia, Turkey, Uzbekistan and other neighboring countries,
within the country both terms "Kazakh" or "Kazakhstani" (Kazakh:
qazaqstandyk ; Russian: kazakhstanyets) are being used to describe all citizens of
Kazakhstan, including non-Kazakhs.[13] The ethnonym "Kazakh" is derived from an ancient
Turkic word meaning "independent; a free spirit", reflecting the Kazakhs' nomadic horseback
culture.[citation needed] The Persian suffix "-stan" (see Indo-Iranian languages) means "land" or "place
of", so Kazakhstan means "land of the Kazakhs".
In February 2014, President Nursultan Nazarbayev suggested dropping "-stan" and officially
renaming the country to "Kazakh Eli", meaning "country of the Kazakhs", in order to better
reflect the diverse population of the country and also to attract greater foreign investment.[14][15]
However, on 13 June 2014, it was reported on the Kazakhstan website, Tengri News, that
Kazakhstan would not change the name by removing the "-stan". The Foreign Minister, Yerlan
Idrissov labeled such speculations as "media tricks" in an interview with Spain's centrist La
Vanguardia newspaper.

History
Main article: History of Kazakhstan

Kazakh Khanate
While the Republic of Kazakhstan gained independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991,
Kazakh statehood dates back 550 years.[16]
Main article: Kazakh Khanate

Artistic depiction of medieval Taraz situated along the Silk Road.

Kazakhstan has been inhabited since the Neolithic Age: the region's climate and terrain are best
suited for nomads practicing pastoralism. Archaeologists believe that humans first domesticated
the horse in the region's vast steppes.
Central Asia was originally inhabited by Indo-Iranians. The best known of those groups was the
nomadic Scythians.[17]

Stamp of Kazakhstan devoted to Ghazi, Abul Khair Khan, 2001 (Michel 316)
The Cumans entered the steppes of modern day Kazakhstan around the early 11th century, where
they later joined with the Kipchaks and established the vast Cuman-Kipchak confederation.
While ancient cities Taraz (Aulie-Ata) and Hazrat-e Turkestan had long served as important waystations along the Silk Road connecting East and West, real political consolidation only began
with the Mongol invasion of the early 13th century. Under the Mongol Empire, administrative
districts were established, and these eventually came under the rule of the emergent Kazakh
Khanate (Kazakhstan).
Throughout this period, traditionally nomadic life and a livestock-based economy continued to
dominate the steppe. In the 15th century, a distinct Kazakh identity began to emerge among the
Turkic tribes, a process which was consolidated by the mid-16th century with the appearance of
the Kazakh language, culture, and economy.
Nevertheless, the region was the focus of ever-increasing disputes between the native Kazakh
emirs and the neighbouring Persian-speaking peoples to the south. At its height the Khanate
would rule parts of Central Asia and control the land previously known as Cumania. The
Kazakhs nomads would raid people of Russian territory for slaves until the Russian conquest of
Kazakhstan. From the sixteenth through the early nineteenth century, the most powerful nomadic
peoples were the Kazakhs and the Oirats.[18]
By the early 17th century, the Kazakh Khanate was struggling with the impact of tribal rivalries,
which had effectively divided the population into the Great, Middle and Little (or Small) hordes
(jz). Political disunion, tribal rivalries, and the diminishing importance of overland trade routes
between East and West weakened the Kazakh Khanate. Khiva Khanate used this opportunity and
annexed Mangyshlak Peninsula. Uzbek rule there lasted two centuries until the Russian arrival.

Inside a Kazakh yurt

During the 17th century, Kazakhs fought Oirats, a federation of western Mongol tribes, including
Dzungars.[19] The beginning of the 18th century marked the zenith of the Kazakh Khanate.
During this period the Little Horde participated in the 17231730 war against the Dzungars,
following their "Great Disaster" invasion of Kazakh territories. Under the leadership of Abul
Khair Khan, the Kazakhs won major victories over the Dzungar at the Bulanty River in 1726,
and at the Battle of Anrakay in 1729.[20] Ablai Khan participated in the most significant battles
against the Dzungars from the 1720s to the 1750s, for which he was declared a "batyr" ("hero")
by the people. Kazakhs were also victims of constant raids carried out by the Volga Kalmyks.
Kokand Khanate used weakness of Kazakh jzs after Dzungar and Kalmyk raids and conquered
present Southeastern Kazakhstan including Almaty, formal capital at first quarter of 19th
century. Also, Emirate of Bukhara ruled Shymkent before Russian arrival.

Kazakhstan under Russian Empire rule

In the 19th century, the Russian Empire began to expand into Central Asia. The "Great Game"
period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the Anglo-Russian
Convention of 1907. The tsars effectively ruled over most of the territory belonging to what is
now the Republic of Kazakhstan.

Traditional Kazakh wedding dress.

The Russian Empire introduced a system of administration and built military garrisons and
barracks in its effort to establish a presence in Central Asia in the so-called "Great Game"
between itself and the British Empire. The first Russian outpost, Orsk, was built in 1735. Russia
enforced the Russian language in all schools and governmental organizations. Russian efforts to
impose its system aroused the resentment by the Kazakh people, and by the 1860s, most Kazakhs
resisted Russia's annexation largely because of the influence it wrought upon the traditional
nomadic lifestyle and livestock-based economy, and the associated hunger that was rapidly
wiping out some Kazakh tribes. The Kazakh national movement, which began in the late 19th

century, sought to preserve the native language and identity by resisting the attempts of the
Russian Empire to assimilate and stifle them.
From the 1890s onwards, ever-larger numbers of settlers from the Russian Empire began
colonizing the territory of present-day Kazakhstan, in particular the province of Semirechye. The
number of settlers rose still further once the Trans-Aral Railway from Orenburg to Tashkent was
completed in 1906, and the movement was overseen and encouraged by a specially created
Migration Department ( ) in St. Petersburg. During the 19th
century about 400,000 Russians immigrated to Kazakhstan, and about one million Slavs,
Germans, Jews, and others immigrated to the region during the first third of the 20th century.[21]
Vasile Balabanov was the administrator responsible for the resettlement during much of this
time.

Russian settlers near Petropavlovsk

The competition for land and water that ensued between the Kazakhs and the newcomers caused
great resentment against colonial rule during the final years of Tsarist Russia, with the most
serious uprising, the Central Asian Revolt, occurring in 1916. The Kazakhs attacked Russian and
Cossack settlers and military garrisons. The revolt resulted in a series of clashes and in brutal
massacres committed by both sides.[22] Both sides resisted the communist government until late
1919.

Kazakhstan as part of Soviet Union

Main article: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Although there was a brief period of autonomy (Alash Autonomy) during the tumultuous period
following the collapse of the Russian Empire the Kazakhs eventually succumbed to Soviet rule.
In 1920, the area of present-day Kazakhstan became an autonomous republic within the Soviet
Union.
Soviet repression of the traditional elite, along with forced collectivization in the late 1920s
1930s, brought mass hunger and led to unrest (see also: Famine in Kazakhstan of 193233).[23][24]
The Kazakh population declined by 38%[25] due to starvation and mass emigration. Estimates
today suggest that the population of Kazakhstan would be closer to 2835 million if there had
been no starvation or migration of Kazakhs.[26] During the 1930s, many renowned Kazakh
writers, thinkers, poets, politicians and historians were killed on Stalin's orders, both as part of

the repression and as a methodical pattern of suppressing Kazakh identity and culture. Soviet
rule took hold, and a Communist apparatus steadily worked to fully integrate Kazakhstan into the
Soviet system. In 1936 Kazakhstan became a Soviet republic. Kazakhstan experienced
population inflows of millions exiled from other parts of the Soviet Union during the 1930s and
1940s; many of the deportation victims were deported to Siberia or Kazakhstan merely due to
their ethnic heritage or beliefs. For example, after the German invasion in June 1941,
approximately 400,000 Volga Germans were transported from Ukraine to Kazakhstan.

Young Pioneers at a Young Pioneer camp in Kazakh SSR.

Deportees were interned in some of the biggest Soviet labor camps, including ALZHIR camp
outside Astana, which was reserved for the wives of men considered "enemies of the people"[27]
(see also Population transfer in the Soviet Union and Involuntary settlements in the Soviet
Union). The Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic contributed five national divisions to the Soviet
Union's World War II effort. In 1947, two years after the end of the war, the Semipalatinsk Test
Site, the USSR's main nuclear weapon test site, was founded near the city of Semey.
World War II led to an increase in industrialisation and mineral extraction in support of the war
effort. At the time of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's death, however, Kazakhstan still had an
overwhelmingly agriculturally based economy. In 1953, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev
initiated the ambitious "Virgin Lands" program to turn the traditional pasture lands of
Kazakhstan into a major grain-producing region for the Soviet Union. The Virgin Lands policy
brought mixed results. However, along with later modernizations under Soviet leader Leonid
Brezhnev, it accelerated the development of the agricultural sector, which remains the source of
livelihood for a large percentage of Kazakhstan's population. By 1959, Kazakhs made up 30% of
the population. Ethnic Russians accounted for 43%.[28]
Growing tensions within Soviet society led to a demand for political and economic reforms,
which came to a head in the 1980s. A factor that contributed to this immensely was Lavrentii
Beria's decision to test a nuclear bomb on the territory of Kazakh SSR in Semey in 1949. This
had a catastrophic ecological and biological consequences that were felt generations later, and
Kazakh anger toward the Soviet system escalated.
In December 1986, mass demonstrations by young ethnic Kazakhs, later called Jeltoqsan riot,
took place in Almaty to protest the replacement of the First Secretary of the Communist Party of
the Kazakh SSR Dinmukhamed Konayev with Gennady Kolbin from the Russian SFSR.
Governmental troops suppressed the unrest, several people were killed and many demonstrators

were jailed. In the waning days of Soviet rule, discontent continued to grow and found
expression under Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost.

