Country name
conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan
conventional short form: Kazakhstan
local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy
local short form: none
former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic

Data code KZ

Government type republic

National capital Astana (Akmola)
note: the government has recently moved from Almaty to Astana

Administrative divisions 14 oblystar (singular - oblys) and 1 city (qalalar, singular - qala)*; Almaty Qalasy*, Almaty Oblysy, Aqmola Oblysy (Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Mangghystau Oblysy (Aqtau; formerly Gur'yev), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy, Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Petropavl), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz; formerly Dzhambul)
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 Bayqongyr (Baykonur) space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (Leninsk)

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)
head of government: Prime Minister Nurlan BALGIMBAYEV (since 10 October 1997) and First Deputy Prime Minister Uraz ZHANDOSOV (since 20 February 1998)
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; 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 - PUP 24, December National Democratic Party 12, Kazakh Agrarian Union 5, Confederation of Kazakh Trade Unions 5, KPK 2, independents and others 19

Judicial branch Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)

Political parties and leaders Alash National Freedom 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 Kazakhstan or NKK [Anuar ISMAILOV, chairman]; AZAMAT Movement [Petr SVOIK, Murat AUEZOV, and Galym ABILSIITOV, cochairmen]; Communist Party or KPK [Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN, first secretary]; National Democratic Party [Hasen KOZHAKHMETOV, chairman]; AZAT party [Toleubek KARAMENDIN, chairman]; Labor and Workers Movement [Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Peasant Union of the Republic Kazakhstan 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 Kazakhstan or SDPK [Dos KUSHIMOV, cochairman]; People's Cooperative Party [Umirzak SARSENOV, chairman]; Organization of Veterans; Republican Party [Sabetkazy AKATAYEV]; Russian Center or RT [Nina SIDOROVA, chairwoman]; Russian Cossacks [Vladimir DESYATOV, head (ataman)]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Liberal Movement [Asylbek BISENBAYEV, chairman]

Political pressure groups and leaders Independent Trade Union Center [Leonid SOLOMIN, president]; Kazakhstani-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 Kazakhstan [Vitaliy VORONOV, chairman]

International organization participation AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, 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 Kazakhstan 480012
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-05, 63-13-75, 63-24-26
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

NOTE: The information regarding Kazakhstan on this page is re-published from the 1998 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Kazakhstan Government 1998 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Kazakhstan Government 1998 should be addressed to the CIA.