Kazakhstan Overview: Key Facts, Location, Culture and Attractions

The state symbols are state flag, state emblem and state anthem of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
About State Symbols of the RK.

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is head of state, its highest official, who has determined main domestic and foreign policy directions of the state and represented Kazakhstan in the country and outside the country. The President is a symbol and guarantor of the nation’s unity and state power, inviolability of Constitution, human and civil rights and freedoms.

The government exercises executive power, heads the system of executive bodies and governs their activities.
Lawmaking functions are exercised by the Parliament, consisting of two Chambers (Senate and Мazhilis) acting on a permanent basis.
The Senate comprises deputies representing in the manner established by Constitutional law by two persons from each region, city of republican significance and capital city. The President appoints ten deputies of the Senate, including the five deputies appointed upon the recommendation of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan.
The Мazhilis consists of ninety-eight deputies elected in the manner established by constitutional law under a mixed electoral system: under a proportional representation system on the territory of a single national electoral district, as well as under single-mandate territorial electoral districts.

The administrative and territorial structure of the country includes 17 regions and 3 cities of republican significance.
The country is ninth in the world with a total area (territory) of 2 724 900 кm².
The republic of Kazakhstan borders:

• in the north and west with Russia (7 591 km) is the longest uninterrupted land border in the world;
• in the east with China (1 783 km);
• in the south with Kyrgyzstan (1 242 km), Uzbekistan (2 351 km) and Turkmenistan (426 km).
• The total length of land borders is 13 200 km.

Kazakhstan is the largest country in the world that does not have direct access to the world ocean. The country's natural landscape is diverse:

• deserts - 44% of the area;
• semi-deserts - 14%;
• steppes - 26%;
• forests -5%.

There are 8 500 rivers and 48 000 lakes in the country, the largest of them are Balkhash, Zaysan and Alakol. The northeastern part of the Caspian Sea is a part of Kazakhstan, and Aral Sea is shared with Uzbekistan.
Due to the remoteness from the oceans, the climate of the country is sharply continental: hot summers and cold winters.
Time zone
Since March 1, 2024, the 5th time zone (UTC+5) has been in effect throughout Kazakhstan.
Climate
Kazakhstan has a sharply continental climate with cold winters and hot summers. Due to its vast territory, the weather in different regions can vary significantly. So, when spring is already coming to the south of the country, snowfalls and blizzards may continue in the north.

• Winter: The average temperature in January is -18.7°C in the north and -1.5°C in the south. Snowy winters create favorable conditions for winter sports. One of the most popular ski resorts is Shymbulak in Almaty.
• Summer: In July, the average temperature reaches +18.8°C in the north and +28.8°C in the south. In the hot summer months, Kazakhstanis prefer to relax on the beaches of the seas, lakes and in tourist recreation centers.

Kazakhstan is a sunny country: in some regions the sun shines up to 330 days a year, and the sky almost always remains bright blue.
Natural resources of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan's main wealth is its mineral resources. According to the experts, the depths of the Kazakh land contain almost all the elements of the Mendeleyev’s periodic table. This makes the country one of the world's leading countries in terms of reserves of oil, gas, coal, uranium, metals and rare earth elements.
Kazakhstan is also famous for its diverse landscapes. Among the natural attractions are:

• The Tien Shan mountain range is a majestic northern ridge that is part of one of the largest mountain systems in Eurasia.
• The Altai Mountains are a section of the Altai mountain system, famous for its picturesque landscapes and unique flora and fauna.
• Saryarka (Kazakh Uplands) is a vast steppe zone with rolling plains, included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
• Due to its natural wealth and geographical diversity, Kazakhstan has unique resources and significant capacity for development of mining industry, tourism and ecology.

A mineral resources base of the country consists of more than 5 000 deposits with a projected value estimated as tens of trillions of dollars.
The country takes:
the first position in the world in terms of explored reserves of zinc, wolframium and barytes,
the second position in the reserves of silver, lead and chromite,
the third position in copper and fluorite,
the fourth position in molybdenum, and
the sixth position in gold.
Also, Kazakhstan has significant oil and gas resources (ninth rank of explored oil reserves in the world), the eighth in coal reserves and the second in uranium reserves. The main oil and gas fields are concentrated in the western regions of the country.
Agriculture
Kazakhstan is one of top ten exporters of grain worldwide and one of leading exporters of flour.