Independence
On 16 December 1991, Kazakhstan became the last Soviet republic to declare independence. Its
communist-era leader, Nursultan Nazarbayev, became the country's first President, a position he
has retained for more than two decades.
Caught up in the groundswell of Soviet republics seeking greater autonomy, Kazakhstan declared
its sovereignty as a republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in October 1990.
Following the August 1991 aborted coup attempt in Moscow and the subsequent dissolution of
the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan declared independence on 16 December 1991.
The capital was moved in 1998 from Almaty, Kazakhstan's largest city, to Astana.

Politics
Main articles: Government of Kazakhstan and Politics of Kazakhstan

Parliament of Kazakhstan.

Political system
Kazakhstan is a unitary republic. Its first and, to date (2015), only President is Nursultan
Nazarbayev. The President may veto legislation that has been passed by the Parliament and is
also the commander in chief of the armed forces. The Prime Minister chairs the Cabinet of
Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's head of government. There are three deputy prime
ministers and sixteen ministers in the Cabinet.
Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament composed of the Majilis (the lower house) and Senate
(the upper house).[29] Single-mandate districts popularly elect 107 seats in the Majilis; there also
are ten members elected by party-list vote. The Senate has 47 members. Two senators are
selected by each of the elected assemblies (Maslikhats) of Kazakhstan's sixteen principal
administrative divisions (fourteen regions plus the cities of Astana and Almaty). The President
appoints the remaining seven senators. Majilis deputies and the government both have the right
of legislative initiative, though the government proposes most legislation considered by the
Parliament.

Nuclear weapons non-proliferation

When the Soviet Union collapsed in December 1991, Kazakhstan inherited 1,410 nuclear
warheads and the Semipalatinsk nuclear-weapon test site. By April 1995, Kazakhstan had
returned the warheads to Russia and, by July 2000, had destroyed the nuclear testing
infrastructure at Semipalatinsk.[30]
On 2 December 2009, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Republic of Kazakhstan
designated 29 August as International Day against Nuclear Tests, the same day the Semipalatinsk
test site closed in 1991.[31][32]
Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov said Kazakhstan will take responsibility to advance the issues on
nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation within the United Nations Security Council, if it is
granted the place of nonentity member of the Security Council during 20172018.[33]
The ATOM Project (est. August 2012) is an international campaign by the Nazarbayev Center of
Kazakhstan. The primary goal of the campaign is to build international support for the
abolishment of nuclear testing. ATOM stands for "Abolish Testing. Our Mission." The goal is to
achieve the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty through online petitions and other methods.
[34]

Elections

"Kazakhstan 2030", billboard promoting the president's economic plan. 2008 photo in Almaty
Main article: Elections in Kazakhstan
Elections to the Majilis in September 2004 yielded a lower house dominated by the progovernment Otan Party headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other parties, the agrarianindustrial bloc AIST and the Asar Party, founded by President Nazarbayev's daughter, won most
of the remaining seats. Opposition parties, which were officially registered and competed in the
elections, won a single seat.
On 4 December 2005, Nursultan Nazarbayev was reelected in a landslide victory. The electoral
commission announced that he had won over 90% of the vote. The Xinhua News Agency
reported that observers from China, responsible in overseeing 25 polling stations in Astana,
found that voting in those polls was conducted in a "transparent and fair" manner.[35]

On 17 August 2007, elections to the lower house of parliament were held and a coalition led by
the ruling Nur-Otan Party, including the Asar Party, Civil Party of Kazakhstan and Agrarian
Party, won every seat with 88% of the vote. None of the opposition parties have reached the
benchmark 7% level of the seats. This has led some in the local media to question the
competence and charisma of the opposition party leaders. Opposition parties made accusations of
serious irregularities in the election,[36][37] and Daan Everts, OSCE mission chief at the time, said:
"It has not been a competitive race."[38]
In 2010, President Nazarbayev rejected a call from constituents to hold a referendum to keep him
in office until 2020 and instead insisted on presidential elections for a five-year term. In a vote
held on 3 April 2011, President Nazarbayev received 95.54% of the vote with 89.9% of
registered voters participating.[39] Nazarbayev outlined the progress made by Kazakhstan in
March 2011.[40]
In October 2013, the OSCE provided a series of seminars aimed at promoting political parties'
development in Kazakhstan.[41] More than 120 political party representatives participated in
discussions of the organizational, legislative, financial and PR aspects of party-building as well
as the their representation in parliament and local self-government bodies.

Foreign relations and policies

Main article: Foreign relations of Kazakhstan

President Nazarbayev with U.S. Barack Obama and Russian Dmitry Medvedev in 2012.
Kazakhstan has stable relationships with all of its neighbors. Kazakhstan is also a member of the
United Nations, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Euro-Atlantic Partnership
Council and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). It is an active participant in the
North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Partnership for Peace program.
On 11 April 2010, Presidents Nazarbayev and Obama met at the Nuclear Security Summit in
Washington, D.C., and discussed strengthening the strategic partnership between the United
States and Kazakhstan and pledged to intensify bilateral cooperation to promote nuclear safety
and non-proliferation, regional stability in Central Asia, economic prosperity, and universal
values.[42]
In April 2011, President Obama called President Nazarbayev and discussed many cooperative
efforts regarding nuclear security, including securing nuclear material from the BN-350 reactor,

and reviewed progress on meeting goals that the two presidents established during their bilateral
meeting at the Nuclear Security Summit in 2010.[43]
Kazakhstan is also a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic
Cooperation Organization and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The nations of
Kazakhstan, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic
Community in 2000 to re-energize earlier efforts at harmonizing trade tariffs and the creation of
a free trade zone under a customs union. On 1 December 2007, it was revealed that Kazakhstan
had been chosen to chair OSCE for the year 2010. Kazakhstan was elected a member of the UN
Human Rights Council for the first time on 12 November 2012.[44]
Since independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has pursued what is known as the "multivector foreign
policy" (Kazakh: ), seeking equally good relations with its two
large neighbors, Russia and China as well as with the United States and the rest of the Western
world.[45][46]
Russia currently leases approximately 6,000 square kilometres (2,317 sq mi) of territory
enclosing the Baikonur Cosmodrome space launch site in south central Kazakhstan, where the
first man was launched into space as well as Soviet space shuttle Buran and the well-known
space station Mir.

Kazakhstan and United Nations

On 24 October 2014 the Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a roundtable The United
Nations and Kazakhstan: 2015 and Beyond dedicated to two decades of Kazakhstan UN
cooperation.[47] Deputy Foreign Minister Yerzhan Ashikbayev noted that the Kazakh government
was bidding for a non-permanent member seat on the UN Security Council for 20172018. That
election is to be held in November 2016 at the General Assembly in New York.[47]
Kazakhstan also actively supports UN peacekeeping missions in Haiti, the Western Sahara, Cte
d'Ivoire.[48] In March 2014, the Ministry of Defense chose 20 Kazakhstani military men to
participate in the UN peacekeeping missions as observers. The military personnel, ranking from
captain to colonel, had to go through a specialized UN training as well as be fluent in English
and be able to drive and use specialized military vehicles.[48]

Ukraine conflict
In 2014, Kazakhstan gave Ukraine humanitarian aid during the conflict with Russia. In October
2014, Kazakhstan donated $30,000 to the International Committee of the Red Cross's
humanitarian effort in Ukraine. In January 2015 to help ease the humanitarian crisis Kazakhstan
sent $400,000 of aid to Ukraine's southeastern regions.[49] President Nazarbayev said of the war
in Ukraine, The fratricidal war has brought true devastation to eastern Ukraine, and it is a
common task to stop the war there, strengthen Ukraines independence and secure territorial
integrity of Ukraine."[50] Experts believe that no matter how the Ukraine crisis develops,
Kazakhstans relations with the European Union will remain normal.[51] It is believed that
Nazarbayevs mediation is positively received by both Russia and Ukraine.[51]

Kazakhstan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement on January 26, 2015: We are
firmly convinced that there is no alternative to peace negotiations as a way to resolve the crisis in
the south-eastern Ukraine.[52]

Military
Main article: Military of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Republican Guard.

