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Kazakhstan

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Kazakhstan is a landlocked country in the middle of Eurasia. Its official name is the Republic of Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is the ninth biggest country in the world, and it is also the biggest landlocked country in the world. After the end of the Soviet Union, it replaced Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The president of the country from 1991 through March 2019 was Nursultan Nazarbayev. Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. Almaty was the capital until 1998, when it moved to Astana.

Republic of Kazakhstan
  • Қазақстан Республикасы  (Kazakh)
    Qazaqstan Respublikasy
  • Республика Казахстан  (Russian)
    Respublika Kazakhstan
Flag of Kazakhstan
Anthem: 
Location of  Kazakhstan  (green)
Location of  Kazakhstan  (green)
CapitalAstana
51°10′N 71°26′E / 51.167°N 71.433°E / 51.167; 71.433
Official languages
Common languages
Ethnic groups
(2018[1])
Religion
Demonym(s)Kazakhstani[a][3]
GovernmentUnitary presidential constitutional republic
• President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Oljas Bektenov
Maulen Ashimbayev
Nurlan Nigmatulin
LegislatureParliament
• Upper house
Senate
• Lower house
Mazhilis
Formation
1465
13 December 1917
26 August 1920
19 June 1925
5 December 1936
• Declared Sovereignty
25 October 1990
• Reconstituted as the Republic of Kazakhstan
10 December 1991
• Declared Independence from the USSR
16 December 1991
21 December 1991
26 December 1991
2 March 1992
30 August 1995
Area
• Total
2,724,900 km2 (1,052,100 sq mi) (9th)
• Water (%)
1.7
Population
• 2025 estimate
Steady 20,286,084[4] (61)
• Density
7/km2 (18.1/sq mi) (236th)
GDP (PPP)2019 estimate
• Total
Increase $534.271 billion[5] (41st)
• Per capita
Increase $28,514[5] (53rd)
GDP (nominal)2019 estimate
• Total
Decrease $164.207 billion[5] (54th)
• Per capita
Decrease $8,763[5] (71st)
Gini (2017)▲ 27.5[6]
low
HDI (2017)Increase 0.800[7]
very high · 58th
CurrencyTenge (₸) (KZT)
Time zoneUTC+5 / +6 (West / East)
Driving sideright
Calling code+7-6xx, +7-7xx
ISO 3166 codeKZ
Internet TLD
Map of Kazakhstan

The Kazakh language, which is a Turkic language, is the native language, but Russian has equal official status for all administrative and institutional purposes.[8] Islam is the largest religion- about 70% of the population are Muslims, with Christianity practiced by 26%;[9] Russia leases (rents) the land for the Baikonur Cosmodrome (site of Russian spacecraft launches) from Kazakhstan.

Origin of the name

The name of Kazakhstan comes from addition of "Kazakh" and "-stan", where "-stan" in Persian means "land of". So Kazakhstan means "land of Kazakhs".

There have been theories to explain the meaning of the word "Kazakh". The word possibly meant "homeless", "loner", "in exile", "free man", or "wanderer".[10][11]

History

People who lived in Kazakhstan usually were nomads (people who do not live in one place all the time). Livestock was important for nomads, especially horses.

Kazakh Khanate

After the end of Golden Horde, Kerei and Janibek Khans created Kazakh Khanate in 15th century. It got most of the land Kazakhstan today has. In 17th century, Kazakh Khanate was divided into three jüz (clans). In 18th century, Russia defeated Kazakhs and got their land.

Russian Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan was important for Russia because it allowed it to get bigger to the south. Great Britain controlled India and feared that Russia was getting closer to its borders. This competition between Russia and Britain is called the "Great Game".

Main pages: Russian Civil War and Alash–Orda

Russian people were tired because of World War I. Two revolutions happened in Russia: February and October revolutions. This caused a civil war between Empire White Forces and Bolshevik Red Army. At the time, Kazakh elite (educated people) created Alash Autonomy. They aimed to control its land and people. However, Red Army beat White Army, and Soviet Union got Kazakh land before 1920.

Kazakh SSR

Main page: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic was created in Soviet Russian Republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) . It was named Kirghiz because Russians called Kazakhs "Kirghiz" before 1925. In 1930s, Soviet Union put many of the Kazakh elite in prison. Because of collectivization, a famine started in Kazakhstan. The famine killed about 1.5 million people.

In 1936, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was created. It means that Kazakhstan was not part of Russia anymore, but it was still in the Soviet Union.

Since 1949, Soviet Union tested its nuclear bombs in the test site near Semipalatinsk. At least 460 nuclear bombs were tested until 1989.[12] During Soviet period, Baikonur Cosmodrome was built. In 1961 Vostok-1 with Yuri Gagarin (the first person to enter space) was launched from there.

