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| == History == | == History == | ||
| {{main|History of Kazakhstan}} | {{main|History of Kazakhstan}} | ||
| Humans have inhabited what is now known as Kazakhstan since the ], generally pursuing the nomadic movement ] for which the region's climate and terrain are best suited. In fact, historians believe the vast steppes of modern day Kazakhstan were where humans first domesticated the horse. From the ] through the beginning of the ], southern parts of the territory of what is now Kazakhstan were a part of and ruled by the ], and after the invasion of ] by Arabs, ruled by a few nomadic kingdoms . Following the Mongolian invasion in the early 13th century, administrative districts were established under the ], which eventually became the territories of the ] (Ak Horde). The major medieval cities of ] and ] were founded along the northern route of the ] during this period. | |||
| Traditional nomadic life on the vast ] and semi-desert lands was characterized by a constant search for new pasture to support the livestock-based economy. The Kazakhs emerged from a mixture of tribes living in the region in about the ] and by the middle of the ] had developed a common language, culture, and economy. In the early 1600s, the Kazakh Khanate separated into the Great, Middle and Little (or Small) Hordes (jüz)—confederations based on extended family networks. Political disunion, competition among the hordes, and a lack of an internal market weakened the Kazakh Khanate. The beginning of the 18th century marked the zenith of the Kazakh Khanate. The area was a bone of contention between the Kazak emirs and the ] for many centuries. | |||
| In the ], the ] began to expand, and spread into ]. The "]" period is generally regarded as running from approximately 1813 to the ] of 1907. Following the ] of 1917 a second less intensive phase followed. The ]s effectively ruled over most of the territory belonging to what is now the Republic of Kazakhstan. | |||
| 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 "]" between it and the ]. Russia enforced the Russian language in all schools and governmental organizations. Russian efforts to impose its system aroused the resentment of the ], and by the 1860s, most Kazakhs resisted Russia's annexation largely because of the disruption it wrought upon the traditional nomadic lifestyle and livestock-based economy. The Kazakh national movement, which began in the late 1800s, sought to preserve the Kazakh language and identity. From the 1890s onwards ever-larger numbers of Slavic settlers began ] the territory of present-day Kazakhstan, in particular the province of ]. The number of settlers rose still further once the ] from ] to ] was completed in 1906, and the movement was overseen and encouraged by a specially created Migration Department (Переселенческое Управление) in St. Petersburg. The competition for land and water which ensued between the Kazakhs and the incomers caused great resentment against colonial rule during the final years of tsarist Russia, with the most serious uprising, the ], occurring in 1916. | |||
| Although there was a brief period of ] during the tumultuous period following the collapse of the Russian Empire, the Kazakhs eventually succumbed to ] rule. In 1920, the area of present-day Kazakhstan became an ] within Russia and, in 1936, a ]. | |||
| Soviet repression of the traditional elites, along with forced ] in late 1920s-1930s, brought about mass hunger and led to unrest. Soviet rule, however, took hold, and a ] apparatus steadily worked to fully integrate Kazakhstan into the Soviet system. Kazakhstan experienced population inflows of thousands exiled from other parts of the Soviet Union during the 1930s and later became home for hundreds of thousands evacuated from the ] battlefields. Some of these evacuees were deported to Siberia or Kazakhstan merely due to their ethnic heritage or beliefs, and were in many cases interned in some of the biggest Soviet labor camps. The ] (SSR) contributed five national divisions to the Soviet Union's ] effort. | |||
| The period of World War II marked an increase in ] and increased ] in support of the war effort. At the time of Soviet leader ]'s death, however, Kazakhstan still had an overwhelmingly agricultural-based economy. In ], Soviet leader ] initiated the ambitious "]" program to turn the traditional pasturelands of Kazakhstan into a major grain-producing region for the Soviet Union. The Virgin Lands policy, along with later modernizations under Soviet leader ], sped up the development of the agricultural sector, which to this day remains the source of livelihood for a large percentage of Kazakhstan's population. | |||
