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Kazakhstan (Kazakh: Қазақстан, Qazaqstan; Russian: Казахстан, Kazakhstán), also spelled Kazakstan, is a country chiefly in Central Asia and a former republic of the now extinct USSR. It has borders with Russia, the People's Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and has a coastline on the Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan is the ninth-largest country in the world by area, but its semi-deserts (steppe) make it only the 57th country in population. Kazakhstan's population is 14,841,900 (2001).
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| Official languages | Kazakh, Russian | |
| Official script | Cyrillic | |
| Capital | Astana | |
| Largest City | Almaty | |
| President | Nursultan Nazarbayev | |
| Prime minister | Daniyal Akhmetov | |
| Area - Total - | Ranked 9th 2,717,300 km² | |
| Population - Total (2001) Density | Ranked 57th 14,841,900 5.5/km² | |
| Independence - Declared - | From the Soviet Union, December 16, 1991 | |
| Currency | Tenge | |
| Time zone | UTC +4 to +6 | |
| National anthem | Anthem of the Republic of Kazakhstan | |
| Internet TLD | .KZ | |
| Calling Code | 7 | |
Main article: History of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, once colonised by Czarist Russia, was absorbed into the Soviet Union following the Russian Revolution of 1917, led at that time by V.I. Lenin. During the reign of Stalin Kazakhstan was known for its Steplag correctional facility and for hosting deported Chechens and Volga Germans. Later Kazakhstan became a site for several ambitious successful Soviet projects: the Semipalatinsk Test Site and nuclear laboratories, Baikonur space facility, and fallowing of virgin lands.
Kazakhstan proclaimed its independence in the early 1990s, immediately following the breakdown of the U.S.S.R. The current President of Kazakhstan is Nursultan Nazarbayev.
In 1997 the capital of Kazakhstan moved from the southern city of Almaty to Akmolinsk (Akmola), later renamed to Astana, a city closer to the geographic center of the country. This decision was partly based on the prediction by geologists that Almaty would suffer a severe earthquake in the near future.
Main article: Politics of Kazakhstan
Although Kazakhstan is considered to have made greater progress in the field of democratic reforms, compared to the other Central Asian countries, the situation is far from perfect and international and non-governmental human rights organizations often point to frequent violations of human rights by state officials. The most famous recent case is the trial of opposition journalist Sergei Duvanov.
Kazakhstan is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species.
Kazakhstan has recently proposed an economic union with Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus.
Main article: Oblystar of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is divided into 14 oblystar (singular - oblysy) and 3 cities (qala, singular - qalasy)*:
Almaty, Almaty*, Aqmola (Astana), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau; formerly Shevchenko), Ongtustik Qazaqstan (Shymkent), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik Qazaqstan (Petropavl), Zhambyl (Taraz; formerly Dzhambul)
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 Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 km² enclosing the Bayqongyr (Baykonur) space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (formerly Leninsk).
Main article: Geography of Kazakhstan
Main article: Economy of Kazakhstan
Main article: Demographics of Kazakhstan
Main ethnic groups in Kazakhstan are Kazakhs (Qazaq) 46%, Russians 34.7%, Ukrainians 4.9%, Germans 3.1%, Uzbeks 2.3%, Tatars 1.9% (as of 1996).
Main article: Culture of Kazakhstan
In part because of the country's enormous semi arid steppe, the Soviet government used Kazakhstan as its nuclear testing site, and this, along with near-absent pollution controls, has contributed to an alarmingly high rate of disease in many rural areas. Kazakhstan has identified at least two major ecological disasters within its borders-- the shrinking of the Aral Sea, radioactive contamination at the Semipalatinsk nuclear testing facility (in fact a large zone south of Koursatov) and along the Chinese border.
The Central Asian Regional Environmental Center is located in Kazakhstan, which fosters regional cooperation on environmental issues.
Kazakhstan possesses the Soviet equivalent to the United States' Cape Canaveral, where they have launched their version of the space shuttle and the well-known space station Mir. Russia currently leases approximately 6,000 km² of territory enclosing the Baikonur Cosmodrome space launch site in south central Kazakhstan.
The name of the city of Almaty, 'Father of Apples' in English, derives from the wild apples that grow naturally in the area.
The popular TV creation of Sacha Baron Cohen (aka Ali G) of "Borat" represents a seemingly naive Kazakhstan television reporter uncovering the inconsistencies of western culture. Interestingly, the ambassador from Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom was insulted by the character claiming it was far from an authentic representation of Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan appears in the movies Air Force One (with Harrison Ford), The World is Not Enough (James Bond), and Rollerball (with Jean Reno).
Talented cyclist Countries in Central Asia
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PRC (China) | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Mongolia | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Uzbekistan
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| Commonwealth of Independent States |
| Armenia | Azerbaijan | Belarus | Georgia | Kazakhstan | Kyrgyzstan | Moldova | Russia | Tajikistan | Turkmenistan | Ukraine | Uzbekistan |
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