Kazakhstan

Location

• Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Oral) River in easternmost Europe
• world's largest landlocked country and one of only two landlocked countries in the world that extends into two continents (the other is Azerbaijan); Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km (2,317 sq mi) of territory enclosing the Baikonur Cosmodrome 

Population

Notable Population Centers

City	Population	Note
Almaty	1,977,011
Shymkent	1,200,000
Aktobe	500,757
Karagandy	497,777
Taraz	358,153
Kyzylorda	354,800
Astana	345,604	Capital
Oral	330,000
Pavlodar	329,002
Ust-Kamenogorsk	319,067

Size

• 1,049,150 square miles
• 2,717,300 square kilometers
• slightly less than four times the size of Texas

History

Ethnic Kazakhs derive from a mix of Turkic nomadic tribes that migrated to the region in the 15th century. The Russian Empire conquered the Kazakh steppe in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1925. Forced agricultural collectivization led to repression and starvation, resulting in more than a million deaths in the early 1930s. During the 1950s and 1960s, the agricultural "Virgin Lands" program generated an influx of settlers -- mostly ethnic Russians, but also other nationalities -- and by the time of Kazakhstan’s independence in 1991, ethnic Kazakhs were a minority. However, non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s, and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs (from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and the Xinjiang region of China) to Kazakhstan. As a result of this shift, the ethnic Kazakh share of the population now exceeds two-thirds.Kazakhstan's economy is the largest in Central Asia, mainly due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include diversifying the economy, attracting foreign direct investment, enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness, and strengthening economic relations with neighboring states and foreign powers.  

Climate

continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

Terrain

vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south

Languages

Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 80.1%, Russian 83.7%, English 35.1% (2021 est.)major-language sample(s): Әлемдік деректер кітабы, негізгі ақпараттың таптырмайтын көзі. (Kazakh)Книга фактов о мире – незаменимый источник базовой информации. (Russian)The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.note:  percentages are based on population that understands the spoken language

Religions

Muslim 69.3%, Christian 17.2% (Orthodox 17%, other 0.2%), Buddhism 0.1%, other 0.1%, non-believers 2.3%, unspecified 11% (2021 est.)

Government

presidential republic

• Constitution: history: previous 1937, 1978 (pre-independence), 1993; latest approved by referendum 30 August 1995, effective 5 September 1995amendment process: introduced by a referendum initiated by the president of the republic, on the recommendation of Parliament, or by the government; the president has the option of submitting draft amendments to Parliament or directly to a referendum; passage of amendments by Parliament requires four-fifths majority vote of both houses and the signature of the president; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote by more than one half of the voters in at least two thirds of the oblasts, major cities, and the capital, followed by the signature of the president
• Political Parties and Leaders: n/a
• Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
• Legal System: civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation
• Executive Branch: chief of state: President Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (since 20 March 2019)head of government: Prime Minister Olzhas BEKTENOV (since 6 February 2024)cabinet: the president appoints ministers based on the prime minister's recommendations; the president has veto power over all appointments and independently appoints the ministers of defense, internal affairs, and foreign affairselection/appointment process: president directly elected by simple-majority popular vote for a single 7-year term (prior to September 2022, the president of Kazakhstan could serve up to two 5-year terms; legislation reduced it to one 7-year term); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Mazhilismost recent election date: 20 November 2022election results: 2024: Olzhas BEKTENOV elected as prime minister; 69-0 in parliament2022: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Kassym-Jomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 81.3%, Zhiguli DAYRABAEV (Auyl) 3.4%, Qaraqat or Karakat ÄBDEN (KÄQŪA) 2.6%, Meyram KAZHYKEN (Amanat) 2.5%, Nurlan AUYESBAYEV (NSDP) 2.2%, Saltanat TURSYNBEKOVA (QA-DJ) 2.1%, other 5.8%2019: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV elected president; percent of vote - Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 71%, Amirzhan KOSANOV (Ult Tagdyry) 16.2%, Daniya YESPAYEVA (Ak Zhol) 5.1%, other 7.7%expected date of next election: 2029
• Judicial Branch: highest court(s): Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of the chairperson and 6 members)judge selection and term of office: Supreme Court judges proposed by the president of the republic on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council and confirmed by the Senate; judges normally serve until age 65 but can be extended to age 70; Constitutional Council - the president of the republic, the Senate chairperson, and the Mazhilis chairperson each appoints 2 members for a 6-year term; chairperson of the Constitutional Council appointed by the president for a 6-year termsubordinate courts: regional and local courts
• Legislative Branch: legislature name: Parliament (Parlament)legislative structure: bicameral

Demographic Profile

n/a

Economy

• oil and gas giant, with growing international investment; domestic economy hit hard by COVID-19 disruptions; reforming civil society and improving business confidence; legacy state controls and Russian influence inhibit growth and autonomy
• Budget: revenues: $44.25 billion (2023 est.)expenditures: $47.247 billion (2023 est.)note: central government revenues (excluding grants) and expenditures converted to US dollars at average official exchange rate for year indicated
• Credit Rating: n/a
• Natural Resources: major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium
• Industries: oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials
• Agricultural Products: wheat, milk, barley, potatoes, watermelons, cantaloupes/melons, sunflower seeds, maize, onions, tomatoes (2023)note: top ten agricultural products based on tonnage
• Land Use: agricultural land: 79.4% (2022 est.)arable land: 11% (2022 est.)permanent crops: 0% (2022 est.)permanent pasture: 68.3% (2022 est.)forest: 1.3% (2022 est.)other: 19.3% (2022 est.)
• Labor Force by Occupation: n/a
• Imports
• Imported Commodities: garments, cars, broadcasting equipment, vehicle bodies, packaged medicine (2023)note: top five import commodities based on value in dollars
• Import Partners: China 28%, Russia 24%, Gambia, The 4%, Turkey 4%, USA 4% (2023)note: top five import partners based on percentage share of imports
• Exports
• Exported Commodities: crude petroleum, gold, radioactive chemicals, refined copper, copper ore (2023)note: top five export commodities based on value in dollars
• Export Partners: China 16%, UK 15%, Russia 10%, Turkey 6%, Italy 5% (2023)note: top five export partners based on percentage share of exports