| Growing tensions within Soviet society led to a demand for political and economic reforms, which came to a head in the 1980s. In ], mass demonstrations by young ethnic Kazakhs took place in ] to protest the methods of the ]. Soviet troops suppressed the unrest, and dozens of demonstrators were jailed or killed. In the waning days of Soviet rule, discontent continued to grow and find expression under Soviet leader ]'s policy of ]. Caught up in the groundswell of Soviet republics seeking greater autonomy, Kazakhstan declared its ] as a republic within the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in ]. Following the ] abortive ] attempt in ] and the subsequent ], Kazakhstan declared independence on ], ]. | |||
| The years following ] have been marked by significant reforms to the Soviet command-economy and political ] on power. Under ], who initially came to power in 1989 as the head of the ] and was eventually elected President in 1991, Kazakhstan has made significant progress toward developing a ]. The country has enjoyed significant economic growth since 2000, partly due to its large oil, gas, and mineral reserves. | |||
| But, democracy has not improved much since 1991. An article from says "In July 2000, Kazakhstan's parliament passed a law granting President Nursultan Nazarbayev lifetime powers and privileges, including access to future presidents, immunity from criminal prosecution, and influence over domestic and foreign policy. Critics say he has become a de facto "president for life." (Central Asia-Caucasus Institute briefing, July 5, 2000, ). Over the course of his ten years in power, Nazarbayev has repeatedly censored the press through arbitrary use of "slander" laws (RFE Newsline, April 12, 1996), blocked access to opposition web sites (Nov. 9, 1999), banned the Wahhabi religious sect (Sept. 5, 1998), drawn criticism from Amnesty International for excessive executions following specious trials (March 21, 1996) and harsh prison conditions (Aug. 13, 1996), and refused demands that the governors of Kazakhstan's 14 oblasts be elected, rather than appointed by the president (April 7, 2000)." | |||
| == Politics == | |||
| {{morepolitics|country=Kazakhstan}}<!--Please add new information into relevant articles of the series--> | |||
| ] | |||
| Kazakhstan is a ]al ] with a strong presidency. The president is the ]. The president also is the ] of the armed forces and may ] legislation that has been passed by the ]. President ], who has been in office since Kazakhstan became independent, won a new 7-year term in the 1999 election that the ] said fell short of international standards. The prime minister, who serves at the pleasure of the president, chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's head of government. There are three deputy prime ministers and 16 ministers in the Cabinet. ] became the Prime Minister in ]. | |||
| Kazakhstan has a bicameral Parliament, comprised of the ] (the ]) and ] (the ]). Single mandate districts popularly elect 67 seats in the Majilis; there also are ten members elected by party-list vote rather than by single mandate districts. The Senate has 39 members. Two senators are selected by each of the elected assemblies (]) of Kazakhstan's 16 principal administrative divisions (14 regions, or oblasts, 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. | |||
| Elections to the Majilis in ] yielded a lower house dominated by the pro-government ], headed by President Nazarbayev. Two other parties considered sympathetic to the president, including the agrarian-industrial bloc ] and the ], 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 during elections that the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said fell short of international standards. | |||
| In 1999, Kazakhstan applied for observer status at the ] ]. The official response of the Assembly was that Kazakhstan could apply for full membership, because it is partially located in Europe, but that they would not be granted any status whatsoever at the Council until their ] and ] records improved. | |||
| On ], ], ] was reelected in a landslide victory. The electoral commission announced that he had won over 90% of the vote. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concluded the election did not meet international standards despite some improvements in the administration of the election. ] reported that ] observers, responsible in overseeing 25 polling stations in ], found that voting in those polls was conducted in a "transparent and fair" manner. Furthermore, Western governments were muted in their criticism of the election. | |||
| ===Kazakh Intelligence Services=== | |||
| Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) was established on ] ]. It includes the Service of Internal Security, Military Counterintelligence, Border Guard, several Commando units, and Foreign Intelligence (Barlau). The latter is considered by many as the most important part of KNB. Its director is ] ]. | |||
| == Administrative divisions == | |||
