Kazakhstan

**Kazakhstan** is a landlocked country in the middle of Eurasia. Its official name is the **Republic of Kazakhstan**. Kazakhstan is the ninth biggest country in the world, and it is also the biggest landlocked country in the world. After the end of the Soviet Union, it replaced Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. The president of the country from 1991 through March 2019 was Nursultan Nazarbayev. Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. Almaty was the capital until 1998, when it moved to Astana.

The Kazakh language, which is a Turkic language, is the native language, but Russian has equal official status for all administrative and institutional purposes. Islam is the largest religion- about 70% of the population are Muslims, with Christianity practiced by 26%; Russia leases (rents) the land for the Baikonur Cosmodrome (site of Russian spacecraft launches) from Kazakhstan.

## Origin of the name

The name of Kazakhstan comes from addition of "Kazakh" and "-stan", where "-stan" in Persian means "land of". So Kazakhstan means "land of Kazakhs".

There have been theories to explain the meaning of the word "Kazakh". The word possibly meant "homeless", "loner", "in exile", "free man", or "wanderer".

## History

People who lived in Kazakhstan usually were nomads (people who do not live in one place all the time). Livestock was important for nomads, especially horses.

### Kazakh Khanate

After the end of Golden Horde, Kerei and Janibek Khans created Kazakh Khanate in 15th century. It got most of the land Kazakhstan today has. In 17th century, Kazakh Khanate was divided into three _jüz_ (clans). In 18th century, Russia defeated Kazakhs and got their land.

### Russian Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan was important for Russia because it allowed it to get bigger to the south. Great Britain controlled India and feared that Russia was getting closer to its borders. This competition between Russia and Britain is called the "Great Game".

Russian people were tired because of World War I. Two revolutions happened in Russia: February and October revolutions. This caused a civil war between Empire White Forces and Bolshevik Red Army. At the time, Kazakh elite (educated people) created Alash Autonomy. They aimed to control its land and people. However, Red Army beat White Army, and Soviet Union got Kazakh land before 1920.

### Kazakh SSR

Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic was created in Soviet Russian Republic of the Soviet Union (USSR) . It was named Kirghiz because Russians called Kazakhs "Kirghiz" before 1925. In 1930s, Soviet Union put many of the Kazakh elite in prison. Because of collectivization, a famine started in Kazakhstan. The famine killed about 1.5 million people.

In 1936, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic was created. It means that Kazakhstan was not part of Russia anymore, but it was still in the Soviet Union.

Since 1949, Soviet Union tested its nuclear bombs in the test site near Semipalatinsk. At least 460 nuclear bombs were tested until 1989. During Soviet period, Baikonur Cosmodrome was built. In 1961 Vostok-1 with Yuri Gagarin (the first person to enter space) was launched from there.

In December 1986, the leader of Kazakh SSR Dinmukhamed Konayev was replaced by Gennady Kolbin, who was not from Kazakhstan. This caused "Jeltoqsan" protests in Almaty that started on December 16. People who joined these protests were usually young Kazakhs. The government killed and sent to prison many of the protesters.

### Independence

With the dissolution of the USSR in 1990/1991, Kazakhstan became an independent country. The country declared its independence on 16 December 1991, exactly five years after the beginning of Jeltoqsan unrest. The first president of the independent country was Nursultan Nazarbayev. He had been president before independence. He resigned in March 2019. The second president was Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

Tokayev renamed the capital from Astana to Nur-Sultan in the first month of his presidency. But in September 2022, the name of the country's capital was changed back to Astana.

The Aral Sea, which is a lake despite its name, had begun drying up in the 1960s. This was because water coming into the sea was being diverted. It is now only about 10% as large as it was before then. The sea became a few smaller lakes. The government of Kazakhstan and the World Bank tried to save one of these lakes, the North Aral Sea, by building a dam in 2005. By 2013, the water level had risen, salinity had dropped, and enough fish were there again to make fishing possible.

## Geography

Kazakhstan is a transcontinental country mostly in Asia with a small western part across the Ural River in Europe. It has borders with the Russian Federation in the north and west, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan in the southwest, and China in the far east. The northern border is mostly with Siberia, Russia, so Russia has the longest border with Kazakhstan. Basically, Kazakhstan runs from the Caspian Sea in the west to the mainly Muslim Chinese autonomous region of Xinjiang.
Kazakhstan has no ocean shoreline, but borders the Caspian Sea, which boats use to get to neighboring countries. The Caspian Sea is an Endorheic basin without connections to any ocean.

