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- Geography
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- Total Area: 2,717,300 sq. km
Climate: dry continental, about half is desert area
Terrain: extends from the Volga to the Altai Mountains and
from the plains in western Siberia to oasis and desert in central Asia
Natural Resources: petroleum, coal, iron, manganese, chrome,
nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium,
iron
Environmental Issues: drying up of the Aral Sea is producing
increased pesticide concentration and salinity of the water.
People
Population: 17,103,927 (July 1992)
Religions: Muslim (47%), Russian Orthodox (NA%), Lutheran
(NA%)
Ethnic Diversions: Kazakh (40%), Russian (38%), other Slavs
(7%), Germans (6%), other (9%)
Languages: Kazakh, Russian
Government
Capital: Astana (formerly Akmola) the capital moved in July
1998 from Almaty
Government Type: Republic
Independence Day: December 16, 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
Gaining Independence
October 25, 1990 is a special date for the citizens of Kazakhstan. it
symbolizes the end of old history of the country and the beginning of a
new one.
Adoption on October 25, 1990 “Declaration on State Independence of
the Republic of Kazakhstan” by the highest representative body of the
republic became a turning point in Kazakhstan’s development. Further
development of events led that the text of the document became the first
fundamental legislative act. The life has showed that greatness of the
Declaration as a legal, political and ideological document is that it
expresses non-transient principles completely meeting the realities of
human existence. That main of them are human rights and freedoms
protection, diversity of forms of ownership, political plurality,
division of powers, they became the base and were developed in the
Constitution of the country.
Kazakhstan legalized its right to be a subject of law on December 16,
1991 adopting the Constitutional Law “On State Independence of the
Republic of Kazakhstan”. In 2001 Kazakhstan will celebrate
10th anniversary of its independence.
On world measures Kazakhstan as an independent state is very young.
But during this short period large-scale institutional changes happened
in the country. The people of Kazakhstan adopted the Main Law of the
state constitutionally fixing presidential form of government.
Two-chamber Parliament was established, court system was created, the
new capital was determined. Fundamentals of national legislation on
economy, social security, security were laid. During the last years law
enforcement bodies, Armed Forces, Republican Guard, Frontier Troops and
Navy were created.
More info at: http://www.president.kz/main/mainframe.asp?lng=en