Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan (also Kazakstan) iscountry Central Asia. It has bordersRussia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Turkmenistanhascoastline onCaspian Sea.

Kazakhstan isninth-largest country inworld by area, but haspopulation less than thatAustralia. Population estimates range from less than 15 million peoplealmost 17 million people.

Қазақстан Республикасы
Республика Казахстан

Image:Kazakhstan_flag_medium.png

image:LocationKazakhstan.png

Official languages Kazakh, Russian
Capital Astana
President Nursultan Nazarbayev
Prime minister Daniyal Akhmetov
Area
- Total
- Ranked 9th
2,717,300 km²
Population - Total () Density Ranked 57th1616,741,519 6/km²
Independence - Declared - FromSoviet Union, December 16, 1991
Currency Tenge
Time zone UTC +4+6
National anthem Anthem ofRepublicKazakhstan
Internet TLD .KZ
Calling Code 7

Tablecontents

1 History
2 Politics
3 Oblystar
4 Geography
5 Economy
6 Demographics
7 Culture
8 Miscellaneous topics

8.1 Environmental issues
8.2 Cosmodrome
8.3 Trivia

9 External Links

History

Main article: HistoryKazakhstan

Kazakhstan, once colonised by Czarist Russia, was absorbed intoSoviet Union followingRussian Revolution1917, led at that time by V.I. Lenin. Fornext half-century, Kazakhstan suffered undermismanagement ofSoviets, especiallyagrarian policycattle-raising.

Kazakhstan proclaimed its independence inearly 1990s, immediately followingbreakdown ofU.S.S.R. The current PresidentKazakhstanNursultan Nazarbayev.

In 1997capitalKazakhstan moved fromsouthern cityAlmaty Astana,city closer togeographic center ofcountry.

Politics

Main article: PoliticsKazakhstan

Although Kazakhstanconsideredhave made greater progress infielddemocratic reforms, compared toother Central Asian countries,situationfar from perfectinternationalnon-governmental human rights organizations often pointfrequent violationshuman rights by state officials. The most famous recent case istrialopposition journalist Sergei Duvanov.

Kazakhstan issignatory toConvention on International TradeEndangered Species.

Oblystar

Main article: OblystarKazakhstan

Kazakhstandivided into 14 oblystar (singular - oblysy)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 (Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl (Taraz; formerly Dzhambul)

note: administrative divisions havesame names as their administrative centers (exceptions haveadministrative center name followingparentheses);1995GovernmentsKazakhstanRussia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would lease forperiod20 years an area6,000 sq km enclosingBayqongyr (Baykonur) space launch facilities andcityBayqongyr (formerly Leninsk).

Map Of Kazakhstan

Geography

Main article: GeographyKazakhstan

CitiesKazakhstan
Riverslakes include:

Economy

Main article: EconomyKazakhstan

Demographics

Main article: DemographicsKazakhstan

Culture

Main article: CultureKazakhstan

Abai Kunanbaev

**Holidays**
Date	English Name	Local Name	Remarks

MusicKazakhstan

Miscellaneous topics

Environmental issues

In part because ofcountry's enormous deserts,Soviet government used Kazakhstan as its nuclear testing site,this, alongnear-absent pollution controls, has contributedan alarmingly high ratediseasemany rural areas. Kazakhstan has identified two major ecological disasters within its borders--shrinking ofAral Searadioactive contamination atSemipalatinsk nuclear testing facility. The Central Asian Regional Environmental CenterlocatedKazakhstan, which fosters regional cooperation on environmental issues.

Cosmodrome

Kazakhstan possessesSoviet equivalent toUnited States' Cape Canaveral, wherehave launched their version ofspace shuttle andwell-known space station Mir. Russia currently leases approximately 6,000 km²territory enclosingBaikonur Cosmodrome space launch sitesouth central Kazakhstan.

Trivia

Kazakhstan appears inmovies Air Force One (with Harrison Ford), The WorldNot Enough (James Bond),Rollerball (with Jean Reno).

External Links

Countries ofworld | Asia