• Seventy (70) percent of arable lands in the north are occupied with grain and industrial crops such as wheat, barley, millet.
• Rice, cotton and tobacco are grown in the south of the country as well as gardens, vineyards and cucurbits are developed.
• Animal-breeding is one of leading directions of agriculture.

Industry and trade
The main export commodities are:

• products of mining, fuel and energy, metallurgical and chemical industries.
• Grain industry products.

The main trade partners are Russia, China, states of Europe and CIS.
Development and modernization
An industrial and innovative development program is implemented for economy diversification aimed at modernizing enterprises and creating new production facilities.
Kazakhstan has actively participated in the project called “New Silk Road”, which strengthens its role as business and transit hub between Europe and Asia.
Large-scale social modernization is underway:

• Construction of new schools, colleges and universities.
• Opening of modern medical centers.
• Population social support system improvement.

Representatives of 130 ethnic groups live in Kazakhstan, and the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan was founded to harmonize interethnic relations. Congresses of leaders of world and traditional religions that strengthen the dialogue between the cultures are regularly convened in Astana.

Religion in Kazakhstan


Kazakhstan is a secular state where the freedom of religion is guaranteed. The country has historically been a place where various world religions coexist, which contributes to interfaith peace and harmony.


Public policy in the sphere of religion
Kazakhstan adheres to a balanced public policy aimed at:

• ensuring freedom of religion;
• maintaining social harmony and stability;
• developing of religious traditions within the framework of secular principles.

Major religions
Despite religious diversity, the majority of Kazakhstan's population professes:

• Sunni Islam is the most widespread religion among Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Uighurs, Tatars and other Muslim peoples.
• Russian Orthodox Christianity is the main denomination among Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians and some other ethnic groups.
• Kazakhstan continues to be a territory of religious tolerance, where representatives of different faiths live in peace and harmony.

Kazakhstan is a leader in Central Asia, actively facilitating the strengthening of stability and security in the region. The country has achieved significant success on the world stage, which is evidenced by its participation and leadership role in international organizations.

• In 2010, Kazakhstan chaired the OSCE and hosted the OSCE Summit in Astana, becoming the first CIS country to chair this organization.
• One of the Kazakhstan's key initiatives is the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA) - the Asian analogue of the OSCE.
• Kazakhstan has played an important role in the work of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), chairing it.
• The country is a world leader in anti-nuclear movement, actively promoting initiatives on nuclear disarmament.

International cooperation
Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which promotes the development of trade and economic ties with countries of the region.
Sustainable development and the future

• Economic growth, international recognition and political stability have become the ground for prosperity of Kazakhstani society. Kazakhstan combines the preservation of cultural traditions with dynamic development, realizing its creative capacity in the modern world.

Kazakhstan has actively developed its transport infrastructure, given its geographical extent and strategic location between Europe and Asia.


Main transport routes

1. Rail transport

• The length of railways exceeds 16 000 km.
• The railway transport remains a key transportation route for passengers and freight.

1. Highways

• The total route length is 96 000 km.
• All regional centers have automobile connections with district centers and rural settlements.
• Highways of international and local significance are actively furnished.
• Kazakhstan has implemented a “New Silk Road” project strengthening its role as a transit corridor between Europe and Asia.

1. City transportation

• Includes buses, trams, trolleybuses and metro (in Almaty).
• Taxi and delivery services with mobile applications are developed.

1. Air and water transportation

• Kazakhstan has no access to the ocean, so the main transportation is carried out by land transport.
• The Caspian Sea is used for cargo transportation.
• A transport plays a key role in the country's economy, providing internal and international connections, trade and logistics development.

Air transportation plays a key role in the transport system of Kazakhstan due to a large geographical extent of the country.

Airports and infrastructure

• There are 20 airports of republican and regional significance in Kazakhstan, including 18 that serve international transportation.
• Since the independence, 22 airport runways were reconstructed and built, and 16 airport passenger terminals were refurbished.
• Airports of Almaty, Shymkent, Kyzylorda and Kostanay are currently refurbished.
• The infrastructure projects are aimed at increasing throughput and improving a passenger comfort.

Airlines and passenger transportation

• There are 50 air carriers in Kazakhstan including 5 major airlines that provide regular passenger services:
• Air Astana (and its low-cost airline FlyArystan)
• SCAT Airlines
• Qazaq Air
• Southern sky
• Zhetysu
• There are 99 aircrafts on domestic routes
• There are 630 flights on 51 domestic routes per week performed.