| {{main|Provinces of Kazakhstan}} | |||
| Kazakhstan is divided into fourteen ] (''oblys'') and three municipal districts (''qala'')*: | |||
| ], ]*, ] (]), ], ]*, ], ] (]), ]*, ] (]; formerly Shevchenko), ] (]), ], ], ], ], ] (]; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), ] (]), ] (]; known as Dzhambul in the Soviet period, but before that as ]) | |||
| ''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 ] entered into an agreement whereby Russia would lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 square kilometres (2,300 sq. mi); enclosing the ] and the city of Bayqongyr (formerly ]). Just recently, the lease of Bayqongyr facilities was extended through ]. | |||
| Each is headed by an Akim (provincial governor) appointed by the president. Municipal Akims are appointed by oblast Akims. The Government of Kazakhstan transferred its capital from Almaty to Astana on ], ]. | |||
| == Geography == | |||
| {{main|Geography of Kazakhstan|List of cities in Kazakhstan}} | |||
| ] | |||
| With an area of 2.7 million ]s<!--per ]--> (1.05 million ]), Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest nation in the world. It is equivalent to the size of ]. It shares borders of 6,846 ]s<!--per ]--> (4,254 ]) with ], 2,203 kilometers (1,369 mi) with ], 1,533 kilometers (953 mi) with the ], 1,051 kilometers (653 mi) with ], and 379 kilometers (235 mi) with ]. Major cities include ] (capital since ]), ] (the former capital), ], ] (Chimkent), ] (Semipalatinsk) and ]. | |||
| ] | |||
| The terrain extends west to east from the ] to the ] and north to south from the plains of ] to the oasis and desert of ]. The ], with an area of around 804,500 square kilometres (310,600 sq. mi), occupies one-third of the country and is the world's largest dry ] region. The steppe is characterized by large areas of ]s and sandy regions. Important rivers and lakes include: the ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] | |||
| The climate is ], with hot summers and colder winters. Precipitation varies between arid and semi-arid conditions. | |||
| == Economy == | |||
| {{main|Economy of Kazakhstan}} | |||
| ] | |||
| The government of Kazakhstan plans to double its ] (GDP) by ] and triple by ] compared to ]. The GDP growth was stable in the last five years, and was higher than 9%. GDP growth in ] was 9.2%, and 9.4% in 2004. Kazakhstan's economy grew by 9.2% in ], buoyed by high world ] prices. GDP grew 9.5% in ]; it grew 13.2% in ], up from 9.8% in 2000. | |||
| Kazakhstan's ] has been widely considered to be well-managed. Its principal challenges in 2002 were to manage strong foreign currency inflows without sparking ]. In 2003 inflation did not remain under control, registering at 6.8% instead of the forecast level of 5.3%-6.0%. In 2002 inflation was 6.6%, compared to 6.4% in 2001. Because of its strong ] performance and financial health, in 2000 Kazakhstan became the first former Soviet republic to repay all of its debt to the ] (IMF), 7 years ahead of schedule. In March 2002, the ] graduated Kazakhstan to ] status under ]. The 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. | |||
| In September 2002, Kazakhstan became the first country in the former ] to receive an investment-grade ] 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. This amounts to 14% of the GDP. There has been a noticeable reduction in the ratio of debt to GDP observed in past years; 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%. | |||
| The upturn in ], combined with the results of earlier ] and financial sector reforms, dramatically improved government finances from the 1999 ] 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 ] in an effort to consolidate these gains. On November 29, 2003 the Law on Changes to Tax Code was adopted, which reduced ]. The ] fell from 16% to 15%, the social tax from 21% to 20%, and the personal ] from 30% to 20%. Kazakhstan furthered its reforms by adopting a new land code on June 20, 2003, and a customs code on April 5, 2003. | |||
| ], Kazakhstan's currency]] | |||
| ] is the leading economic sector. Production of crude oil and ] condensate in Kazakhstan amounted to 51.2 million ]s in 2003, which was 8.6% more than in 2002. 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 ]), up 22.7% compared to 2002, including natural gas production of 7.3 billion cubic meters (258 billion ]); Kazakhstan holds about 4 billion tons of proven recoverable oil reserves and 2,000 ]s (480 ]) of gas. Industry analysts believe that planned expansion of oil production, coupled with the development of new ], will enable the country to produce as much as 3 million barrels (477,000 m³) per day by ], lifting Kazakhstan into the ranks of the world's top 10 oil-producing nations. Kazakhstan's 2003 oil exports were valued at more than $7 billion, representing 65% of overall exports and 24% of the GDP. Major oil and gas fields and their recoverable ] are ] with 7 billion barrels (1.1 km³); ] with 8 billion barrels (1.3 km³) and 1,350 km³ of natural gas); and ] with 7 to 9 billion barrels (1.1 to 1.4 km³). | |||
