Background
Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world, with an area of 2.7 million square kilometers, the size of Western Europe. Major cities include Astana, the capital since 1998), Almaty (former capital and the commercial center), Karaganda and Shymkent.
Kazakhstan extends from the Caspian Sea, in the east, to the Altay Mountains in the west, and from the plains of Western Siberia in the north to the deserts of Central Asia in the south. The climate is continental, with cold winders and hot summers, and is arid or semi-arid.
Kazakhstan is the second most populated country in Central Asia, with an estimated 16 million people. 53% of the population lives in urban areas. The ethnic composition of the population is majority Kazakh (55.8%), with a large ethnically Russian population (28.3%), and small minorities of Ukrainian (3.3%), Uzbek (2.6%), German (1.8%), Uyghur (1.5%) and other (5.0%). Approximately 47% are Sunni Muslim, 44% Russian Orthodox, 2% Protestant and 7% other.
Kazakhstan is a bilingual country, with Kazakh designated as the "State" language and Russian the "official" language. Russian is routinely used in business. Approximately 64.4% of the population speaks Kazakh. There is mandatory universal secondary education. Literacy is estimated at 98.4%.
Government
The Republic of Kazakhstan declared sovereignty on 25 October 1990 and received its independence from the Soviet Union on 16 December 1991. Since independence, the Government of Kazakhstan has placed primary emphasis on achieving political stability and economic growth.
In the relatively short period since independence, the Government has:
- settled border disputes with its neighbors,
- established close ties with Russia, China and the United States,
- achieved an unprecedented degree of interethnic harmony,
- privatized the economy,
- ensured property rights, improved health care and pensions, strengthened the banking system and expanded credit for home ownership, and
- managed high economic growth while taking measures to prevent resource-induced inflation (the "Dutch Disease").
The Constitution was adopted by referendum on 30 August 2005, replacing a 1993 constitution. There are three branches of government, consisting of (1) a president and a prime minister; (2) the legislative, consisting of the Senate (upper house) and Mazhilis (lower house); and (3) judicial, consisting of a Supreme Court. Ten political parties are registered. There is universal suffrage for those reaching 18 years of age.
Kazakhstan is a constitutional republic with a strong presidency. Kazakhstan is divided into 14 oblasts and the two municipal districts of Astana and Almaty. Each is headed by an "akim" (provincial governor) appointed by the president. Municipal akims are appointed by oblast akims.
The president is head-of-state. The president is also the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and may veto legislation that has been passed by parliament. President Nursultan Nazarbayev has been in office since Kazakhstan became independent. In December 2005, President Nazarbayev won a new 7-year term. The prime minister, who serves at the pleasure of the president, chairs the Cabinet of Ministers and serves as Kazakhstan's head-of-government.