## Natural resources

Kazakhstan has plenty of petroleum, natural gas, and mining. It attracted over $40 billion in foreign investment since 1993 and accounts for some 57% of the nation's industrial output. According to some estimates, Kazakhstan has the second largest uranium, chromium, lead, and zinc reserves, the third largest manganese reserves, the fifth largest copper reserves, and ranks in the top ten for coal, iron, and gold. It is also an exporter of diamonds. Kazakhstan has the 11th largest proven reserves of both petroleum and natural gas.

## Regions

Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions. They are divided into districts.

Almaty and Astana cities have the status of State importance and are not in any region. Baikonur city has a special status because it is leased to Russia for Baikonur cosmodrome until 2050.

Each province is headed by an Akim (provincial governor) appointed by the president. Municipal Akims are appointed by province Akims. The Government of Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to Astana on December 10, 1997.
|Coat of arms|Full English name|Type|Capital|Full Kazakh name|Full Russian name|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
||Abai Region|region|Semey|Абай облысы _Abai oblysy_ || Абайская область _Abaiskaya Oblast′_||
||Akmola Region|region|Kokshetau|Ақмола облысы _Aqmola oblysy_ || Акмолинская область _Akmolinskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Aktobe Region|region|Aktobe|Ақтөбе облысы _Aqtöbe oblysy_ || Актюбинская область _Aktyubinskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Almaty|city|Алматы қаласы _Almaty qalasy_ || город Алматы _gorod Almaty_|||
|style="text-align:center;"|Almaty Region|region|Qonaev|Алматы облысы _Almaty oblysy_ || Алматинская область _Almatinskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Astana|city|Астана қаласы _Astana qalasy_ || город Астана _gorod Astana_|||
|style="text-align:center;"|Atyrau Region|Atyrau|Атырау облысы _Atyrau oblysy_ || Атырауская область _Atyrauskaya Oblast′_ || UTC+05:00|||
|style="text-align:center;"|Baikonur|city|Байқоңыр қаласы _Baiqoñyr qalasy_ || город Байконур _gorod Baykonur_|||
|style="text-align:center;"|East Kazakhstan Region|region|Oskemen|Шығыс Қазақстан облысы _Şyğys Qazaqstan oblysy_ || Восточно-Казахстанская область _Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Jambyl Region|region|Taraz|Жамбыл облысы _Jambyl oblysy_ || Жамбылская область _Zhambylskaya Oblast′_||
||Jetisu Region|region|Taldykorgan|Жетісу облысы _Jetısu oblysy_ || Жетысуская область _Zhetysuskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Karaganda Region|region|Karaganda|Қарағанды облысы _Qarağandy oblysy_ || Карагандинская область _Karagandinskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Kostanay Region|region|Kostanay|Қостанай облысы _Qostanai oblysy_ || Костанайская область _Kostanayskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Kyzylorda Region|region|Kyzylorda|Қызылорда облысы _Qyzylorda oblysy_ || Кызылординская область _Kyzylordinskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Mangystau Region|region|Aktau|Маңғыстау облысы _Mañğystau oblysy_ || Мангыстауская область _Mangystauskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|North Kazakhstan Region|region|Petropavl|Солтүстік Қазақстан облысы _Soltüstık Qazaqstan oblysy_ || Северо-Казахстанская область _Severo-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Pavlodar Region|region|Pavlodar|Павлодар облысы _Pavlodar oblysy_ || Павлодарская область _Pavlodarskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|Shymkent|city|Шымкент қаласы _Şymkent qalasy_|| город Шымкент _gorod Shymkent_|||
|style="text-align:center;"|Turkistan Region (formerly South Kazakhstan) || region|Turkistan|Түркістан облысы _Türkıstan oblysy_ || Туркестанская область _Turkestanskaya Oblast′_|||
|style="text-align:center;"|Ulytau Region|region|Jezkazgan|Ұлытау облысы _Ūlytau oblysy_ || Улытауская область _Ulytauskaya Oblast′_||
|style="text-align:center;"|West Kazakhstan Region|region|Oral|Батыс Қазақстан облысы _Batys Qazaqstan oblysy_ || Западно-Казахстанская область _Zapadno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′_||

## Population

The population of Kazakhstan is 20,268,084 (according to 2025 estimate). It takes the 65th place in the List of countries by population. Average density is one of the lowest on earth with almost 7.44 people/km<sup>2</sup> (List of countries by population density).