| Kazakhstan instituted an ambitious ] reform program in 1998. As of January 1, 2005, the pension assets were about $4.1 billion. There are 16 saving pension funds in the republic. The State Accumulating Pension Fund, the only state-owned fund, could be ] as early as 2006. The country's unified financial regulatory agency oversees and regulates the pension funds. The pension funds' growing demand for quality investment outlets triggered rapid development of the debt ] market. Pension fund capital is being invested almost exclusively in corporate and government ], including Government of Kazakhstan Eurobonds. The Kazakhstani banking system is developing rapidly. The banking system's capitalization now exceeds $1 billion. The National Bank has introduced deposit insurance in its campaign to strengthen the banking sector. Several major foreign banks have branches in Kazakhstan, including ], ], and ]. | |||
| ===Agriculture=== | |||
| ] accounted for 13.6% of Kazakhstan's GDP in 2003. ] (Kazakhstan is the sixth-largest producer in the world) and ] 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 ] and hay land. Chief livestock products are ]s, ], ], and ]. The country's major crops include ], ], ], and ]. Wheat ]s, a major source of ], 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 ]. | |||
| ===Natural resources=== | |||
| Kazakhstan has an abundant supply of accessible mineral and fossil fuel resources. Development of ], ], and mineral extraction 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. According to some estimates , Kazakhstan has the second largest ], ], ], and ] reserves, the third largest ] reserves, the fifth largest ] reserves, and ranks in the top ten for ], ], and ]. It is also an exporter of ]s and ]. | |||
| In total, there are 160 deposits with over 2.7 billion tons of petroleum. Oil explorations have shown that the deposits on the ] 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 ] within the country, situated in ], ], and ]. These are not capable of processing the crude output, much of it is exported to Russia. | |||
| == Foreign relations == | |||
| ] with ], President of ]]] | |||
| Kazakhstan has stable relationships with all of its neighbors and is a member of the ], ], Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and ](OIC). It is an active participant in the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) ] program. Kazakhstan is also a member of the ], the ] (ECO) and the ] along with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the ] in 2000 to re-energize earlier efforts at harmonizing trade tariffs and the creation of a free trade zone under a customs union. | |||
| Since independence in 1991, Kazakhstan has pursued what is known as the multidimensional foreign policy (многовекторная внешняя политика), seeking equally good relations with two large neighbors, Russia and China, and the United States and the West generally. The policy has yielded results in the oil and gas sector, where companies from the U.S., Russia, China, and Europe are present at all major fields, and in the multidimensional directions of oil export pipelines out of Kazakhstan. | |||
| Kazakhstan possesses the Soviet equivalent to the United States' ], where the ] launched its version of the space shuttle and the well-known space station ]. Russia currently leases approximately 6,000 km² (2,300 mi²) of territory enclosing the ] space launch site in south central Kazakhstan. | |||
| On June 18, 2006, Kazakhstan joined the club of the world's space powers in its own right when it launched its first commercial satellite, ], from the Baikonur Cosmodrome on a Russian built booster rocket. | |||
| In September 2006, the government announced that it is funding distribution of a multi million dollar movie called "]" about the history of the nation. The movie started in 2003, and has been plagued with multiple development problems, though it is now 'on track' for release in 2006-2007. News reports erroneously suggested the government was sponsoring this movie as an effort to combat negative international publicity, including the satirical character ].<ref>{{cite news|author=Tom Birchenough|title = The Blood of a Nation: "Nomad," the most lavish film epic to come out of Central Asia, is a matter of national pride for Kazakhstan.|publisher = ]|date=2006-09-15|url = http://context.themoscowtimes.com/print.php?aid=170807|accessdate = 2006-10-12}}</ref> | |||
| In September 2006, President Nursultan Nazarbayev had a successful visit to the United States where he met with President George W. Bush at the Oval Office, several key members of the U.S. Administration and Congress. While in Washington, President Nazarbayev unveiled the Monument of Independence of Kazakhstan and addressed a large gathering of the political and business elite on Kazakhstan's approach to nuclear nonproliferation. | |||
