conventional long form: Republic of Kazakstan
conventional short form: Kazakstan
local long form : Qazaqstan Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: KZ
Government type: republic
National capital: Almaty (according to a September 1995 presidential
decree, the capital is to be moved to Aqmola)
Administrative divisions: 16 oblystar (singular - oblys) and 1 city
(qalalar, singular - qala)*; Almaty Qalasy*, Almaty Oblysy, Aqmola
Oblysy, Aqtobe Oblysy, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral),
Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent),
Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy,
Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk),
Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Petropavl), Taldyqorghan Oblysy, Torghay
Oblysy, Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
note: on 3 May 1997, President NAZARBAYEV that the total number of
oblasts would be reduced to 14; administrative divisions have the same
names as their administrative centers (exceptions have the
administrative center name following in parentheses)
Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 25 October (1991); Republic Day,
16 December (1991)
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 1990-91, president since 1 December
1991); State Secretary Abish KEKILDAYEV (since 30 October 1996) is
second in rank to the president
head of government: Prime Minister Akezhan KAZHEGELDIN (since 12
October 1994) and First Deputy Prime Minister Akhmetzhan YESIMOV
(since 24 October 1996)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections : president elected by popular vote for a five-year term;
election last held 1 December 1991 (next to be held NA 2000); note -
President NAZARBAYEV's term was extended to the year 2000 by a
nationwide referendum held 30 April 1995; state secretary (created by
presidential decree) is appointed by the president; prime minister and
first deputy prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV elected president without
opposition; percent of vote - NA
note: President NAZARBAYEV has 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
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47
seats; 7 senators are appointed by the president; other members are
popularly elected, two each from each oblast and Almaty, to serve
four-year terms) and the Majilis (67 seats; members are popularly
elected to serve four-year terms); note - with the oblasts being
reduced to 14, the Senate will eventually be reduced to 37
elections: Senate - (indirect) last held 5 December 1995 (next to be
held NA 1999); Majilis - last held 9 December and 23 December 1995
(next to be held NA 1999)
election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by
party - party members 13, no party affiliation 34, of which
"independent" state officials 25, nominated by the president 7,
elected by popular vote 15; Majilis - percent of vote by party - NA;
seats by party - party members 22, no party affiliation 45
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7
members)
Political parties and leaders: Alash National Freedom Party party
[Aron ATABEK]; People's Unity Party or PUP (was Union of People's
Unity) [Akhan BIZHANOV, chairman]; Democratic Party [Tulegen ZHUKEYEV
and Altynbek SARSENBAYEV, cochairmen]; People's Congress of Kazakstan
or NKK [Olzhas SULEYMENOV, chairman]; AZAMAT Movement [Petr SVOIK,
Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSAITOV, cochairmen]; Communist Party or
KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first secretary]; National Democratic Party
[Kamal ORMANTAYEV, chairman]; AZAT party [Toleubek KARAMENDIN,
chairman]; Labor movement [Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Peasant Union of
the Republic Kazakstan or KPU; Republican People's Slavic
Movement-Harmony or Lad [Aleksander SAMARKIN, chairman]; Party for
Social Justice and Economic Revival "Tagibat"; Social Democratic Party
of Kazakstan or SDPK [Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman]; People's Cooperative
Party [Umirzak SARSENOV, chairman]; Organization of Veterans;
Republican Party; Russian Center [Nina SIDOROVA, chairwoman]; Russian
Cossacks [Vladimir DESYATOV, head (ataman)]; Pensioners Movement or
Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Independent Trade Union Center
[Leonid SOLOMIN, president]; Kazakstani-American Bureau on Human
Rights [Yevgeniy ZHOVTIS, executive director]; Democratic Committee on
Human Rights [Baretta YERGALIEVA, chairwoman]; Independent Miners
Union [Victor GAIPOV, president]; The Almaty-Helsinki Foundation for
Human Rights [Ninel FOKINA, chairwoman]; Legal Development of
Kazakstan [Vitaliy VORONOV, chairman]
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EBRD, ECE,
ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IDB, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat,
Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, NACC, OIC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Bolat K. NURGALIYEV
chancery: (temporary) 3421 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC
20008
telephone: [1] (202) 333-4504 through 4507
FAX: [1] (202) 333-4509
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador A. Elizabeth JONES
embassy: 99/97 Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakstan 480012
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-21, 50-76-23, 50-76-26
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 yellow
Economy
Economy - overview: Kazakstan, the second largest of the former Soviet
states in territory, possesses enormous untapped fossil fuel reserves
as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also
has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands
accommodating both livestock and grain production. Kazakstan's
industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these
natural resources and also on a relatively large machine building
sector specializing in construction equipment, tractors, agricultural
machinery, and some defense items. The breakup of the USSR and the
collapse of demand for Kazakstan's traditional heavy industry products
have resulted in a sharp contraction of the economy since 1991, with
the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-96 the pace of
the government program of economic reform and privatization quickened,
resulting in a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector.