## Related pages

- Kazakhstan at the Olympics
- Kazakhstan national football team
- List of rivers of Kazakhstan

## References

**Notes**

## Other websites

- Official Website of Kazakh Parliament, in Қазақша, Русский, and English

## Infobox (country)

- **common name**: Kazakhstan
- **image flag**: Flag of Kazakhstan.svg
- **image coat**: Emblem of Kazakhstan latin.svg
- **symbol type**: Emblem
- **national anthem**: Menıñ Qazaqstanym, Менің Қазақстаным

- **image map**: Kazakhstan (orthographic projection).svg
- **capital**: Astana
- **largest city**: Almaty
- **languages type**: Official scripts
- **ethnic groups year**: 2018
- **demonym**: Kazakhstani
- **government type**: Unitary state, Unitary Presidential system, presidential republic, constitutional republic
- **leader title1**: President of Kazakhstan, President
- **leader name1**: Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
- **leader title2**: Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister
- **leader name2**: Oljas Bektenov
- **leader title3**: Senate of Kazakhstan, Chairman of the Senate
- **leader name3**: Maulen Ashimbayev
- **legislature**: Parliament of Kazakhstan, Parliament
- **upper house**: Senate of Kazakhstan, Senate
- **lower house**: Mazhilis
- **sovereignty type**: History of Kazakhstan, Formation
- **established event1**: Kazakh Khanate
- **established date1**: 1465
- **established event2**: Alash Autonomy
- **established date2**: 13 December 1917
- **established event3**: Kirghiz Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic (1920–25), Kirghiz ASSR
- **established date3**: 26 August 1920
- **established event4**: Kazakh Autonomous Socialist Soviet Republic, Kazakh ASSR
- **established event5**: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, Kazakh SSR
- **established date5**: 5 December 1936
- **established event6**: Declared Sovereignty
- **established date6**: 25 October 1990
- **established event7**: Reconstituted as the Republic of Kazakhstan
- **established date7**: 10 December 1991
- **established event8**: Declared Independence from the Soviet Union, USSR
- **established date8**: 16 December 1991
- **established event9**: Alma-Ata Protocol, CIS Accession
- **established date9**: 21 December 1991
- **established event10**: Dissolution of the Soviet Union, Recognized
- **established event11**: United Nations Security Council Resolution 732, Admitted to the United Nations
- **established date11**: 2 March 1992
- **established date12**: 30 August 1995
- **area km2**: 2,724,900
- **area rank**: 9th
- **area sq mi**: 1,052,085
- **percent water**: 1.7
- **population estimate**: 20,286,084
- **population estimate year**: 2025
- **population estimate rank**: 61
- **population density km2**: 7
- **population density sq mi**: 18
- **population density rank**: 236th
- **gdp ppp**: $534.271 billion
- **gdp ppp year**: 2019
- **gdp ppp rank**: 41st
- **gdp ppp per capita**: $28,514
- **gdp ppp per capita rank**: 53rd
- **gdp nominal**: $164.207 billion
- **gdp nominal year**: 2019
- **gdp nominal rank**: 54th
- **gdp nominal per capita**: $8,763
- **gdp nominal per capita rank**: 71st
- **gini**: 27.5
- **gini year**: 2017
- **gini change**: increase
- **hdi**: 0.800
- **hdi year**: 2017
- **hdi change**: increase
- **hdi rank**: 58th
- **currency**: Kazakhstani tenge, Tenge (₸)
- **currency code**: KZT
- **time zone**: Time in Kazakhstan, WestEast
- **utc offset**: UTC+05:00, +5UTC+06:00, +6
- **drives on**: right
- **calling code**: +7-6xx, +7-7xx
- **leader title5**: Mazhilis, Chairman of the Mazhilis
- **leader name5**: Nurlan Nigmatulin
- **anthem**: 《Meniń Qazaqstanym》 or "My Qazaqstan"