Most of Kazakhstan's military was inherited from the Soviet Armed Forces' Turkestan Military
District. These units became the core of Kazakhstan's new military which acquired all the units
of the 40th Army (the former 32nd Army) and part of the 17th Army Corps, including six landforce divisions, storage bases, the 14th and 35th air-landing brigades, two rocket brigades, two
artillery regiments and a large amount of equipment which had been withdrawn from over the
Urals after the signing of the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. The largest
expansion of the Kazakhstan Army has been focused on armored units in recent years. Since
1990, armored units have expanded from 500 to 1,613 in 2005.
The Kazakh air force is composed mostly of Soviet-era planes, including 41 MiG-29s, 44 MiG31s, 37 Su-24s and 60 Su-27s. A small naval force is also maintained on the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan sent 49 military engineers to Iraq to assist the US post-invasion mission in Iraq.
During the second Iraq War, Kazakhstani troops dismantled 4 million mines and other
explosives, helped provide medical care to more than 5,000 coalition members and civilians and
purified 718 cubic metres (25,356 cu ft) of water.[53]
Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (UQK) was established on 13 June 1992. It includes
the Service of Internal Security, Military Counterintelligence, Border Guard, several Commando
units, and Foreign Intelligence (Barlau). The latter is considered as the most important part of
KNB. Its director is Nurtai Abykayev.
Since 2002 the joint tactical peacekeeping exercise "Steppe Eagle" has been hosted by the
Kazakhstan government. "Steppe Eagle" focuses on building coalitions and gives participating
nations the opportunity to work together. During the Steppe Eagle exercises, the Kazbat
peacekeeping battalion operates within a multinational force under a unified command within
multidisciplinary peacekeeping operations, with NATO and the U.S. Military.[54]
In December 2013, Kazakhstan announced it will send officers to support United Nations
Peacekeeping forces in Haiti, Western Sahara, Ivory Coast and Liberia.[55]

Government
In August 2014, President Nazarbayev reorganized the Government by consolidating ministries,
agencies and committees.[56] The reorganisation decreased the number of ministries by five, to 12
total; and the number of committees now totals 30, down from 54.[56]

Ministry of Investments and Development

During the reorganization of the Government a new Ministry was created: the Ministry of
Investments and Development.[57] The newly formed Ministry is responsible for industrialinnovative, scientific and technological development of Kazakhstan. The head of the Ministry is
Asset Issekeshev. It took over the functions of the abolished Ministry of Industry and New
Technologies, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Agency for Communication and
Information and National Space Agency (Kazcosmos).[57]

Geography
Main articles: Geography of Kazakhstan and List of cities in Kazakhstan

Map of Kazakhstan.

Markakol reserve in the Altai Mountains, eastern Kazakhstan.

Syr Darya river, one of the major rivers of Central Asia that flows through Kazakhstan.

As it extends across both sides of the Ural River, Kazakhstan is one of only two landlocked
countries in the world that lies on two continents (the other is Azerbaijan).
With an area of 2,700,000 square kilometres (1,000,000 sq mi) equivalent in size to Western
Europe Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country and largest landlocked country in the world.
While it was part of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan lost some of its territory to China's
Xinjiang[citation needed] and some to Uzbekistan's Karakalpakstan. It shares borders of 6,846
kilometres (4,254 mi) with Russia, 2,203 kilometres (1,369 mi) with Uzbekistan, 1,533
kilometres (953 mi) with China, 1,051 kilometres (653 mi) with Kyrgyzstan, and 379 kilometres
(235 mi) with Turkmenistan. Major cities include Astana, Almaty, Karagandy, Shymkent, Atyrau
and Oskemen. It lies between latitudes 40 and 56 N, and longitudes 46 and 88 E. While
located primarily in Asia, a small portion of Kazakhstan is also located west of the Urals in
Eastern Europe.[58]

Charyn Canyon in northern Tian Shan.

Akmola Region in the Kazakhstan steppes.

Kazakhstan's terrain extends west to east from the Caspian Sea to the Altay Mountains and north
to south from the plains of Western Siberia to the oases and deserts of Central Asia. The Kazakh
Steppe (plain), with an area of around 804,500 square kilometres (310,600 sq mi), occupies onethird of the country and is the world's largest dry steppe region. The steppe is characterized by
large areas of grasslands and sandy regions. Major seas, lakes and rivers include the Aral Sea,
Lake Balkhash and Lake Zaysan, the Charyn River and gorge and the Ili, Irtysh, Ishim, Ural and
Syr Darya rivers.
The climate is continental, with warm summers and colder winters. Precipitation varies between
arid and semi-arid conditions.

The Charyn Canyon is 80 kilometres (50 mi) long, cutting through a red sandstone plateau and
stretching along the Charyn River gorge in northern Tian Shan ("Heavenly Mountains", 200 km
(124 mi) east of Almaty) at 43211.16N 79449.28E. The steep canyon slopes, columns and
arches rise to heights of between 150 and 300 metres. The inaccessibility of the canyon provided
a safe haven for a rare ash tree that survived the Ice Age and is now also grown in some other
areas.[citation needed] Bigach crater, at 4830N 8200E, is a Pliocene or Miocene asteroid impact
crater, 8 km (5 mi) in diameter and estimated to be 53-million years old.

Administrative divisions
Main articles: Regions of Kazakhstan and Districts of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is divided into fourteen regions (Kazakh: , oblstar). The regions are
subdivided into districts (Kazakh: , awdandar).
Almaty and Astana cities have the status of State importance and do not relate to any region. The
city of Baikonur has a special status because it is currently being leased to Russia with Baikonur
cosmodrome until 2050.[3]
Each region is headed by an akim (regional governor) appointed by the president. Municipal
akims [akimi?] are appointed by region akims. Kazakhstan's government transferred its capital
from Almaty to Astana on 10 December 1997.

A clickable map of Kazakhstan exhibiting its 14 regions.v d e

Economy
Main article: Economy of Kazakhstan
This section may not properly summarize its corresponding main article. Specific
concerns can be found on the Talk page. Please help improve this section if you can.

Baikonur Cosmodrome is the world's oldest and largest operational space launch facility.
Kazakhstan has the largest and strongest performing economy in Central Asia. Supported by
rising oil output and prices, Kazakhstans economy grew at an average of 8% per year over the
past decade.[59] Kazakhstan was the first former Soviet Republic to repay all of its debt to the
International Monetary Fund, 7 years ahead of schedule.[60]
Buoyed by high world crude oil prices, GDP growth figures were between 8.9% and 13.5% from
2000 to 2007 before decreasing to 13% in 2008 and 2009, and then rising again from 2010.[61]
Other major exports of Kazakhstan include wheat, textiles, and livestock. Kazakhstan predicted
that it would become a leading exporter of uranium by 2010, which has indeed come true.[62][63]
Kazakhstans fiscal situation is stable. The government has continued to follow a conservative
fiscal policy by controlling budget spending and accumulating oil revenue savings in its Oil Fund
Samruk-Kazyna. The global financial crisis forced Kazakhstan to increase its public borrowing
to support the economy. Public debt increased to 13.4 per cent in 2013 from 8.7 per cent in 2008.
Between 2012 and 2013 the government achieved an overall fiscal surplus of 4.5 per cent.[64]
Since 2002, Kazakhstan has sought to manage strong inflows of foreign currency without
sparking inflation. Inflation has not been under strict control, however, registering 6.6% in 2002,
6.8% in 2003, and 6.4% in 2004.
In March 2002, the U.S. Department of Commerce granted Kazakhstan market economy status
under U.S. trade law. This change in status recognized substantive market economy reforms in
the areas of currency convertibility, wage rate determination, openness to foreign investment,
and government control over the means of production and allocation of resources.

Economic stewardship during the Global Financial Crisis

Kazakhstan weathered the global financial crisis well through a dexterous response, combining
fiscal relaxation with monetary stabilization. In 2009, the government introduced large-scale
support measures such as the recapitalization of banks and support for the real estate and
agricultural sectors, as well as for small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The total value of the
stimulus programs amounted to $21 billion, or 20 per cent of the countrys GDP, with $4 billion
going to stabilize the financial sector.[65] During the global economic crisis, Kazakhstans
economy contracted by 1.2% in 2009, while the annual growth rate subsequently increased to
7.5% and 5% in 2011 and 2012, respectively.[59]
In September 2002, Kazakhstan became the first country in the CIS to receive an investment
grade credit rating from a major international credit rating agency. As of late December 2003,
Kazakhstan's gross foreign debt was about $22.9 billion. Total governmental debt was $4.2
billion, 14% of GDP. There has been a noticeable reduction in the ratio of debt to GDP. The ratio
of total governmental debt to GDP in 2000 was 21.7%; in 2001, it was 17.5%, and in 2002, it
was 15.4%.
Economic growth, combined with earlier tax and financial sector reforms, has dramatically
improved government finance from the 1999 budget deficit level of 3.5% of GDP to a deficit of
1.2% of GDP in 2003. Government revenues grew from 19.8% of GDP in 1999 to 22.6% of GDP
in 2001, but decreased to 16.2% of GDP in 2003. In 2000, Kazakhstan adopted a new tax code in
an effort to consolidate these gains.

Kazakhstan's capital, Astana.