The December 1996 signing of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium agreement
to build a new pipeline from Kazakstan's western Tengiz oil field to
the Black Sea increases prospects for substantially larger oil exports
in several years. The emigration of large numbers of skilled Slavic
managers and technicians from the northern industrial areas will hold
back future growth.
GDP: purchasing power parity - $48.6 billion (1996 estimate as
extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
GDP - real growth rate: 1.1% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $2,880 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 12%
industry: 30%
services : 58% (1995)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 28.7% (1996 est.)
Labor force:
total: 6.9 million
by occupation: industry 27%, agriculture and forestry 23%, other 50%
(1996)
Unemployment rate: 2.6% includes only officially registered
unemployed; also large additional numbers of unemployed and
underemployed workers (December 1996 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures : $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc,
copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and
steel, nonferrous metal, tractors and other agricultural machinery,
electric motors, construction materials; much of industrial capacity
is shut down and/or is in need of repair
Industrial production growth rate: 0.3% (1996 est.)
Electricity - capacity: 17 million kW 000 kW
Electricity - production: 58.9 billion kWh
Electricity - consumption per capita: 3,800 kWh (1996 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, mostly spring wheat, cotton; wool, meat
Exports:
total value: $5.7 billion (1996 est.)
commodities: oil, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, grain,
wool, meat, coal
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, China
Imports:
total value : $6 billion (1996 est.)
commodities: machinery and parts, industrial materials, oil and gas
partners: Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Turkey, Germany
Debt - external: $3.5 billion (July 1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $10 million (1993)
note: commitments, 1992-95, $4,780 million ($1,795 million
disbursements)
Currency: 1 Kazakstani tenge = 100 tiyn
Exchange rates: tenges per US$1 - 74.70 (January 1997), 67.30 (1996),
60.95 (1995), 35.54 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Kazakstan:Communications
Telephones: 2.2 million
Telephone system: service is poor
domestic: landline and microwave radio relay
international: international traffic with other former Soviet
republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and
with other countries by satellite and through 8 international
telecommunications circuits at the Moscow international gateway
switch; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat and a new satellite
earth station established at Almaty of unknown type
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: 4.088 million (with multiple speakers for program diffusion
6.082 million)
Television broadcast stations: 1 broadcast station; Orbita (TV receive
only) earth station
Televisions: 4.75 million
@Kazakstan:Transportation
Railways:
total : 13,841 km in common carrier service; does not include
industrial lines
broad gauge: 13,841 km 1.520-m gauge (3,299 km electrified) (1992)
Highways:
total: 158,581 km
paved: NA km
unpaved : NA km (1994)
note: there are 87,572 km of public roads, maintained by governmental
highway maintenance organizations; the rest are privately maintained
by industrial organizations; of the total, 107,885 km are either paved
or otherwise surfaced for all-weather use
Waterways: 4,002 km on the Syrdariya River and Ertis River
Pipelines: crude oil 2,850 km; refined products 1,500 km; natural gas
3,480 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen
(Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
Airports: 352 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 55
over 3,047 m: 7
2,438 to 3,047 m: 23
1,524 to 2,437 m : 11
914 to 1,523 m: 5
under 914 m: 9 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 297
over 3,047 m: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 8
1,524 to 2,437 m: 25
914 to 1,523 m : 65
under 914 m: 190 (1994 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Force, National
Guard, Security Forces (internal and border troops)
Military manpower - military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 4,416,061 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - fit for military service:
males: 3,526,153 (1997 est.)
Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 154,520 (1997 est.)
Military expenditures - dollar figure: 18.9 billion tenges (1995);
note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the
current exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%
Transnational Issues
Disputes - international: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet
determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan
Illicit drugs: significant illicit cultivation of cannabis and limited
cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrone);
limited government eradication program; cannabis consumed largely in
the CIS; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia,
North America, and Western Europe from Southwest Asia
______________________________________________________________________
KENYA
@Kenya:Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia
and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area:
total : 582,650 sq km
land: 569,250 sq km
water: 13,400 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries:
total: 3,446 km
border countries : Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km,
Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline: 536 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift
Valley; fertile plateau in west
Elevation extremes:
lowest point : Indian Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barytes, rubies,
fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use:
arable land: 7%
permanent crops: 1%
permanent pastures: 37%
forests and woodland : 30%
other: 25% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - current issues: water pollution from urban and
industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of
pesticides and fertilizers; deforestation; soil erosion;
desertification; poaching
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Law of the
Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified : Desertification
Geography - note: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most
successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt.
Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of
scientific and economic value
@Kenya:People
Population: 28,803,085 (July 1997 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years : 44% (male 6,403,826; female 6,264,971)
15-64 years: 53% (male 7,682,401; female 7,696,504)
65 years and over: 3% (male 340,664; female 414,719) (July 1997 est.)
Population growth rate: 2.13% (1997 est.)
Birth rate: 32.44 births/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Death rate: 10.83 deaths/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1997 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female
total population: 1 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 55.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1997 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 54.39 years
male : 54.21 years
female: 54.59 years (1997 est.)
Total fertility rate: 4.26 children born/woman (1997 est.)
Nationality:
noun : Kenyan(s)
adjective: Kenyan
Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba
11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian,
European, and Arab) 1%
Religions: Protestant (including Anglican) 38%, Roman Catholic 28%,
indigenous beliefs 26%, other 8%
Languages: English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous
languages
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population : 78.1%
male: 86.3%
female: 70% (1995 est.)
@Kenya:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Kenya
conventional short form : Kenya
former: British East Africa
Data code: KE
Government type: republic
National capital: Nairobi
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast,
Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued
with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, and 1992
Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic
law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982
making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state : President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October
1978); Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10 May 1989); note - the
president is both the chief of state and head of government
head of government: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14
October 1978); Vice President George SAITOTI (since 10 May 1989); note
- the president is both the chief of state and head of government
cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote from among the members of
the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 29
December 1992 (next to be held by early 1998); vice president
appointed by the president
election results : President Daniel T. arap MOI reelected; percent of
vote - Daniel T. arap MOI 37%, Kenneth MATIBA (FORD-ASILI) 26%, Mwai
KIBAKI (DP) 19%, Oginga ODINGA (FORD-Kenya) 17%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (200 seats,
12 appointed by the president, 188 popularly elected members to serve
5-year terms)
elections: last held 29 December 1992 (next to be held between 1 April
1997 and 31 January 1998)
election results : percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party -
KANU 100, FORD-Kenya 31, FORD-Asili 31, DP 23, smaller parties 3;
president nominates 12 additional members; note - as of 9 April 1996
seat distribution (among non-appointed seats) was: KANU 106,
FORD-Kenya 32, FORD-Asili 22, DP 22, smaller parties and vacancies 6
note : first multiparty election since repeal of one-party state law
in 1991
