KAZAKHSTAN PROFILE

(Country brief overview)

President: Mr Nursultan Nazarbayev

Prime Minister: Mr Karim Massimov

Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament (upper chamber): Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev

Chairman of the Majilis of the Parliament (lower chamber):Mr Kabibolla Jakypov

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Mr Erlan Idrissov

Independence: December 16, 1991

Location: South of Russia, Northwest of China, North of Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan and Northeast of Caspian Sea (see map below).

Total area: 1,687,443 sq miles (2,717,300 sq km)

Land area: 1,657,945 sq miles (2,669,800 sq km)

Comparative area:

- Ninth largest in the world, equivalent to the size of Western Europe.

- Four times the size of Texas.

- Five times the size France.

Boundaries: Total 7,459 miles (12,012 km (without Caspian shoreline). The Republic of Kazakhstan shares its longest borders with Russia, 4,251 miles (6,846 km) and China, 951 miles (1,533 km). It also borders 1,183 miles (1,894 km) on the Caspian Sea.

Major Cities: Astana (capital, moved from Almaty in 1998); Almaty, Karaganda, Shymkent, Atyrau, Aktobe, Oskemen.

Population: 17.397 million (as of December, 2014)

Ethnic and Social Diversity:

Kazakhstan’s ethnic composition is the driving force behind much of the country’s political and cultural life. The country’s principal ethnic groups include Kazakh (63.1%), Russian (23.7%), Ukrainian (2.1%), Uzbek (2.8%), Uighur (1.4%), Tatar (1.3%),German (1.1%), and other groups (4.5%). There are more than 130 other ethnic groups living in peace in Kazakhstan.

Two major religions in Kazakhstan are Islam and Christianity. Most Muslims in Kazakhstan belong to the Sunni denomination of Islam, while most of Christians belong to the Russian Orthodox Church. The rest constitute other religions there are more than 40 confessions in Kazakhstan which are organised in more than 3000 religious organisations. It is worth mentioning that although most people in Kazakhstan associate themselves with a certain religion, most of the population is not deeply religious.

Languages: Kazakh (state language), Russian. Newspapers, TV/Radio programs, school instruction are done in 11 languages (Kazakh, Russian, German, Korean, etc.)

Literacy: 100%

Map of Kazakhstan:

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カザフスタン共和国について

"Kazakhstan 2013" Brochurein Japanese, please see here