On 29 November 2003, the Law on Changes to Tax Code which reduced tax rates was adopted.
The value added tax fell from 16% to 15%, the social tax, from 21% to 20%, and the personal
income tax, from 30% to 20%. On 7 July 2006, the personal income tax was reduced even
further to a flat rate of 5% for personal income in the form of dividends and 10% for other
personal income. Kazakhstan furthered its reforms by adopting a new land code on 20 June
2003, and a new customs code on 5 April 2003.
Energy is the leading economic sector. Production of crude oil and natural gas condensate from
the oil and gas basins of Kazakhstan amounted to 79.2 million tons in 2012 up from 51.2 million
tons in 2003. Kazakhstan raised oil and gas condensate exports to 44.3 million tons in 2003, 13%
higher than in 2002. Gas production in Kazakhstan in 2003 amounted to 13.9 billion cubic
meters (491 billion cu. ft), up 22.7% compared to 2002, including natural gas production of 7.3
billion cubic meters (258 billion cu. ft). Kazakhstan holds about 4 billion tons of proven

recoverable oil reserves and 2,000 cubic kilometers (480 cu mi) of gas. According to industry
analysts, expansion of oil production and the development of new fields will enable the country
to produce as much as 3 million barrels (480,000 m3) per day by 2015, and Kazakhstan would be
among the top 10 oil-producing nations in the world. Kazakhstan's oil exports in 2003 were
valued at more than $7 billion, representing 65% of overall exports and 24% of the GDP. Major
oil and gas fields and recoverable oil reserves are Tengiz with 7 billion barrels (1.1109 m3);
Karachaganak with 8 billion barrels (1.3109 m3) and 1,350 km of natural gas; and Kashagan
with 7 to 9 billion barrels (1.4109 m3).
Kazakhstan instituted an ambitious pension reform program in 1998. As of 1 January 2012, the
pension assets were about $17 billion (KZT 2.5 trillion). There are 11 saving pension funds in the
country. The State Accumulating Pension Fund, the only state-owned fund, was privatized in
2006. The country's unified financial regulatory agency oversees and regulates the pension funds.
The growing demand of the pension funds for quality investment outlets triggered rapid
development of the debt securities market. Pension fund capital is being invested almost
exclusively in corporate and government bonds, including government of Kazakhstan
Eurobonds. The government of Kazakhstan is studying a project to create a unified national
pension fund and transfer all the accounts from the private pension funds into it.[66]
The banking system of Kazakhstan is developing rapidly and the system's capitalization now
exceeds $1 billion. The National Bank has introduced deposit insurance in its campaign to
strengthen the banking sector. Due to troubling and non-performing bad assets the bank sector
yet is at risk to lose stability. Several major foreign banks have branches in Kazakhstan,
including RBS, Citibank, and HSBC. Kookmin and UniCredit have both recently entered the
Kazakhstan's financial services market through acquisitions and stake-building.
According to the 201011 World Economic Forum in Global Competitiveness Report,
Kazakhstan was ranked 72nd in the world in economic competitiveness.[67] One year later, the
Global Competitiveness Report ranked Kazakhstan 50th in most competitive markets.[68]
In 2012, Kazakhstan attracted $14 billion of foreign direct investment inflows into the country at
a 7% growth rate making it the most attractive place to invest out of CIS nations.[69]
During the first half of 2013, Kazakhstan's fixed investment increased 7.1% compared to the
same period in 2012 totaling 2.8 trillion tenge ($18 billion US dollars).[70]
In 2013, Aftenposten quoted the human-rights activist and lawyer Denis Jivaga as saying that
there is an "oil fund in Kazakhstan, but nobody knows how the income is spent".[71]
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Kazakh Prime Minister Karim Massimov and Secretary General of the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Angel Gurria signed a Memorandum of
Understanding on 23 January at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The MoU between
Kazakhstan and the OECD focused on implementing the Country Program of Cooperation for
20152016.[72] Kazakhstan is one of four countries that have developed joint programs of
cooperation with the OECD.[72]

Macroeconomic trends
Kazakhstans economy grew at an average of 8% per year over the past decade on the back of
hydrocarbon exports.[59] Despite the lingering uncertainty of the global economy, Kazakhstans
economy has been stable. GDP growth in JanuarySeptember 2013 was 5.7%, according to
preliminary calculations of the Ministry Economy and Budget Planning.[73]
From January to September 2014 Kazakhstan's GDP grew at 4%.[74] According to the results
from the first half of the year, the current account surplus is $6.6 billion, a figure two times
higher than that of the first half of 2013.[74] According to the Chairman of the National Bank of
Kazakhstan, Kairat Kelimbetov, the increase was caused by a trade surplus of 17.4 percent, or
approximately USD 22.6 billion.[74] The overall inflation rate for 2014 is forecasted at 7.4
percent.[74]

Agriculture
Main article: Agriculture in Kazakhstan

Kazakh shepherd: His and his dogs' primary job is to guard the sheep from predators.
Agriculture accounts for approximately 5% of Kazakhstan's GDP.[3] Grain, potatoes, vegetables,
melons and livestock are the most important agricultural commodities. Agricultural land
occupies more than 846,000 square kilometres (327,000 sq mi). The available agricultural land
consists of 205,000 square kilometres (79,000 sq mi) of arable land and 611,000 square
kilometres (236,000 sq mi) of pasture and hay land. Over 80% of the countrys total area is
classified as agricultural land, including almost 70% occupied by pasture. Its arable land has the
second highest availability per inhabitant (1.5 hectares).[75]
Chief livestock products are dairy products, leather, meat, and wool. The country's major crops
include wheat, barley, cotton, and rice. Wheat exports, a major source of hard currency, rank
among the leading commodities in Kazakhstan's export trade. In 2003 Kazakhstan harvested 17.6
million tons of grain in gross, 2.8% higher compared to 2002. Kazakh agriculture still has many
environmental problems from mismanagement during its years in the Soviet Union. Some
Kazakh wine is produced in the mountains to the east of Almaty.
Kazakhstan is thought to be one of the places that the apple originated, particularly the wild
ancestor of Malus domestica, Malus sieversii.[76] It has no common name in English, but is
known in its native Kazakhstan as alma. The region where it is thought to originate is called

Almaty: "rich with apple".[77] This tree is still found wild in the mountains of Central Asia, in
southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Xinjiang in China.

Natural resources
See also: Energy policy of Kazakhstan

Headquarters of KazMunayGaz, Kazakhstan's national oil and gas company.

Kazakhstan has an abundant supply of accessible mineral and fossil fuel resources. Development
of petroleum, natural gas, and mineral extractions, such as Potassium, has attracted most of the
over $40 billion in foreign investment in Kazakhstan since 1993 and accounts for some 57% of
the nation's industrial output (or approximately 13% of gross domestic product). According to
some estimates,[78] Kazakhstan has the second largest uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc
reserves, the third largest manganese reserves, the fifth largest copper reserves, and ranks in the
top ten for coal, iron, and gold. It is also an exporter of diamonds. Perhaps most significant for
economic development, Kazakhstan also currently has the 11th largest proven reserves of both
petroleum and natural gas.[79]
In total, there are 160 deposits with over 2.7 billion tons of petroleum. Oil explorations have
shown that the deposits on the Caspian shore are only a small part of a much larger deposit. It is
said that 3.5 billion tons of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic meters of gas could be found in that area.
Overall the estimate of Kazakhstan's oil deposits is 6.1 billion tons. However, there are only 3
refineries within the country, situated in Atyrau, Pavlodar, and Shymkent. These are not capable
of processing the total crude output so much of it is exported to Russia. According to the U.S.
Energy Information Administration Kazakhstan was producing approximately 1,540,000 barrels
(245,000 m3) of oil per day in 2009.[80]
Kazakhstan also possesses large deposits of phosphorite. One of the largest known being the
Karatau basin with 650 million tonnes of P2O5 and Chilisai deposit of Aktyubinsk/Aqtobe
phosphorite basin located in north western Kazakhstan, with a resource of 500800 million
tonnes of 9% ore.[81][82]
On 17 October 2013, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) accepted
Kazakhstan as "EITI Compliant", meaning that the country has a basic and functional process to
ensure the regular disclosure of natural resource revenues.[83]

Transport

Turkestan-Siberia Railway line connects Central Asia with Russian Siberia.