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, chief justice is appointed by the
president; High Court
Political parties and leaders:
ruling party : Kenya African National Union or KANU [President Daniel
Toroitich arap MOI]
opposition party: Forum for the Restoration of Democracy or FORD-Kenya
[Michael WAMALWA]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy or
FORD-Asili [Kenneth MATIBA]; Democratic Party of Kenya or DP [Mwai
KIBAKI]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Roman Catholic and other
Christian churches; unregistered SAFINA party with which prominent
naturalist Richard Leakey is associated; human rights groups; labor
unions
International organization participation: ACP, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO,
G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGADD,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, NAM,
OAU, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNAVEM III, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOP, UNOMIL, UNPREDEP, UNTAES, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO,
WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Benjamin Edgar KIPKORIR
chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 387-6101
FAX : [1] (202) 462-3829
consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission : Ambassador Prudence B. BUSHNELL (17 July 1996)
embassy: corner of Moi Avenue and Haile Selassie Avenue, Nairobi
mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
telephone: [254] (2) 334141
FAX : [254] (2) 340838
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red,
and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield
covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center
Economy
Economy - overview: Since 1993, the government of Kenya has
implemented a program of economic liberalization and reform. Steps
have included the removal of import licensing and price controls,
removal of foreign exchange controls, fiscal and monetary restraint,
and reduction of the public sector through privatization of publicly
owned companies and downsizing the civil service. With the support of
the World Bank, IMF, and other donors, these reforms have led to a
turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative
growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's real GDP grew at 5% in 1995 and 4%
in 1996, and inflation remained under control. Substantial barriers to
growth and development remain, including electricity shortages, the
government's continued and inefficient dominance of key sectors,
endemic corruption, and the country's high population growth rate
(which has declined substantially in recent years).
GDP: purchasing power parity - $39.2 billion (1996 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 4% (1996 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $1,400 (1996 est.)
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 29.7%
industry: 11.1%
services: 59.2% (1995 est.)
Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.6% (1995 est.)
Labor force:
total: 8.78 million (1993 est.)
by occupation: agriculture 75%-80%, non-agriculture 20%-25%
Unemployment rate: 35% urban (1994 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $2.7 billion
expenditures : $2.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $620
million (FY95/96)
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries,
textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), processing agricultural products;
oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (1995)
Electricity - capacity: 810,000 kW (1994)
Electricity - production: 3.48 billion kWh (1994)
Electricity - consumption per capita: 125 kWh (1995 est.)
Agriculture - products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit,
vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Exports:
total value: $1.9 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: tea 35.7%, coffee 28.7%, petroleum products 8.6%
partners : Uganda 22.8%, UK 20.1%, Tanzania 19.1%, Germany 14.0%,
Netherlands 7.6%, US 6.1%
Imports:
total value: $2.6 billion (f.o.b., 1995 est.)
commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 53%, petroleum and
petroleum products 23.7%, iron and steel 12.2%, raw materials, food
and consumer goods (1989)
partners : UK 21.3%, UAE 18%, Japan 14%, Germany, US
Debt - external: $7 billion (1994 est.)
Economic aid:
recipient : multilateral $490 million; bilateral $433 million (1993
est.)
Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1 - 54.738 (January
1997), 57.115 (1996), 51.430 (1995), 56.051 (1994), 58.001 (1993),
32.217 (1992)
Fiscal year: 1 July - 30 June
@Kenya:Communications
Telephones: 357,251 (1989 est.)
Telephone system: in top group of African systems
domestic: primarily microwave radio relay
international: satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (1 Atlantic Ocean
and 1 Indian Ocean)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 16, FM 4, shortwave 0
Radios: NA
Television broadcast stations: 6
Televisions: 260,000 (1993 est.)
@Kenya:Transportation
Railways:
total : 2,652 km
narrow gauge: 2,652 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways:
total: 63,663 km
paved: 8,785 km
unpaved : 54,878 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: part of Lake Victoria system is within boundaries of Kenya
Pipelines: petroleum products 483 km
Ports and harbors: Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa
Merchant marine:
total : 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,883 GRT/6,255 DWT
ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll on/roll off 1 (1996 est.)
Airports: 200 (1996 est.)