In December 1986, the leader of Kazakh SSR Dinmukhamed Konayev was replaced by Gennady Kolbin, who was not from Kazakhstan. This caused "Jeltoqsan" protests in Almaty that started on December 16. People who joined these protests were usually young Kazakhs. The government killed and sent to prison many of the protesters.[13]

Independence

With the dissolution of the USSR in 1990/1991, Kazakhstan became an independent country. The country declared its independence on 16 December 1991, exactly five years after the beginning of Jeltoqsan unrest. The first president of the independent country was Nursultan Nazarbayev. He had been president before independence. He resigned in March 2019. The second president was Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Tokayev renamed the capital from Astana to Nur-Sultan in the first month of his presidency. But in September 2022, the name of the country's capital was changed back to Astana. [14]

The Aral Sea, which is a lake despite its name, had begun drying up in the 1960s. This was because water coming into the sea was being diverted.[15] It is now only about 10% as large as it was before then. The sea became a few smaller lakes. The government of Kazakhstan and the World Bank tried to save one of these lakes, the North Aral Sea, by building a dam in 2005. By 2013, the water level had risen, salinity had dropped, and enough fish were there again to make fishing possible. [16]

Geography

Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country mostly in Asia with a small western part across the Ural River in Europe. It has borders with the Russian Federation in the north and west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the southwest, and China in the far east. The northern border is mostly with Siberia, Russia, so Russia has the longest border with Kazakhstan.[17] Basically, Kazakhstan runs from the Caspian Sea in the west to the mainly Muslim Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang. Kazakhstan has no ocean shoreline, but borders the Caspian Sea, which boats use to get to neighboring countries. The Caspian Sea is an Endorheic basin without connections to any ocean.

Natural resources

Kazakhstan has plenty of petroleum, natural gas, and mining. It attracted over $40 billion in foreign investment since 1993 and accounts for some 57% of the nation's industrial output. According to some estimates,[18] Kazakhstan has the second largest uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc reserves, the third largest manganese reserves, the fifth largest copper reserves, and ranks in the top ten for coal, iron, and gold. It is also an exporter of diamonds. Kazakhstan has the 11th largest proven reserves of both petroleum and natural gas.[19]

Regions

Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions. They are divided into districts.

Almaty and Astana cities have the status of State importance and are not in any region.[20] Baikonur city has a special status because it is leased to Russia for Baikonur cosmodrome until 2050.[20]

Each province is headed by an Akim (provincial governor) appointed by the president. Municipal Akims are appointed by province Akims. The Government of Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to Astana on December 10, 1997.

Coat of arms Full English name Type Capital Full Kazakh name Full Russian name
Abai Region region Semey Абай облысы
Abai oblysy		 Абайская область
Abaiskaya Oblast′
Coat of Arms of Aqmola Province (new).png Akmola Region region Kokshetau Ақмола облысы
Aqmola oblysy		 Акмолинская область
Akmolinskaya Oblast′
Aktyubinsk-obl-coat-of-arms.png Aktobe Region region Aktobe Ақтөбе облысы
Aqtöbe oblysy		 Актюбинская область
Aktyubinskaya Oblast′
Coat of arms of Almaty.svg Almaty city Алматы қаласы
Almaty qalasy		 город Алматы
gorod Almaty
Алматы облысы герб.png Almaty Region region Qonaev Алматы облысы
Almaty oblysy		 Алматинская область
Almatinskaya Oblast′
Emblem of Astana (latin).svg Astana city Астана қаласы
Astana qalasy		 город Астана
gorod Astana
Coat of arms of Atyrau.svg Atyrau Region Atyrau Атырау облысы
Atyrau oblysy		 Атырауская область
Atyrauskaya Oblast′		 UTC+05:00
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Baikonur city Байқоңыр қаласы
Baiqoñyr qalasy		 город Байконур
gorod Baykonur
Coats of arms of East Kazakhstan Province.svg East Kazakhstan Region region Oskemen Шығыс Қазақстан облысы
Şyğys Qazaqstan oblysy		 Восточно-Казахстанская область
Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′
Zhambyl province seal.png Jambyl Region region Taraz Жамбыл облысы
Jambyl oblysy		 Жамбылская область
Zhambylskaya Oblast′
Jetisu Region Emblem.jpg Jetisu Region region Taldykorgan Жетісу облысы
Jetısu oblysy		 Жетысуская область
Zhetysuskaya Oblast′
Coat of Arms of Karagandy Province.svg Karaganda Region region Karaganda Қарағанды облысы
Qarağandy oblysy		 Карагандинская область
Karagandinskaya Oblast′
Logo Kostanay Province.png Kostanay Region region Kostanay Қостанай облысы
Qostanai oblysy		 Костанайская область
Kostanayskaya Oblast′
Kyzylorda province seal.svg Kyzylorda Region region Kyzylorda Қызылорда облысы
Qyzylorda oblysy		 Кызылординская область
Kyzylordinskaya Oblast′
Маңғыстау логотибі.jpg Mangystau Region region Aktau Маңғыстау облысы
Mañğystau oblysy		 Мангыстауская область
Mangystauskaya Oblast′
North Kazakhstan province seal.svg North Kazakhstan Region region Petropavl Солтүстік Қазақстан облысы
Soltüstık Qazaqstan oblysy		 Северо-Казахстанская область
Severo-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′
Logo Pavlodar region.png Pavlodar Region region Pavlodar Павлодар облысы
Pavlodar oblysy		 Павлодарская область
Pavlodarskaya Oblast′
Shymkent logo.svg Shymkent city Шымкент қаласы
Şymkent qalasy		 город Шымкент
gorod Shymkent
Turkistan region seal.png Turkistan Region
(formerly South Kazakhstan)		 region Turkistan Түркістан облысы
Türkıstan oblysy		 Туркестанская область
Turkestanskaya Oblast′
Coat of arms of Ulytau Region.svg Ulytau Region region Jezkazgan Ұлытау облысы
Ūlytau oblysy		 Улытауская область
Ulytauskaya Oblast′
Coat of Arms Batys Oblysy.png West Kazakhstan Region region Oral Батыс Қазақстан облысы
Batys Qazaqstan oblysy		 Западно-Казахстанская область
Zapadno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′

