Did you know…?
- The country is slightly less than four times the size of Texas
- It shares it borders with: China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan
- The population is roughly 15,143,704 (July 2004 est.)
- Its nationality: Kazakhstani(s)
- Ethnic groups that make up the country: Kazakh 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%, German 2.4%, Uygur 1.4%, other 6.6% (1999 census)
- Religions represented: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
- There are two languages spoken in Kazakhstan: Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)
- The capital of the country is Astana -- the government moved from Almaty to Astana in December 1998
- The country obtained its independence from the Soviet Union on December 16, 1991
- Type of government republic: authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
- The currency is Tenge (pronounced “ten-gay”)
A bit of background on Kazakhstan
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. Some of the issues being addressed in current day Kazakhstan 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 outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
