republic in Central Asia, bounded on the north by Russia; on the east by China; on the south by Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan; and on the west by the Caspian Sea and Russia. It was formerly the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (SSR) of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
With an area of 2,717,300 sq km (1,049,155 sq mi)-roughly five times the area of France-Kazakstan is the second largest member of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Almost all of Kazakstan is located in Asia, but a small portion is located in Europe. Almaty is the capital and largest city.
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Population
With an estimated population of 17,267,564 in 1994, Kazakstan is unique among the republics of the former USSR in terms of ethnic composition. Kazaks are the only official ethnic group in the former USSR who constitute a minority-less than 50 percent of the total population-in their own country. They are still, however, the single largest ethnic group in Kazakstan, with 43.2 percent of the total population. Russians, the next largest group, constitute 36.5 percent. Some tensions exist between the two groups.
Until recently, Russians outnumbered Kazaks in the republic. Beginning in the 19th century, large-scale immigration boosted the number of Russians and other Slavic peoples, while the number of Kazaks declined as a result of attacks by Russian settlers and forced collectivization. Higher birth rates among Kazaks eventually led to the greater percentage of Kazaks in the country. Large numbers of Germans (4.1 percent of the total) and Ukrainians (5.2 percent) also reside in the republic.
Some Kazaks are followers of Islam. The official state language is Kazak, a Turkic language, although Russian is the most widely spoken language in the country. Only about 40 percent of the population speaks Kazak, while more than three-fourths of the people speak Russian.
Almost 60 percent of Kazakstan is urbanized, the highest level of urbanization among the republics in Central Asia. Almaty, the capital, is the largest city with a population of about 1,147,000 inhabitants in 1990. It is followed in size by Qaraghandy (613,000), Shymkent (401,000), Semey (339,000), and Pavlodar (population 1991 estimate, 342,500). Slavs are concentrated in the north and in large urban areas, especially Almaty, where they constitute a majority.
Although the population's health compares favorably overall with the health in the former Soviet republics to the south, large segments of the population in Kazakstan have been exposed to radiation from nuclear testing. The nuclear testing grounds near Semey experienced the bulk of Soviet nuclear tests-more than 300 underground nuclear tests and several aboveground tests. Another testing ground in the western portion of Kazakstan near the Caspian Sea experienced more than 40 tests. Since independence, no further tests have occurred on Kazak territory. The long-term health effects of nuclear testing in the republic are unknown
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Land and Resources
Kazakstan is composed of a vast, generally low-lying plain, fringed by mountains on the east and southeast. Differences in elevation in the republic are extreme. Mountainous areas along the border with Kyrgyzstan reach a height of nearly 5000 m (nearly 16,400 ft), while considerable areas near the Caspian Sea lie below sea level. The Caspian Sea, the lowest point in Europe, lies at an elevation of about 28 m (about 91.9 ft) below sea level, while the Karagiye Depression, located to the east of the Caspian, lies at an even lower elevation. With a height of 132 m (about 433 ft) below sea level, the Karagiye Depression is the lowest point in the former USSR.
Most of Kazakstan's major rivers drain internally, mainly into Lake Zaysan, Lake Balqash, and the Aral and Caspian seas. Diversion of river water from the Syrdarìya and Ili rivers, principally for irrigation purposes, has led to a decline in the surface level of the Aral Sea and Lake Balqash. A few rivers, such as the Ishim, Irtysh, and Tobol, flow north to the Arctic Ocean. The riverbeds of most of the small and medium-sized rivers remain dry for much of the year. Precipitation is meager and generally decreases southward. Deserts and semideserts, including stone, salt, and sand wastelands, cover more than two-thirds of the country's surface area.
The climate of Kazakstan is extremely continental, and, due to the vastness of the country, characterized by great internal variations. Average daily temperature in January ranges from -19° to -4° C (-2.2° to 24.8° F), while average daily temperature in July is 19° to 26° C (66.2° to 78.8° F). In the summer temperatures can reach 45° C (113° F), and in the winter temperatures can fall below -45° C (-49° F). Kazakstan is home to some extremely rare animal species, such as the Saiga antelope, which is protected by government decree.
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"Kazakstan," Microsoft ® Encarta 98 Encyclopedia.
© 1993-1997 Microsoft Corporation.
All rights reserved.
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