2. Location: Central Asia, northwest of China,
with a small part west of the Ural (Zhayyq)
River in eastern-most Europe
Area:
◦ Total: 2,724,900 sq km
◦ Country comparison to the world: 9
◦ Land: 2,699,700 sq km
◦ Water: 25,200 sq km
Area – comparative: Slightly less than four
times the size of Texas
Land boundaries:
◦ Total: 12,185 km
◦ Border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan
1,224 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km,
Uzbekistan 2,203 km
Coastline: 0 km (landlocked – note:
Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split
into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the
Caspian Sea (1,894 km)
3.
4. The majority of Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims of the Hannifin school, which
customarily include ethnic Kazakhs, who account for almost 60% of
Kazakhstan’s population, along with minorities like Uzbeks, Uyghur's, and
Tatars.
Less than 1% belong to the Shari's (mainly Chechens) and Shia.
There are a total of 2,300 mosques; each mosque is associated with the
“Spiritual Association of Muslims of Kazakhstan”, led by a supreme mufti.
The Enid al-Adwa is recognized as a national celebration.
Less than 25% of Kazakhstan’s population is Russian Orthodox, which
customarily comprises ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.
Other Christian minorities include Roman Catholics and Protestants
(Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Pentecostals, as well as Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Mennonites, and members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons).
In all, there are 265 registered Orthodox churches, 93 Catholic churches, and
543 Protestant churches and prayer homes; the Russian Orthodox Christmas is
recognized as a national observance in Kazakhstan.
Other smaller registered religions include Judaism, the Baha'i Faith, Hare
Krishna's, Buddhists, the Church of Scientology, Christian Scientists, and the
Unification Church.
Kazakhstan is ethnically diverse; it has a long history of acceptance and
secularism and, since independence, the number of mosques and churches
have increased significantly.
Nonetheless, the population is at times suspicious of minority religious groups
and groups that proselytize; there were a number of incidences in which
citizens filed objections with authorities after their families became involved
with these groups.
Leaders of the four religious groups regarded as “traditional” by the government
(Islam, Russian Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Judaism) indicated overall
acceptance and open-mindedness that other minority religious groups did not
always have the benefit of.
5. Muslim 70.2%
Christian 26.2% (Russian Orthodox
23.9%, other Christian 2.3%)
Buddhist 0.1%
Other 0.2%
Atheist 2.8%
Unspecified 0.5% (2009 census)
6. Kazakhstan’s politics function in the structure of a presidential republic; the
President of Kazakhstan serves as head of state and appoints the head of
government.
The government exercises executive power; legislative power is vested in both the
government and the two chambers of parliament.
8. Main office holders
Powers of the President
and the Prime Minister
Office: President
◦ Name: Nursultan Nazarbayev
◦ Party: Nur Otan
◦ Since: 24 April 1990
Office: Prime Minister
◦ Name: Serik Akhmetov
◦ Party: Nur Otan
◦ Since: 24 September 2012
The president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term.
The president nominates both the PM and the first Deputy PM; the
president also nominates the Council of Ministers.
President Nazarbayev extended his presidential powers by decree:
only he may initiate constitutional modifications, nominate and
discharge the government, dissolve Parliament, call referendums at
his discretion, and nominate executive heads of regions and cities.
The president acts as head of state; he is additionally the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces and can forbid legislation
that has been passed by the Parliament.
President Nazarbayev, in office since Kazakhstan’s independence, was
elected to a new 7-year term in the 1999 election, which the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said did not meet
international standards.
A key political opponent, ex-PM Akezhan Kazhegeldin, was forbidden
from running against the president because he attended an illegal
meeting of “the movement for free elections”.
The election was also illegally called two years ahead of schedule.
Free media access is also prohibited to contrasting views.
In 2002, a law set very strict requirements for the continuance of the
lawful standing of a political party; the number of legitimate parties
was decreased from 19 in 2002 to 8 in 2003.
The PM, who serves as the president’s delight, chairs the Cabinet of
Ministers and serves as the head of government of Kazakhstan.
The Cabinet is made up of three Deputy PMs and 16 ministers.
Serik Akhmetov became PM in September 2012.
9. The legislature, or Parliament, contains two
chambers.
The Lower House Assembly (Mazhilis) contains 107
seats, elected to a four-year term; 98 seats are
from party lists, and 9 are from the Assembly of
People.
All MPs are elected to five-year terms.
The Upper House Senate contains 47 members; 40
of them are elected to six-year terms in double-
seat constituencies by the local authorities, with
half renewed every two years; the other seven are
presidential appointees.
Additionally, former presidents are ex-officio
senators for life.
Majilis delegates and the government both reserve
the right to legislative initiative, although the
government advises most legislation considered by
the Parliament.
Numerous delegates are elected from the
Assembly of People of Kazakhstan.
10. 44 judges serve in the Supreme Court
of Kazakhstan.
The Constitutional Council has seven
members.
11. Nur Otan (83)
Ak Zhol (8)
Communist People’s Party (7)
12. Born in Chemolgan on 6 July 1940.
1st and current President of Kazakhstan;
assumed office on 24 April 1990.
Also the 2nd and current chairman of the
National Democratic Party Nur Otan since 4
July 2007.
Previously served as Secretary General of
the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Kazakh SSR (22 June 1989-14
December 1991) and Chairman of the
Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh Soviet
Socialist Republic (22 February 1990-24
April 1990).
Was re-elected to another five-year term in
April 2011.
13. Born 25 June 1958 in Temirtau.
8th and current PM of Kazakhstan since
2012.
Served as Deputy Governor of Astana
briefly prior to his appointment to the
Government of Kazakhstan as Minister of
Transportation on 25 September 2006.
Has also served as Chairman of the Board
of the Atameken National Union of
Entrepreneurs and Employers of
Kazakhstan since 2005.
Was nominated by President Nursultan
Nazarbayev as PM subsequent to Karim
Massimov’s resignation on 24 September
2012; was sworn in the same day.
