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

Capital: Astana
note: the government moved from Almaty to Astana in December 1998

Administrative divisions: 14 oblystar (singular—oblysy) and 3 cities (qala, singular—qalasy)*; Almaty, Almaty*, Aqmola (Astana), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau; formerly Gur'yev), Ongtustik Qazaqstan (Shymkent), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik Qazaqstan (Petropavl), Zhambyl (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 (formerly Leninsk)

Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)

National holiday: Day of the Republic, 25 October (1990) (date on which Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty)

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 seven-year term; election last held 10 January 1999, a year before it was previously scheduled (next to be held NA 2006); note—President NAZARBAYEV's previous term had been extended to 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; percent of vote—Nursultan NAZARBAYEV 82%, Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN 12%
note: President NAZARBAYEV 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 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, Kazakhstan 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: People's Unity Party or PUP (was Union of People's Unity) [Akhan BIZHANOV, chairman]; 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]; December National Democratic Party [Hasen KOZHAKHMETOV, chairman]; Labor and Workers Movement [Madel ISMAILOV, chairman]; Republican People's Slavic Movement-Harmony or Lad [Aleksander SAMARKIN, chairman]; Russian Center or RT [Nina SIDOROVA, chairwoman]; Pensioners Movement or Pokoleniye [Irina SAVOSTINA, chairwoman]; Kazakhstan Agrarian Union [leader NA]; Confederation of Kazakh Trade Unions [leader NA]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Independent Trade Union Center [Leonid SOLOMIN, president]; Kazakhstan International 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, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, 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: 1401 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036
telephone: [1] (202) 232-5488
FAX: [1] (202) 232-5845
consulate(s): New York

Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES
embassy: 99/97A Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan 480091
mailing address: American Embassy Almaty, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7030
telephone: [7] (3272) 63-39-21, 63-13-75, 50-76-23
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