Aviation market liberalization

• Since 2012, the domestic aviation market has been fully liberalized – Kazakhstani airlines can operate flights without restrictions in accordance with the demand.
• Since 2017, an “open sky” has been introduced which contributed to the increased number of international air routes.

International air transportation

• International flights on 108 routes are performed to 28 countries.
• In 2023, 23 routes to 13 countries had been opened and resumed, including:
• Lahore, Muscat, Manama, Delhi, Sharm el-Sheikh, Beijing, Urumqi, Samarkand, Baku, Tbilisi, Bishkek, Ankara, Jeddah and others.
• In 2024–2025, the geography of flights is planned to be extended – it is expected to open flights to Tokyo, Singapore, New York, Paris, Milan, Rome, Brussels, Geneva and other cities.

Flight safety

• The Kazakhstan's level of compliance with international flight safety standards is 82%.
• It is the highest figure among the CIS countries, exceeding the global average at 15% and the European average at 5%.
• The air transport development continues to strengthen the Kazakhstan's position as an aviation hub connecting Europe and Asia

Water transport plays an important role in the transport system of Kazakhstan, providing international freight transportation across the Caspian Sea, as well as inland navigation on rivers and reservoirs.

Seaports of Kazakhstan
Three seaports on the Kazakh coast of the Caspian Sea:

• Aktau
• Kuryk
• Bautino

These ports are located at the intersection of international transport corridors and play a key role in the country's export-import operations.

Infrastructure of seaports

A total cargo handling capacity of the port infrastructure is 21 million tons of cargo per year. It includes:

• Oil terminal (7.5 million tons) – transshipment of crude oil and petroleum products.
• Grain terminals (2 million tons) – with the capacity to store simultaneously5 thousand tons of grain.
• Dry cargo terminals (3.5 million tons) – handling general, packaged and oversized cargo.
• Universal terminal (2 million tons) – for various cargo types.
• Ferry complex (6 million tons) – serves automobile and railway ferries.

All ports are equipped with modern equipment (portal and mobile cranes, handling equipment), which allows for efficient loading and unloading operations with various cargo types.
The ports operate all year round, ensuring uninterrupted maritime transport.

Inland shipping

The length of inland waterways open to shipping exceeds 4,000 km. The main shipping routes pass through:

1. Irtysh basin (Irtysh River, Lake Zaysan, Bukhtarminskoye , Ust-Kamenogorskoye and Shulbinskoye reservoirs).
2. Ural-Caspian basin (Ural River, Ural-Caspian Canal, Kigach River – Kazakhstan’s part of Volga river).
3. Ili- Balkhash basin (Kapchagai reservoir, Balkhash Lake).
4. The Ishim River (within Astana).

• The water transport continues to develop, contributing to the development of logistics, trade and international relations of Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), therefore, uniform goods transportation customs rules apply on its territory, similar to other countries of the Customs Union.

Import of tobacco products

Individuals are allowed to importing into the territory of the EEU in accompanied and unaccompanied baggage by air transport:

• 200 cigarettes or
• 50 cigars or
• 200 sticks (products with heated tobacco) or
• 250 g tobacco.

The total value of goods for personal use must not exceed 10,000 euros and the weight must not exceed 50 kg.
Until April 1, 2024, it is permitted to import tobacco products by road, rail, water transport or on foot in the quantities specified above, but:

• the amount must not exceed 1,000 euros,
• the weight – 31 kg.

Import of alcoholic beverages

Individuals may import alcoholic beverages (with an alcohol content of more than 0.5%) in accompanied and unaccompanied baggage in the quantities of no more than 3 liters per person.

Export of cash currency

Individuals are prohibited from exporting foreign currency in cash and monetary instruments in foreign currency if their amount exceeds the equivalent of 10,000 US dollars (at the exchange rate of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan on the day of export).

• Thus, each person can take out no more than 10,000 US dollars or the equivalent in another currency.