| == Demographics == | |||
| {{main|Demographics of Kazakhstan}} | |||
| The majority of modern Kazakhstanis are currently either ethnic ] (58%-60%) or ] (25%-27%), with smaller ], ], ], ], ] and other minorities totalling 15-17%. | |||
| Many minorities such as Tatars, Soviet Germans, Poles, Romanians, Ukrainians and regime-critical Russians, had been deported to Kazakhstan before and at the beginning of ], ordered by Stalin. One of the biggest Soviet ] existed in Kazakhstan. There is also a small but visible Jewish community. Before 1991, one million ] lived in Kazakhstan; much of this community emigrated to ] following the breakup of the ]. The main religious groupings are ], ] and ]. | |||
| Kazakhstan is a bilingual country: the ] language, spoken by 64.4% of the population, has the status of the "state" language, while ] is declared the "official" language, and is used routinely in business. | |||
| The 1990s were marked by the emigration of many of the country's Europeans, a process that began in the 1970s; this was a major factor in giving the autochthonous Kazakhs a majority along with higher Kazakh birthrates and ethnic Kazakh immigration from the ], ] and ]. In the early 21st century, Kazakhstan has become one of the leading nations in ]s. | |||
| ===Kazakhs and Kazakhstanis (terminology)=== | |||
| For many years, Russians often outnumbered the Kazakhs in many parts of the area known today as Kazakhstan. Even now, Russians and people of other ethnic origins play an important role in the economy and government and consider the country their home. | |||
| The Russian term '''казахстанец''' (Kazakhstani) was coined to describe all inhabitants of Kazakhstan, including non-Kazakhs. The word "Kazakh" is generally used to refer to people of actual Kazakh descent (including those living in China, Afghanistan, and other Central Asian countries). | |||
| Ethnicon Kazakh is derived from an ancient Turkic word “independent, a free spirit” and fully reflects the nature of the Kazakh people, who have been in all times aspiring to an independent, autonomous existence. The ]/] (See ]) word "stan" means "land" or "place of". It is the result of Kazakhs' nomadic horseback culture and is related to the term "]". | |||
| == Education == | |||
| {{main|Education in Kazakhstan}} | |||
| Education is universal and mandatory through to the ] and the ]. Education consists in three main educational phases: ] (forms 1-4), basic general education (forms 5-9) and senior level education (forms 10-11 or 12) divided into continued general education and professional education. (Primary education is preceded by one year of pre-school education.) These three levels of education can be followed in one institution or in different ones (e.g. primary school, then secondary school). Recently, several secondary schools, specialized schools, ]s, ]s, ]s, linguistic and technical gymnasiums, have been founded. Secondary professional education is offered in special professional or technical schools, lyceums or colleges and vocational schools. | |||
| 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 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. 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. | |||
| == Culture == | |||
| {{main|Culture of Kazakhstan}} | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| == Controversy Relating to Kazakh Culture == | |||
| In 2006, a film entitled: "Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan" was released in theatres worldwide to much fanfare and equal controversy. The film's official synopsis is as follows: "Borat Sagdiyev, Kazakhstan's sixth most famous man and a leading journalist from the State run TV network, travels from his home in Kazakhstan to the U.S. to make a documentary. On his cross-country road-trip, Borat meets real people in real situations with hysterical consequences." The film is actually a spoof created by its star, British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, who portrays the film's main character and namesake, "Borat". | |||
| A human rights group campaigning for gypsies has filed a complaint against the British comic over the film. In the film, Borat calls himself a former "gypsy catcher". "TECAR", or "The European Center for Antiziganism Research" has brought the complaint accusing Sacha Baron Cohen of defamation, inciting violence against the Sinti and Roma gypsy groups and violating Germany's anti-discrimination law. Officials from the Kazakh government have also threatened suit for what they claim to be an unlawful portrayal of its citizenry and culture. Many counter-critics have accused the Kazakh government and these Western Europeans critics of being intolerant of free speech. | |||
