Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
local short form: none
Government type:
republic
Capital:
Astana; note - the government moved from Almaty to Astana in
December 1998
Administrative divisions:
14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qala,
singular - qalasy); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy
(Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy
(Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy,
Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
(Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses); in 1995 the Governments of
Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the
Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr
(Baykonyr, formerly Leninsk)
Independence:
16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday:
Republic Day, 25 October (1990)
Constitution:
adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first
post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993
Legal system:
based on civil law system
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the
Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Daniyal AKHMETOV (since 13 June
2003)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 81.7%, Serikbolsyn
ABDILDIN 12.1%, Gani KASYMOV 4.7%, Engels GABBASSOV 1.5%
note: President NAZARBAYEV expanded his presidential powers by
decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and
dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his
discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term;
election last held 10 January 1999, a year before it was previously
scheduled (next to be held NA 2006); note - President NAZARBAYEV's
previous term was extended to 2000 by a nationwide referendum held
30 April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime minister
appointed by the president
Legislative branch:
bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats - previously
47 seats; 7 senators are appointed by the president; other members
are popularly elected, two from each of the 14 oblasts, the capital
of Astana, and the city of Almaty, to serve six-year terms) and the
Majilis (77 seats; 10 out of the 77 Majilis members are elected from
the winning party's lists; members are popularly elected to serve
five-year terms)
election results: note - the election results are for the old Senate
structure; Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
NA; 16 seats up for election in 1999, candidates nominated by local
councils; Majilis - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party -
Otan 23, Civic Party 13, Communist Party 3, Agrarian Party 3,
People's Cooperative Party 1, independents 34; note - most
independent candidates are affiliated with parastatal enterprises
and other pro-government institutions
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 17 September 1999 (next to
be held NA December 2005); Majilis - last held 10 and 24 October and
26 December 1999 (next to be held NA 2004)
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)
Political parties and leaders:
Agrarian Party [Romin MADINOV]; Ak Zhol Party "White Road" [Bulat
ABILOV, Uraz ZHANDOSOV, Zhanat YERTLESOVA, cofounders]; AUL
"Village" [leader NA]; Civic Party [Azat PERUASHEV, first
secretary]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first
secretary]; Otan "Fatherland" [Gani YESIMOV, chairman]; Patriots'
Party [Gani KASYMOV]
note: only seven parties in Kazakhstan have been registered under
the new political party law passed in July 2002
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Adil-Soz [Tamara KALEYEVA]; Alash [Sabet-Kazy AKATAY]; AZAMAT
"Citizen" Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSEITOV,
cochairmen]; Democratic Choice of Kazakhstan [Galymzhan ZHAKIYANOV,
Nurzhan SUBKHANBERDIN, cochairmen]; Labor and Worker's Movement
[Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Kazakhstan International Bureau on Human
Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Orleu "Development"
Movement [Seidakhmet KUTTYKADAM]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye
[Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; People's Congress of Kazakhstan of
NKK [Olzhas SULEIMENOV, chairman]; People's Cooperative Party of
Kazakhstan [Umirzak SARSENOV]; Republican People's Party of
Kazakhstan or RNPK [Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN]; Socialist Party [Petr
SVOIK]
International organization participation:
AsDB, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA,
IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS (associate), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC,
IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE,
PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WCL, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO,
WToO, WTrO (observer)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Kanat B. SAUDABAYEV
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
chancery: 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
embassy: 99/97A Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan
480091
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-21, 63-13-75, 50-76-23, 50-76-27
(emergency number)
FAX: [7] (3272) 63-38-83
Flag description:
sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun
with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on
the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in gold