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Ethnic Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated to the region by 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. Soviet policies reduced the number of ethnic Kazakhs in the 1930s and enabled non-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. 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) further skewed the ethnic mixture. Non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs back to Kazakhstan. These trends have allowed Kazakhs to become the titular majority again. This dramatic demographic shift has also undermined the previous religious diversity and made the country more than 70% Muslim. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity, expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets, diversifying the economy, enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness, and strengthening relations with neighboring states and foreign powers.

Location

Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in easternmost Europe

Natural Resources

major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium

Population - distribution

most of the country displays a low population density, particularly the interior; population clusters appear in urban agglomerations in the far northern and southern portions of the country

15340000
Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 74% (understand spoken language), Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 94.4% (understand spoken language) (2009 est.)
Almaty 1.523 million; ASTANA (capital) 759,000 (2015)
Conventional long form
Republic of Kazakhstan
Conventional short form
Kazakhstan
Local long form
Qazaqstan Respublikasy
Local short form
Qazaqstan
presidential republic
Name
Astana
Geographic coordinates
51 10 N, 71 25 E
Time difference
UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt
Kazakhstan, geographically the largest of the former Soviet republics, excluding Russia, possesses substantial fossil fuel reserves and other minerals and metals, such as uranium, copper, and zinc. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. The government realizes that its economy suffers from an overreliance on oil and extractive industries and has made initial attempts to diversify its economy by targeting sectors like transport, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, petrochemicals and food processing for greater development and investment.
Inflation
6.646%
External debt stocks
US$ 154,287,591,000
Total tax rate (% of commercial profits)
29.2%
Real Interest Rate
None%
Manufacturing, value added (% of GDP)
11.319%
Current Account Balance
US$ -5,463,716,054
Labor Force, Total
9,230,814
Employment in Agriculture
18.01%
Employment in Industry
20.56%
Employment in Services
61.43%
Unemployment Rate
5.23%
Imports of goods and services
US$ 38,978,485,476
Exports of goods and services
US$ 43,626,526,088
Total Merchandise Trade
46.35%
FDI, net inflows
US$ 6,584,614,530
Commercial Service Exports
US$ 6,149,068,850
grain (mostly spring wheat and barley), potatoes, vegetables, melons; livestock
oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials
Commodities
oil and oil products, natural gas, ferrous metals, chemicals, machinery, grain, wool, meat, coal
Partners
China 15.1%, Russia 12.3%, France 9.3%, Germany 7.9%, Italy 6.7%, Greece 4.1% (2015)
Commodities
machinery and equipment, metal products, foodstuffs
Partners
Russia 32.9%, China 25.9%, Germany 4.2% (2015)
Country Risk Rating
C
A very uncertain political and economic outlook and a business environment with many troublesome weaknesses can have a significant impact on corporate payment behavior. Corporate default probability is high.
Business Climate Rating
B
The business environment is mediocre. The availability and the reliability of corporate financial information vary widely. Debt collection can sometimes be difficult. The institutional framework has a few troublesome weaknesses. Intercompany transactions run appreciable risks in the unstable, largely inefficient environments rated B.
  • Expected increase in oil exports thanks to exploitation of Kashagan oilfield
  • Abundant foreign direct investments
  • Strategically positioned between Asia and Europe
  • Economy reliant on commodities (oil, gas, uranium, and iron)
  • Fragility of the banking system
  • Persistent shortcomings in legal and institutional framework
  • Risk of political instability if succession to President Nazarbayev is rushed

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