| ===Public holidays=== | |||
| {|class="wikitable" | |||
| !style="background:#efefef;"| Date | |||
| !style="background:#efefef;"| English name | |||
| !style="background:#efefef;"| Local name | |||
| !style="background:#efefef;"| Remarks | |||
| |- | |||
| | January 1st | |||
| | ] | |||
| | Жаңа жыл | |||
| | ~ | |||
| |- | |||
| | January 7th | |||
| | Russian Orthodox ] | |||
| | Рождество Христово | |||
| | This is not an official state holiday, but it is usually taken as a vacation from work. | |||
| |- | |||
| | Floating date, marked on last day of Hajj to Mecca) | |||
| | Qurban Ait (], or Islamic Feast of the Sacrifice) | |||
| | Құрбан айт | |||
| | This is not an official state holiday, but it is usually taken as a vacation from work. | |||
| |- | |||
| | March 8th | |||
| | ] | |||
| | Халықаралық әйелдер күні | |||
| | ~ | |||
| |- | |||
| | March 22nd | |||
| | Nauryz Meyrami (Traditional Spring Holiday) | |||
| | Наурыз мейрамы | |||
| | Traditionally this Holiday means beginning of a New Year, and in the past was celebrated until almost 21st of April. | |||
| |- | |||
| | May 1st | |||
| | Kazakhstan People’s ] | |||
| | Қазақстан Ұлттарының Бірлік Күні | |||
| | ~ | |||
| |- | |||
| | May 9th | |||
| | ] | |||
| | Жеңіс күні | |||
| | ~ | |||
| |- | |||
| | August 30th | |||
| | ] | |||
| | Конституция күні | |||
| | ~ | |||
| |- | |||
| | October 25th | |||
| | ] | |||
| | Республика күні | |||
| | ~ | |||
| |- | |||
| | December 16th (and 17th) | |||
| | ] | |||
| | Тәуелсіздік күні | |||
| |} | |||
| == Miscellaneous topics == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
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| == See also == | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | |||
| == Further reading == | |||
| * ''Epicenter of Peace'' by Nursultan Nazarbayev | |||
| * ''Kazakhstan: Coming of Age'' by Michael Furgus and Janar Jandosova | |||
| * ''Kazakhstan : Power and the Elite'' Sally Cummings | |||
| * ''Kazakhstan: Unfulfilled Promise'' Martha Brill Olcott | |||
| * ''Lonely Planet Guide: Central Asia'' by Paul Clammer, Michael Kohn and Bradley Mayhew | |||
| * ''The Lost Heart of Asia'' by Colin Thubron | |||
| * ''Once in Kazakhstan : The Snow Leopard Emerges'' Keith Rosten | |||
| * ''Post-Soviet Chaos : Violence and Dispossession in Kazakhstan'' by Joma Nazpary | |||
| * ''The Russian Colonization of Kazakhstan'' by George Demko | |||
| * ''Uneasy Alliance: Relations Between Russia and Kazakhstan in the Post-Soviet Era, 1992-1997'' by Mikhail Alexandrov | |||
| * ''Journey into Kazakhstan: The True Face of the Nazabayev Regime'' Alexandra George | |||
| * ''Law and Custom in the Steppe'' by Virginia Martin | |||
| * "Silk Road to Ruin: Is Central Asia the New Middle East?" by Ted Rall | |||
| == References and notes == | |||
| * | |||
| * | |||
| <div class="references-small"><references/></div> | |||
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Revision as of 16:52, 2 November 2006
| Republic of Kazakhstan Қазақстан Республикасы Qazaqstan Respublïkası Республика Казахстан Respublika Kazakhstan | |
|---|---|
Flag
Coat of arms of Kazakhstan
Coat of arms
| |
| Motto: "High five!" | |
| Anthem: My Kazakhstan | |
 | |
| Capital | Astana |
| Largest city | Almaty |
| Official languages | Kazakh (state language), Russian |
| Government | Republic |
| • President | Nursultan Nazarbayev |
| • Prime Minister | Daniyal Akhmetov |
| Independence From the Soviet Union | |
| • Declared | December 16, 1991 |
| • Finalized | December 25, 1991 |
| • Water (%) | 1.7 |
| Population | |
| • January 2006 estimate | 15,217,700 (62nd) |
| • 1999 census | 14,953,100 |
| GDP (PPP) | 2005 estimate |
| • Total | $125.5 billion (56th) |
| • Per capita | $8,318 (70th) |
| HDI (2003) | 0.761 high (80th) |
| Currency | Tenge (KZT) |
| Time zone | UTC+5 to +6 |
| Calling code | 7 |
| ISO 3166 code | KZ |
| Internet TLD | .kz |
.svg){kind=link}
Kazakhstan, also spelled Kazakstan, (Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan, IPA ; Russian: Казахстан, Kazakhstán, IPA ), officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of northern and central Eurasia. A small portion of its territory west of the Ural River is located in eastern-most Europe. It has borders with Russia, the People's Republic of China, and the Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and has a coastline on the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan was a republic of the former Soviet Union and is now a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
It is the ninth-largest country in the world by area, but it is only 62nd country in population, with approximately 6 persons per km² (15 per sq. mi.). Population in 2006 is estimated at 15,300,000, down from 16,464,464 in 1989. Much of the country's land consists of semi-desert (steppe) terrain.