Dialing code +7
ISO 2 code KZ
ISO 3 code KAZ
Capital Astana
Main Language Kazakh
Currency Tenge (KZT)
GDP $176.9 billion 55th
Population 15,340,000 64th

Geography

Continent Asia
Location Central Asia northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in eastern-most Europe
Land 2,717,300 km2 9th
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
Climate Continental cold winters and hot summers arid and semiarid
Natural Hazards 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
Note: Landlocked; Russia leases approximately 6 000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004 Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050

Neighbouring Countries

China Kyrgyzstan Russia Turkmenistan Uzbekistan

History

Native Kazakhs a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 caused many of these newcomers to emigrate. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states combined largely due to the country's vast natural resources and a recent history of political stability. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; achieving a sustainable economic growth; diversifying the economy outside the oil gas and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's competitiveness; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
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Demographics

Life Expectancy 67.87 years 139th
Median Age 29.6 years 85th
Birth Rate 16.6 births/1,000 population 119th
Death Rate 9.39 births/1,000 population 72nd
Sex Ratio 0.54 male(s)/female 199th
Literacy 99.5% 18th
Population

15.3 million

Transportation

Roadways 91563 km 52nd
Railways 13700 km 18th
Airports 95 63rd
Waterways 4000 km 25th
Heliports 5 32nd
Airports paved 4 28th

Economy

Currency Tenge (KZT)
GDP $176.9 billion 55th
GDP per capita (PPP) $11500 87th