Main article: Transport in Kazakhstan
Most cities are connected by railroad; high-speed trains go from Almaty (the southernmost city)
to Petropavl (the northernmost city) in about 18 hours.[citation needed]

Banking
The banking industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan has experienced a pronounced boom and
bust cycle over 2000s decade. After several years of rapid expansion in the mid-2000s, the
banking industry collapsed in 2008. Several large banking groups, including BTA Bank J.S.C.
and Alliance Bank, defaulted soon after. Since then, the industry has shrunk and been
restructured, with system-wide loans dropping to 39% of GDP in 2011 from 59% in 2007.
Although the Russian and Kazakh banking systems share several common features, there are also
some fundamental differences. Banks in Kazakhstan have experienced a lengthy period of
political stability and economic growth. Together with a rational approach to banking and
finance policy, this has helped push Kazakhstans banking system to a higher level of
development. Banking technology and personnel qualifications alike are stronger in Kazakhstan
than in Russia. On the negative side, past stability in Kazakhstan arose from the concentration of
virtually all political power in the hands of a single individual the key factor in any assessment
of system or country risk. The potential is there for serious disturbances if and when authority
passes into new hands.[84]

Green economy
The government has set the goals that a transition to the Green Economy in Kazakhstan occur by
2050. The green economy is projected to increase GDP by 3% and create more than 500
thousand new jobs.
The government of Kazakhstan has set prices for energy produced from renewable sources. The
price of 1 kilowatt-hour for energy produced by wind power plants was set at 22.68 tenge
($0.12). The price for 1 kilowatt-hour produced by small hydro-power plants is 16.71 tenge
($0.09), and from biogas plants its 32.23 tenge ($0.18).[85]

Foreign direct investment

As of 30 September 2012, foreign investors had placed a total of $177.7 billion in Kazakhstan.[86]
According to the US State Department, Kazakhstan is widely considered to have the best
investment climate in the region.[86] In 2002 the country became the first sovereign in the former
Soviet Union to receive an investment-grade credit rating from an international credit rating
agency. Foreign direct investment (FDI) plays a more significant role in the national economy
than in most other former Soviet republics.[87]
President Nazarbayev signed into law tax concessions to promote foreign direct investment
which include a 10-year exemption from corporation tax, an 8-year exemption from property tax,
and a 10-year freeze on most other taxes.[88] Other incentives include a refund on capital
investments of up to 30 percent once a production facility is in operation.[88]
Sir Suma Chakrabarti, the President of the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development
(EBRD), co-chaired the Kazakhstan Foreign Investors Council with President Nursultan
Nazarbayev.[89] In May 2014, the EBRD and government of Kazakhstan created the Partnership
for Re-Energizing the Reform Process in Kazakhstan to work with international financial
institutions to channel US$2.7 billion provided by the Kazakh government into important sectors
of Kazakhstans economy.[90] The partnership will boost investment and drive forward reforms in
the country.[90]

Bond market
In October 2014 Kazakhstan introduced its first overseas dollar bonds in 14 years.[91] Kazakhstan
issued $2.5 billion of 10-and 30-year bonds on 5 October 2014 in what was the nations first
dollar-denominated overseas sale since 2000.[91] Kazakhstan sold $1.5 billion of 10-year dollar
bonds to yield 1.5 percentage points above midswaps and $1 billion of 30-year debt at 2
percentage points over midswaps.[91] The country drew bids for $11 billion.[91]

Economic competitiveness
Kazakhstan achieved its goal of entering the top 50 most competitive countries in 2013 and has
maintained its position in the 20142015 World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness
Report that was published at the beginning of September 2014.[92] Kazakhstan is ahead of other
states in the CIS in almost all of the reports pillars of competitiveness, including institutions,
infrastructure, macroeconomic environment, higher education and training, goods market
efficiency, labour market development, financial market development, technological readiness,
market size, business sophistication and innovation, lagging behind only in the category of health
and primary education.[92] The Global Competitiveness Index gives a score from 1 to 7 in each of
these pillars, and Kazakhstan earned an overall score of 4.4.[92]

Housing market
The housing market of Kazakhstan grows progressively since 2010.[93] In 2013, the total housing
area in Kazakhstan amounted to 336.1 million square meters.[93] The housing stock rose over the
year to 32.7 million squares, which is nearly 11% increase.[93] Between 2012 and 2013, the living
area per Kazakh citizen rose from 19.6 to 20.9 square meters.[93] The urban areas concentrate

62.5 percent of the countrys housing stock.[93] The UNs recommended standard for housing
stands at 30 square meters per person.[93] Kazakhstan will be able to reach the UN standards by
2019 or 2020, if in the medium term the housing growth rate remains within 7 percent.[93]

"Nurly Zhol" economic policy

On 11 November 2014 President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev delivered an unexpected
state-of-the-nation address in Astana at an extended session of the Political Council of the Nur
Otan party, introducing a "Nurly Zhol" (Bright Path), a new economic policy that implies
massive state investment in infrastructure over the next several years.[94] The "Nurly Zhol" policy
is accepted as preventive measures needed to help steer the economy towards sustainable growth
in the context of the modern global economic and geopolitical challenges, such as he 25%reduction in the oil price, reciprocal sanctions between the West and Russia over Ukraine, etc.[94]
The policy embraces all aspects of economic growth, including finances, industry and social
welfare, but especially emphasises investments into the development of infrastructure and
construction works.[94] Given recent decreases in revenues from the export of raw materials,
funds will be used from Kazakhstans National Fund.[94]

Infrastructure
Kazakhstan is the highest ranked CIS country in the World Economic Forum's Network
Readiness Index (NRI) an indicator for determining the development level of a countrys
information and communication technologies.[95] Kazakhstan ranked number 38 overall in the
NRI ranking in 2014, up from 43 in 2013.[96]

Demographics
Main article: Demographics of Kazakhstan

Population pyramid, 2005.

Central Asian ethnolinguistic patchwork, 1992.

Kazakhstanis on the Lake Dzhasybay beach, Pavlodar Region.

Kazakh man on a horse with golden eagle. (Photo taken c. 191114.)

The US Census Bureau International Database list the current population of Kazakhstan as
15,460,484, while United Nations sources such as the UN Population Division give an estimate
of 15,753,460. Official estimates put the population of Kazakhstan at 16.455 million as of
February 2011, of which 46% is rural and 54% is urban.[97] In 2013, Kazakhstan's population rose
to 17,280,000 with a 1.7% growth rate over the past year according to the Kazakhstan Statistics
Agency.[98]
The 2009 population estimate is 6.8% higher than the population reported in the last census from
January 1999. The decline in population that began after 1989 has been arrested and possibly
reversed. Men and women make up 48.3% and 51.7% of the population, respectively.
The ethnic Kazakhs represent 63.1% of the population and ethnic Russians 23.7%,[10] with a rich
array of other groups represented, including Tatars (1.3%), Ukrainians (2.1%), Uzbeks (2.8%),
Belarusians, Uyghurs (1.4%), Azerbaijanis, Poles,[99] and Lithuanians. Some minorities such as
Germans (1.1%) (Germans who had previously settled in Russia, especially Volga Germans),
Ukrainians, Koreans, Chechens,[100] Meskhetian Turks, and Russian political opponents of the
regime had been deported to Kazakhstan in the 1930s and 1940s by Stalin; some of the bigger
Soviet labour camps (Gulag) existed in the country.[101]
Significant Russian immigration also connected with Virgin Lands Campaign and Soviet space
program during the Khrushchev era.[102] In 1989, ethnic Russians were 37.8% of the population
and Kazakhs held a majority in only 7 of the 20 regions of the country. Before 1991 there were
one million Germans in Kazakhstan; most of them emigrated to Germany following the breakup
of the Soviet Union.[103] Most members of the smaller Pontian Greek minority have emigrated to
Greece. In the late 1930s thousands of Koreans in the Soviet Union were deported to Central
Asia. These people are now known as Koryo-saram.

The 1990s were marked by the emigration of many of the country's Russians and Volga
Germans, a process that began in the 1970s. This has made indigenous Kazakhs the largest ethnic
group. Additional factors in the increase in the Kazakh population are higher birthrates and
immigration of ethnic Kazakhs from China, Mongolia, and Russia.

Population of Kazakhstan according to ethnic group 19262009

census 19261 census 19702 census 19893 census 19994
census 20095
Ethnic
group
Number % Number % Number % Number % Number
%
Kazakhs
3,627,612 58.5 4,161,164 32.4 6,534,616 39.7 8,011,452 53.5 10,096,763 63.1
Russians
1,275,055 20.6 5,499,826 42.8 6,227,549 37.8 4,480,675 29.9 3,793,764 23.7
Uzbeks
129,407 2.1 207,514 1.6 332,017 2.0 370,765 2.5
456,997 2.8
Ukrainians
860,201 13.9 930,158 7.2 896,240 5.4 547,065 3.7
333,031 2.1
Germans
51,094 0.8 839,649 6.5 957,518 5.8 353,462 2.4
178,409 1.1
1
Source:[104] 2 Source:[105] 3 Source:[106] 4 Source:[107] 5 Source:[10]

Largest cities or towns of Kazakhstan

Almaty

Astana

Language

http://www.geonames.org/KZ/largest-cities-in-kazakhstan.html
Rank
Name
Region
Pop.
1 Almaty
Almaty
1 507 737
2 Astana
Astana
825 401
3 Shymkent South Kazakhstan
683 273
4 Karaganda Karagandy
484 855
5 Aktobe
Aktobe
427 719
6 Taraz
Jambyl
351 476
Shymkent
7 Pavlodar Pavlodar
350 998
8 Oskemen East Kazakhstan
344 421
Karaganda
9 Semey
East Kazakhstan
312 136
10 Oral
West Kazakhstan
278 096

Kazakhstan is officially a bilingual country: Kazakh, a Turkic language spoken natively by

64.4% of the population, has the status of "state" language, while Russian, which is spoken by
most Kazakhstanis, is declared an "official" language, and is used routinely in business,
government, and inter-ethnic communication, although Kazakh is slowly replacing it. Other
minority languages spoken in Kazakhstan include Uzbek, Ukrainian, Uyghur, Kyrgyz, Tatar,
Mongolian. English has gained popularity among youth since the collapse of USSR. Education
across Kazakhstan is conducted in either Kazakh, Russian, or both.[citation needed]

Religion
Main articles: Religion in Kazakhstan, Islam in Kazakhstan, Christianity in Kazakhstan, Judaism
in Kazakhstan, Hinduism in Kazakhstan and Bah' Faith in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan religiosity (2009)[11][108]
Islam
Orthodox Christianity
Atheism
Other Christian
Undeclared
Others

69.69%
23.9%
2.8%
2.3%
0.5%
0.3%

The front of the Nur-Astana Mosque in Astana during the morning hours. Islam is the major
religion of Kazakhstan and Nur-Astana the country's largest mosque.

