Islamic countries

Islamic countries

REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN
QAZAQSTAN RESPUBLIKASY

General Information

Total Land Area:	2,724,730 km²
Land boundaries:	11,587 km
Coastline:	0 km (Landlocked)
Capital:	Astana
Other Large Cities:	Almaty, Qaraghandy, Shymkent
Official Language:	Kazakh
National Currency Unit:	Tenge (KZT)
National Day:	December 16

Location and Geography

Kazakhstan is located in the centre of the Eurasian continent occupying the ninth largest land area in the world. It is bordered by Russia in the North, China in the East, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan in the South, and the Caspian Sea in the West. The country’s landscape is diverse. The forest-steppes of the North become steppes, semi-deserts, and deserts in the South. Steppes account for about one third of the country’s territory, while the semi-deserts stretching from the Caspian Sea to the Altai Mountains constitute 15 percent of the land area. There are numerous rivers, the largest ones being Ertis, Esil, Oral (Zhaiyk) and Syrdaria. The climate is mostly continental with hot summers and cold winters. Different elevations result in wide variations in temperature and precipitation.

Demography

Population:	14.80 million (2002)
Crude Birth Rate:	15 per thousand people (2002)
Crude Death Rate:	10 per thousand people (2002)
Infant Mortality Rate:	16 per thousand (2002)
Life Expectancy:	Male: 61 years, Female: 72 years (2002)
Urban Population:	56.0 percent (2002)
Adult Literacy:	99.40 percent (2001)

Economy

Kazakhstan’s economy is relatively diversified with heavy industry being the dominant sector. The country enjoys all kinds of opportunities for securing its sustained development including immense natural resources, vast farming areas, skilled labour and a remarkable industrial potential. Being the second largest of the former Soviet republics in land area, it owns considerable untapped fossil fuel reserves as well as abundant supplies of other minerals and metals. The main natural resources are petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome, nickel, cobalt, copper, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, and uranium. Iron ore deposits are one of the largest in the world. Moreover, Kazakhstan is one of the leading producers of aluminium and phosphate. The main agricultural products are wheat, cotton, wool, and livestock.

GDP at Current Market Prices:	24798 million US$ (2002)
Per Capita GDP:	1676 US$ (2002)
Share of Sectors in GDP:	6.0% Agriculture, 43.0% Industry, 51.0% Services, (2002)
Total Exports:	10911 million US$ (2002)
Total Imports:	7147 million US$ (2002)
Major Exports Items:	Mineral products, base metals, chemicals, grain, wool and meat
Major Imports Items:	Machinery and equipment, transport, chemicals, metallurgic production, pharmaceutical goods, clothes and foodstuffs
Major Trading Partners:	Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, US, China, Turkey and Germany