Population

The population of Kazakhstan is 20,268,084 (according to 2025 estimate)[21]. It takes the 65th place in the List of countries by population. Average density is one of the lowest on earth with almost 7.44 people/km2 (List of countries by population density).

Kazakhstan Media

  • Kazakhstan national anthem, played by the U.S. Navy Band

  • Padishah (Emperor) of Dast-i Qipchaq, (1550). Possible portrait of Kazakh khan.

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  • Ural Cossacks skirmish with Kazakhs

  • Chokan Valikhanov (left) and Fyodor Dostoyevsky (right), photograph shot in 1858

  • Statue of Abai Kunanbayev (Budapest) 05

  • Reserve Karkaralinsky in Qaraghandy Province

  • Lake Kaindy in south-eastern Kazakhstan

  • Aral Sea in 1989 and 2008

Related pages

References

  1. ↑ Численность населения Республики Казахстан по отдельным этносам на начало 2016 года. Retrieved 2017-05-24.
  2. ↑ Schneider, Johann F.. Advances in International Psychology: Research Approaches and Personal Dispositions, Socialization Processes and Organizational Behavior (in en) (2013)Kassel university press GmbH. p. 164. ISBN 978-3-86219-454-4.
  3. ↑ Kazakhstan Archived 30 October 2017 at the Wayback Machine. CIA World Factbook.
  4. ↑ https://stat.gov.kz/upload/iblock/0db/qjs9vtcj65qgyngcldp7twmyq3un91fq/Т-18-05-М%20(01%2025)%20рус.xlsx
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 World Economic Outlook Database, April 2019. IMF.orgInternational Monetary Fund. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  6. ↑ GINI index (World Bank estimate). data.worldbank.orgWorld Bank. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
  7. ↑ 2018 Human Development Report (2018)United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 15 September 2018.
  8. ↑ The constitution of Kazakhstan Archived 2009-04-18 at the Wayback Machine, CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN: 1. The state language of the Republic of Kazakhstan shall be the Kazakh language. 2. In state institutions and local self-administrative bodies the Russian language shall be officially used on equal grounds along with the Kazakh language.
  9. ↑ The results of the national population census in 2009 (12 November 2010)Agency of Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Retrieved 21 January 2010.
  10. ↑ Cossack - Etymology, Origin & Meaning of the Name (in en-US). etymonline. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  11. ↑ Sultanov, Tursun. Who are the Kazakhs 2 (2004)Rodina. p. 28–31.
  12. ↑ Nuclear Disarmament Kazakhstan (in en). The Nuclear Threat Initiative (2024-10-17). Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  13. ↑ Putz, Catherine. 1986: Kazakhstan’s Other Independence Anniversary (in en-US). thediplomat.com. Retrieved 2026-02-05.
  14. ↑ https://eurasianet.org/kazakhstan-capital-reverts-to-astana-ending-brief-stint-as-nur-sultan
  15. ↑ https://www.aljazeera.com/video/earthrise/2013/7/8/aral-sea-reborn
  16. ↑ https://www.aljazeera.com/video/earthrise/2013/7/8/aral-sea-reborn
  17. ↑ Afghanistan. CIA - The World Factbook. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  18. ↑ Mineral Wealth. homestead.com
  19. ↑ International Crisis Group, 2007. Central Asia's Energy Risks, Asia Report No. 133 Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine.
  20. ↑ "Kazakhstan’s population stands at 20,286,084 on January 1" (in en-EN). Qazinform.com. http://qazinform.com/news/kazakhstans-population-stands-at-20286084-on-january-1-f8954a. Retrieved 2026-02-05. 

Notes

  1. ↑ Kazakhstani includes all citizens, in contrast to Kazakh, which is the demonym for ethnic Kazakhs.[2]

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