Eastern Orthodoxy is the second largest religion in Kazakhstan.

According to the 2009 Census, 70% of the population is Muslim, 26% Christian, 0.1%
Buddhists, 0.2% others (mostly Jews), and 3% Irreligious, while 0.5% chose not to answer.[11]
According to its Constitution, Kazakhstan is a secular state.
Religious freedoms are guaranteed by Article 39 of Kazakhstan's Constitution. Article 39 states:
"Human rights and freedoms shall not be restricted in any way." Article 14 prohibits
"discrimination on religious basis" and Article 19 ensures that everyone has the "right to
determine and indicate or not to indicate his/her ethnic, party and religious affiliation." The
Constitutional Council recently affirmed these rights by ruling that a proposed law limiting the
rights of certain individuals to practice their religion was declared unconstitutional.
Islam is the largest religion in Kazakhstan, followed by Orthodox Christianity. After decades of
religious suppression by the Soviet Union, the coming of independence witnessed a surge in
expression of ethnic identity, partly through religion. The free practice of religious beliefs and
the establishment of full freedom of religion led to an increase of religious activity. Hundreds of
mosques, churches, and other religious structures were built in the span of a few years, with the
number of religious associations rising from 670 in 1990 to 4,170 today.[109]
Some figures show a majority being non-denominational Muslims[110] while others showing a
majority of Muslims are Sunnis following the Hanafi school, including ethnic Kazakhs, who
constitute about 60% the population, as well as by ethnic Uzbeks, Uighurs, and Tatars.[111] Less
than 1% are part of the Sunni Shafi`i school (primarily Chechens). There are also some Ahmadi
Muslims.[112] There are a total of 2,300 mosques,[109] all of them are affiliated with the "Spiritual
Association of Muslims of Kazakhstan", headed by a supreme mufti.[113] Unaffiliated mosques
are forcefully closed.[114] Eid al-Adha is recognized as a national holiday.[109]
One quarter of the population is Russian Orthodox, including ethnic Russians, Ukrainians and
Belarusians.[115] Other Christian groups include Roman Catholics and Protestants.[111] There are a
total of 258 Orthodox churches, 93 Catholic churches, and over 500 Protestant churches and
prayer houses. The Russian Orthodox Christmas is recognized as a national holiday in
Kazakhstan.[109] Other religious groups include Judaism, the Bah' Faith, Hinduism, Buddhism,
and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[111]
According to the 2009 Census data, there are very few Christians outside the Slavic and
Germanic ethnic groups:[116]

Education
Main article: Education in Kazakhstan

KIMEP University in Almaty is one of Kazakhstan's top universities.

Education is universal and mandatory through to the secondary level and the adult literacy rate is
99.5%.[117] Education consists of three main phases: primary education (forms 14), basic general
education (forms 59) and senior level education (forms 1011 or 12) divided into continued
general education and vocational education. Vocational Education usually lasts 3 or 4 years.[118]
(Primary education is preceded by one year of pre-school education.) These levels can be
followed in one institution or in different ones (e.g., primary school, then secondary school).
Recently, several secondary schools, specialized schools, magnet schools, gymnasiums, lyceums
and linguistic and technical gymnasiums have been founded. Secondary professional education is
offered in special professional or technical schools, lyceums or colleges and vocational schools.
[117]

At present, there are universities, academies and institutes, conservatories, higher schools and
higher colleges. There are three main levels: basic higher education that provides the
fundamentals of the chosen field of study and leads to the award of the Bachelor's degree;
specialized higher education after which students are awarded the Specialist's Diploma; and
scientific-pedagogical higher education which leads to the Master's Degree. Postgraduate
education leads to the Kandidat nauk ("Candidate of Sciences") and the Doctor of Sciences
(Ph.D.). With the adoption of the Laws on Education and on Higher Education, a private sector
has been established and several private institutions have been licensed.
Over 2,500 students in Kazakhstan have applied for student loans totaling about $9 million. The
largest number of student loans come from Almaty, Astana and Kyzylorda.[119]

Graduation day of a Bolashak scholar.

The Ministry of Education of Kazakhstan runs a highly successful[citation needed] Bolashak
scholarship scheme, awarded annually to around 5,000 Kazakhstan citizen applicants. The
scholarship funds their education and all living expenses abroad as well as transportation
expenses once in a year from home to a university and back home. The choice of an institution of
higher education and research as well as any corporation that provides both undergraduate and
postgraduate education has no restrictions, if an applicant complies with the eligibility
requirements of an institution abroad. Awarded students can study at a number of institutions
including the University of Aberdeen, University of Edinburgh, University of Cambridge,
Harvard University, King's College London, University of Toronto, University of Waterloo,
University of Oxford, University College London, Purdue University, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, University of Sydney, Technical University Munich, Imperial College London,
University of Tokyo, University of Warwick, University of Southern California and others. The
terms of the program include mandatory return to Kazakhstan for at least five years of
consecutive employment.

Human rights and media

Main articles: Human rights in Kazakhstan and Media of Kazakhstan
On 3 June 2014 OSCE Secretary General Lamberto Zannier appointed Kazakh diplomat Madina
Jarbussynova as OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Human
Trafficking.[120]
In November 2012, 183 members of the United Nations General Assembly elected Kazakhstan to
serve a three year term on the Human Rights Council, the United Nations key forum for tackling
entrenched human rights concerns around the world.[121]
In 2009, Kazakhstan published a National Human Rights Action Plan.[122]
With support from the U.S. Department of State's Bureau for Democracy, Human Rights and
Labor (DRL), the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative opened a media support
center in Almaty to bolster free expression and journalistic rights in Kazakhstan.[123]
In 2002, Kazakhstan created a Human Rights Ombudsman with the mandate to protect the
human rights of Kazakhstans citizens from encroachments by state officials, to ensure the
development of protective legislation and to introduce and expand educational programs.[124]
Kazakhstan is ranked 161 out of 180 countries on the World Press Freedom Index, compiled by
Reporters Without Borders.[125] A mid-March 2002 a court order, with the government as a
plaintiff, stated that Respublika were to stop printing for three months.[126] The order was evaded
by printing under other titles, such as Not That Respublika.[126] In early 2014 a court also issued a
cease publication order to the small-circulation Assandi-Times newspaper, saying it was a part of
the Respublika group. Human Rights Watch said: "this absurd case displays the lengths to which
Kazakh authorities are willing to go to bully critical media into silence."[127]

The European Union (EU) and the United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) have signed an
agreement to help the Kazakh government develop child protection systems and laws that meet
international standards. This agreement will support the existing Kazakh program called The
Improvement of the Justice for Children and Child Rights Protection System that focuses on the
rights of child victims, children who are witnesses of crime and children in conflict with the law.
[128]

Rule of Law
ABA Rule of Law Initiative
The ABA Rule of Law Initiative (ABA ROLI) opened its first Kazakhstan office in the city of
Almaty in 1993 and is currently based in Astana. Since then, ABA ROLI has had offices in
Shymkent and Oskemen. ABA ROLI has also had a separate media support center in Almaty.[129]
The Rule of Law Initiative of the American Bar Association has programs to train justice sector
professionals in Kazakhstan.[130]
Kazakhstans Supreme Court has taken recent steps to modernize and to increase transparency
and oversight over the countrys legal system. With funding from the U.S. Agency for
International Development, the ABA Rule of Law Initiative began a new program in April 2012
to strengthen the independence and accountability of Kazakhstans judiciary.[131]
In November 2012, Kazakhstan hosted the European Union's Rule of Law Initiatives first
Regional Seminar Administrative Justice: Theory and Practice in European and Central Asian
Countries in Astana. At this seminar, led by Germany, concrete proposals regarding rules for an
Administrative Procedure Code were introduced.[132]
The Procurator General of Kazakhstan and the Federal Bureau of Investigation collaborated in a
complex seven year investigation into an 11 February 2006 triple homicide of Altynbek
Sarsenbayev, Baurzhan Baibosyn, and Vasiliy Zhuravlev.[133] The ranking American diplomat in
Kazakhstan, Ambassador John Ordway, praised in a press conference the "exceptional
cooperation between Kazakhstani and American law enforcement." Ordway emphasized that the
FBI's investigation was independent from the Procurator General's office, and the FBI had full
and immediate access to all materials and information."
The international non-government organization, the World Justice Project, presented the Rule of
Law Index 2014. The overall rule of law score for Kazakhstan is 71 points, Uzbekistan 73
points, China 76 points, Kyrgyzstan 78 points, Russia 80 points.[134]
Transparency International-supported Anti-Corruption School opens in Almaty
Almatys first nationwide Anti-Corruption School opened on 23 April 2014.[135] The school is
supported by Transparency International Kazakhstan, the Soros Foundation-Kazakhstan, the
Agency for Fighting against Economic and Corruption Crimes (the Financial Police), Turan
University, the Kazakhstan Association of Higher Education, and Kazakhstan TemirZholy.[135]
The school will teach students, civil society representatives, journalists and other interested
citizens about using various anti-corruption instruments and tools.

Anti-corruption initiatives
In November 2014 Kazakhstani authorities stated that they intend to devise a 20152025
Program for Fighting Corruption.[136] According to General Prosecutor of Kazakhstan, a 10-year
anti-corruption plan be devised because a successful fight in that regard would raise the business
community and public's trust in the authorities.[136] In late 2014 former Prime Minister of
Kazakhstan Serik Akhmetov was put under house arrest on corruption charges.[137] This was
followed by the arrest of former Akim (Mayor) of Karaganda city Meiram Smagulov and head of
the department on land relations Yernar Daribekov.[137] Other Karaganda officials are suspected of
being involved in corruption related crimes as well.[137]
President Nazarbayev has been public about the need to root out corruption, and has established
the Commission on the Fight against Corruption.[138] President Nazarbayev has created the
Commission on the Fight against Corruption, and the Nur Otan Party political council adopted
the Programme for the Prevention of Corruption for 20152025 in November 2014.[139]
On 26 December 2014 President Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree introducing the new
anti-corruption strategy for 20152025 initiated by the Nur Otan party in July of previous year.
[140]
The document mainly concentrates on measures preventing the conditions that foster
corruption rather than fighting the consequences of corruption.[140]
The Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Fighting with Economic and Corruption Crimes
(Financial Police) is the key body responsible for preventing, detecting and investigating
different types of economic, financial and corruption crimes.[141] The Agency is obliged to
participate in the development of the governments anti-corruption policy and to monitor its
implementation and is responsible for organising anti-corruption awareness-raising campaigns
and anti-corruption education, in addition to ensuring cooperation with international
organisations and civil society in the area of fighting corruption.[141]
The country's anti-corruption efforts resulted in Kazakhstan's rank improving by 13 in 2014's
Transparency International rankings from the previous year.[142]

Culture
Main articles: Culture of Kazakhstan, Kazakh clothing, Kazakh cuisine, Music of Kazakhstan,
Sport in Kazakhstan and Kazakh wedding ceremony

Riders in traditional dress demonstrate Kazakhstan's equestrian culture by playing a kissing

game, Kyz kuu ("Chase the Girl"), one of a number of traditional games played on horseback.[143]
This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this
article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged
and removed. (June 2011)
Before the Russian colonization, the Kazakhs had a highly developed culture based on their
nomadic pastoral economy. Although Islam was introduced to most of the Kazakhs in the 15th
century, the religion was not fully assimilated until much later.[citation needed]

Abai Qunanbaiuli, Kazakh poet, composer and philosopher.

Because livestock was central to the Kazakhs' traditional lifestyle, most of their nomadic
practices and customs relate in some way to livestock. Kazakhs have historically been very
passionate about horse-riding.[citation needed]
Kazakhstan is home to a large number of prominent contributors to literature, science and
philosophy: Abay Qunanbayuli, Mukhtar Auezov, Gabit Musirepov, Kanysh Satpayev, Mukhtar
Shakhanov, Saken Seyfullin, Jambyl Jabayev, among many others.

Jochi Mausoleum, Karagandy Region, Kazakhstan.

Tourism is a rapidly growing industry in Kazakhstan and it is joining the international tourism
networking. In 2010, Kazakhstan joined The Region Initiative (TRI) which is a Tri-regional
Umbrella of Tourism related organisations. TRI is functioning as a link between three regions:
South Asia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Armenia, Bangladesh, India, Georgia, Kazakhstan,

Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Nepal, Tajikistan, Russia, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Ukraine are now Partners
and Kazakhstan is linked with other South Asian, Eastern European and Central Asian countries
in tourism market.

Cuisine
In the national cuisine, livestock meat can be cooked in a variety of ways and is usually served
with a wide assortment of traditional bread products. Refreshments often include black tea and
traditional milk-derived drinks such as ayran, shubat and kymyz. A traditional Kazakh dinner
involves a multitude of appetisers on the table, followed by a soup and one or two main courses
such as pilaf and beshbarmak. They also drink their national beverage, which consists of
fermented mare's milk.[citation needed]

Sport
Main article: Sport in Kazakhstan

Alexander Vinokourov, Astana rider.

Yaroslava Shvedova, Wimbledon women's doubles winner in 2010.

Nikolai Antropov, a professional ice hockey player from Kazakhstan.

The Kazakhstan bandy team winning the final of the bandy tournament at the 2011 Asian Winter
Games in Medeo.
Kazakhstan has developed itself as a formidable sports-force on the world arena in the following
fields: boxing, chess, kickboxing, skiing, gymnastics, water polo, cycling, martial arts, heavy
athletics, horse-riding, triathlon, track hurdles, sambo, Greco-Roman wrestling and billiards. The
following are all well-known Kazakhstani athletes and world-championship medalists: Bekzat
Sattarkhanov, Vassiliy Jirov, Alexander Vinokourov, Bulat Jumadilov, Mukhtarkhan Dildabekov,
Olga Shishigina, Andrey Kashechkin, Aliya Yussupova, Dmitriy Karpov, Darmen Sadvakasov,
Yeldos Ikhsangaliyev, Askhat Zhitkeyev, Maxim Rakov, Aidar Kabimollayev, Yermakhan
Ibraimov, Vladimir Smirnov, Ilya Ilin.
2011 Asian Winter Games
Hosted by Kazakhstan.
Football
The most popular sport in Kazakhstan. The Football Federation of Kazakhstan (FFK;
Kazakh: Qazaqstann fwtbol federacyas) is the
sport's national governing body. The FFK organises the men's, women's and Futsal
national teams.
Ice hockey
The Kazakhstani national ice hockey team has competed in ice hockey in the 1998 and
2006 Winter Olympics as well as in the 2006 Men's World Ice Hockey Championships.
Cycling
Cycling is a popular activity throughout the country. Kazakhstan's most famous cyclist is
Alexander Vinokourov.[citation needed]

Boxing
Since independence in 1991, Kazakhstan's boxers have won many medals, quickly
moving up the all-time Olympic boxing medal table from last to a current 11th place.
Three Kazakh boxers, Bakhtiyar Artayev, Vassiliy Jirov and Serik Sapiyev, have won the
Val Barker Trophy, leaving Kazakhstan second (after the United States) in total number
of victories.
World IBF, WBO and IBO heavyweight champion Vladimir Klitschko was born in
Kazakhstan in 1976.
Bandy
The Kazakhstan national bandy team is among the best in the world and has won the
bronze medal at the Bandy World Championship for men many times. In the 2011 Bandy
World Championship, the team reached extra time in the semifinal before their defeat by
Sweden. The 2012 Championship will be hosted by Kazakhstan.[144]
Judo
Askhat Zhitkeyev won silver at the 2008 Olympics and Yeldos Smetov won the 2010
Junior World Championships in the 55 kg (121 lb) category.
Olympic weightlifting
Zulfiya Chinshanlo won a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.[citation needed]
In December 2014 the outgoing head of Kazakhstan's soccer federation, Adilbek Zhaksybekov,
said Kazakhstan was planning bidding to host 2026 FIFA World Cup.[145]

Film
Main article: Cinema of Kazakhstan

International Astana Action Film Festival

Kazakhstan's film industry is run through the state-owned Kazakhfilm studios based in Almaty.
The studio has produced award winning movies such as Myn Bala, Harmony Lessons, and Shal.
Kazakhstan is host of the International Astana Action Film Festival and the Eurasian Film
Festival held annually. Hollywood director Timur Bekmambetov is from Kazakhstan and has
become active in bridging Hollywood to the Kazakhstan film industry.[citation needed]
Kazakhstan journalist Artur Platonov won Best Script for his documentary "Sold Souls" about
Kazakhstan's contribution to the struggle against terrorism at the 2013 Cannes Corporate Media
and TV Awards.[146][147]

Serik Aprymovs Little Brother (Bauyr) won at the Central and Eastern Europe Film Festival
goEast from the German Federal Foreign Office.[148]

UNESCO World Heritage sites

Kazakhstan has three cultural and natural heritages on the UNESCO World Heritage list: the
Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yassaui, Petroglyphs within the Archaeological Landscape of
Tamgaly and Korgalzhyn & Nauryzumsky reserves.[149]

Public holidays
Source: [150] [151]
Date

English name

12 January

New Year's Day

7 January

Eastern Orthodox Christmas

8 March

International Women's Day

2123 March

Nauryz Meyramy

1 May

Kazakhstan People's Unity Day

Local name/s
Notes
(Jaa
jl)
(Novy
God)

from 2007
(Rojdestvo
official
Xrstovo /
holiday
Rozhdestvo
Khristovo)

(Xalqaralq
ylder kni)

(Mezhdunarodny
zhensky den)
Originally
the Persian
new year, is
traditionally
a springtime
(Nawrz meyram) holiday
marking the
beginning
of a new
year.

(Qazaqstan
xalqn birligi
merekesi)


(Otan
Qorgaushy kuny) from 2013
official
(Den holiday
Zashitnika
Otechestva)
A holiday in
the former
Soviet
Union
carried over

7 May

Defender of the Fatherland Day

9 May

(Jeis
kni)
Great Patriotic War Against Fascism Victory Day

(Den Pobedy)

6 July

Capital City Day

30 August

Constitution Day

Last day of Hajj

Qurban Ayta
In 2013 October 15

1 December

First President Day

to presentday
Kazakhstan
and other
former
republics
(Except
Baltic
countries).

Birthday of
(Astana kni)
the First

President
(Den stolitsy)

(Qazaqstan
Respublikasn
Konsttucyas
kni)

(Den
Konstitutsiy
Respubliki
Kazakhstan)

from 2007
(Qurban ayt)
official

holiday.
(Kurban ayt)
from 2013

official

1617 December Independence Day

(Tungysh President
kuny)

holiday
(Den
Pervogo
Presidenta)

(Twelsizdik kni)

(Den
nezavisimosti)

Eid al-Adha, the Islamic "Feast of the Sacrifice".

Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy

A comprehensive state plan aimed at bringing Kazakhstan into the ranks of the worlds 30 most
developed countries.
During his annual state of the nation address in Astana on 15 December 2012, President
Nazarbayev introduced the new Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy, a state plan aimed at bringing
Kazakhstan into the ranks of the worlds thirty most-developed countries by the middle of the
twenty-first century.[152]
At his 2014 State of the Nation address, President Nazarbayev expanded on his strategic vision
for the country, calling the Strategy 2050 "a beacon, which will allow us to achieve our goal
while we work on day-to-day living." He further outlined its implementation in two stages and
its core principles.[153]

Astana Roundtable
A roundtable discussion titled The Implementation of the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy and the
Role of Kazakhstan in the International Community was held on 15 September 2014 in Astana.
[154]
Foreign diplomats, deputies of parliament and officials from the Kazakh Ministry of Foreign
Affairs gathered i to discuss progress on key goals set out in the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy.[154]
The participants commended the 2050 strategy for its comprehensive character; focus on
qualitative development and stability.[154]
Charg d'Affaires of the United States to Kazakhstan John Ordway stressed that Kazakhstan is an
important strategic partner of the United States.[154] Meanwhile, Acting UN Resident Coordinator
in Kazakhstan, UNFPA Sub-regional Office Director Nikolai Botev, lauded Kazakhstan's
initiatives in nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and nuclear safety, as well as intercultural
cooperation.[154]

Membership of international organizations

Kazakhstan's membership of international organizations includes:

United Nations

Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council

Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation

Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)

Individual Partnership Action Plan, with NATO, Ukraine, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia,
Moldova, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro.

Turkic Council and the TRKSOY community. (The national language, Kazakh, is
related to the other Turkic languages, with which it shares cultural and historical ties.)

UNESCO, where Kazakhstan is a member of its World Heritage Committee.[155]

See also
Geography portal
Kazakhstan portal
Central Asia portal

Asia portal

Outline of Kazakhstan

Index of Kazakhstan-related articles

Demography of Central Asia

Internet in Kazakhstan

Julie Finley, United States ambassador to Kazakhstan.

Kazpost, the national postal service.

LGBT rights in Kazakhstan

Railway stations in Kazakhstan

Samruk-Kazyna, the state's sovereign wealth fund.

Telecommunications in Kazakhstan

Eurasia

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"Anti-corruption school opens its doors in Almaty, Kazakhstan". Transparency
International.
"Kazakhstan plans 10-year anti-corruption programme". http://centralasiaonline.com.
"Former Kazakh PM under house arrest on corruption charges". Tengrinews.
"Anti-corruption issues to be discussed at the meeting of Nationwide Coalition of
Democratic Forces "Kazakhstan-2050" in September". NurOtan.
"Kazakhstan Enlists Civil Society in Fight against Corruption". The Astana Times.
"Kazakhstan Introduces 10-year Strategic Plan to Prevent Corruption". astanatimes.com/.
"Kazakhstani Public Anti-Corruption Initiatives". business-anti-corruption.com.
"Fighting the Causes of Corruption". The Astana Times.
Wagenhauser, Betsy. "The Customs and Traditions of the Kazakh". Embassy of the
Republic of Kazakhstan.
"2012 Bandy World Championship will be staged in Kazakhstan". Worldbandy-2011.com.
29 January 2011. Archived from the original on 18 July 2011. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
"Kazakhstan plans bidding to host 2026 FIFA World Cup". Press TV. 13 December 2014.
CCS Artur Platonov wins Cannes Corporate Media & TV Award 2013. Ortcom.kz (5
November 2013). Retrieved 8 March 2014.
Cannes Corporate Media & TV Awards: Winners 2013. Cannescorporate.com. Retrieved 8
March 2014.
"Kazakhstan's Little Brother takes Federal Foreign Office award at goEast". TengriNews.
"Kazakhstan". UNESCO.
Kazakhstan Public Holidays. Worldtravelguide.net. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
"Electronic government of the Republic of Kazakhstan". Egov.kz. Retrieved 31 May 2013.
"Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy Leads to Government Restructuring". Carnegie Endowment.
"President Nursultan Nazarbayev's 2014 the State of the Nation Address". Embassy of
Kazakhstan in the United States.
"Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy Takes Spotlight at Astana Roundtable". The Astana Times.
1.

"Twelve new members elected to World Heritage Committee". UNESCO.

Further reading

Alexandrov, Mikhail (1999). Uneasy Alliance: Relations Between Russia and Kazakhstan
in the Post-Soviet Era, 19921997. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press. ISBN 0-313-309655.

Clammer, Paul; Kohn, Michael & Mayhew, Bradley (2004). Lonely Planet Guide:
Central Asia. Oakland, CA: Lonely Planet. ISBN 1-86450-296-7.

Cummings, Sally (2002). Kazakhstan: Power and the Elite. London: Tauris. ISBN 186064-854-1.

Demko, George (1997). The Russian Colonization of Kazakhstan. New York: Routledge.
ISBN 0-7007-0380-2.

Fergus, Michael & Jandosova, Janar (2003). Kazakhstan: Coming of Age. London: Stacey
International. ISBN 1-900988-61-5.

George, Alexandra (2001). Journey into Kazakhstan: The True Face of the Nazarbayev
Regime. Lanham: University Press of America. ISBN 0-7618-1964-9.

Martin, Virginia (2000). Law and Custom in the Steppe. Richmond: Curzon. ISBN 07007-1405-7.

Nazarbayev, Nursultan (2001). Epicenter of Peace. Hollis, NH: Puritan Press. ISBN 1884186-13-0.

Nazpary, Joma (2002). Post-Soviet Chaos: Violence and Dispossession in Kazakhstan.

London: Pluto Press. ISBN 0-7453-1503-8.

Olcott, Martha Brill (2002). Kazakhstan: Unfulfilled Promise. Washington, DC:

Brookings Institution Press. ISBN 0-87003-189-9.

Rall, Ted (2006). Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?. New York:
NBM. ISBN 1-56163-454-9.

Robbins, Christopher (2007). In Search of Kazakhstan: The Land That Disappeared.

London: Profile Books. ISBN 978-1-86197-868-4.

Rosten, Keith (2005). Once in Kazakhstan: The Snow Leopard Emerges. New York:
iUniverse. ISBN 0-595-32782-6.

Thubron, Colin (1994). The Lost Heart of Asia. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0-06018226-1.

External links

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Caspian Pipeline Controversy from the Dean Peter Krogh Foreign Affairs Digital
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Country Profile from BBC News.

Kazakhstan entry at The World Factbook

Kazakhstan information from the United States Department of State

Portals to the World from the United States Library of Congress.

Kazakhstan at UCB Libraries GovPubs.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan

World Bank Data & Statistics for Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan Internet Encyclopedia

Kazakhstan at 20 years of independence, The Economist, Dec 17th 2011

"Blowing the lid off" Unrest in Kazakhstan, The Economist, Dec 20th 2011

The Region Initiative (TRI)

Kazakhstan at DMOZ

Wikimedia Atlas of Kazakhstan

Geographic data related to Kazakhstan at OpenStreetMap

Country Facts from Kazakhstan Discovery

2008 Human Rights Report: Kazakhstan. Department of State; Bureau of Democracy,

Human Rights and Labor

Key Development Forecasts for Kazakhstan from International Futures.

Government

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