Today the population of Kazakhstan is 20 million people.
Kazakhstan is a multi-ethnic state, wherein representatives of more than 100 nationalities live. According to the 2023 data, the ethnic composition of population is distributed as follows:

• Kazakhs – 70,6%
• Russians – 15,1%
• Uzbeks – 3,2%
• Ukrainians – 1,9%
• Uyghurs – 1,5%
• Germans – 1,1%
• Tatars – 1,1%
• Azerbaijanis – 0,7%
• Koreans – 0,6%
• Other nationalities – 5,2%

Distribution of the population by region

• The largest number of Kazakhs is in Turkestan region (1.5 million people).
• The largest number of Russians live in Almaty (428 thousand people).
• The Uzbek population is concentrated in Turkestan region (378 thousand people).
• Most Ukrainians live in Kostanay region (86 thousand people).
• Of the 297 thousand Uyghurs, 120 thousand live in Almaty region.

The population census in Kazakhstan

The population census in Kazakhstan is conducted in accordance with international standards, synchronizing with the world census rounds.

Census History
After World War II, during the Soviet era, the population censuses were conducted in Kazakhstan in 1959, 1970, 1979 and 1989. After gaining the independence, Kazakhstan conducted three national censuses:

• 1999 year
• 2009 year
• 2021 year

2021 Census
The third national population census of the Republic of Kazakhstan was planned to be held in 2020, but due to the coronavirus pandemic and introduced quarantine measures, it was postponed to 2021.
The Census stages:

• The Online Census (September 1 – October 15, 2021)The citizens could fill out the census forms by themselves at sanaq.gov.kz .
• The survey was available via Aitu mobile app
• Respondents who completed the questionnaire online were not subject to additional questionnaire survey by the interviewers.
• Traditional Walk (October 1 – October 30, 2021)The questionnaire survey was conducted by interviewers using tablets.
• The questionnaire included an individual identification number (IIN) that excluded data duplication.

The Census significance
The census results allow to analyze economic, demographic and social changes in Kazakhstan, including:

• The population size and structure (by region, gender and age);
• marital status, ethnic composition, citizenship and religion;
• level of education, language proficiency;
• conditions of living and household characteristics

2021 Census Results

• Total population: 19,169,550 people
• Men – 9,337,667 people (48.71%)
• Women – 9,831,883 people (51.29%)
• The average age of population is 94 years.

Age groups:

• Children (0-17 years) – 6,511,171 people (33.97%)including preschoolers (0-5 years) – 2,422,081 people (12.64%)
• Youth (14-28 years) – 3,779,601 people (19.72%)
• Additional materialsStatistical and analytical data from the 1999 and 2009 censuses are available on the website of the Bureau of National Statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan – www.stat.gov.kz.

The national currency of Kazakhstan is Kazakhstani tenge (₸) , which had been introduced into circulation on November 15, 1993. In honor of this event, the day November 15 was declared the National Currency Day, as well as a professional holiday for employees of the country's financial system.

Financial transactions and settlements

• Cashless payment:
• Credit and debit cards are accepted almost everywhere.
• Payment via mobile apps and QR codes has become especially popular.
• Transportation services (air, taxi, city transportation) can be paid by bank transfer.
• Online shopping and payment for services (order food, utility payments, transfers) are available via a smartphone with a banking application or POS terminals.
• The modern financial system of Kazakhstan makes payments convenient and accessible in any format.

Useful Phone Numbers in Kazakhstan
📞 Emergency services:
🚔 Police – 102
🔥 Firefighting service – 101
🚑 Emergency medical care – 103
🆘 Unified emergency dispatch service – 112
💨 Gas emergency service – 104
💙 Psychological assistance service – 150

• Be careful and save these numbers in case of emergency!

The scientific sphere of Kazakhstan is represented by 414 scientific organizations, including:

• 106 – state institutions,
• 94 – research centers at universities,
• 179 – private enterprises,
• 35 – non-profit structures.

There are 22 456 people employed in science, of which 37% have a scientific degree:

• 1 743 doctors of science,
• 3 945 candidates of science,
• 2 460 PhD doctors,
• 96 doctors by discipline.

Priority science directions (2024–2026)
The Higher Scientific and Technical Committee of the Republic of Kazakhstan had approved 7 key directions:

1. Ecology, rational use of natural resources
2. Energy, new materials and transport
3. Digital, space and advanced technologies
4. Intellectual capacity of the country
5. Science of life and health
6. Agro-industrial complex and its sustainable development
7. National and biological security

Support for science and young scientists
Kazakhstan pays special attention to the development of science and innovation:

• There are 727 projects being implemented within the framework of grant funding for young scientists.
• There are at least 30% young researchers participants of scientific projects of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
• The National Science and Technology Council under the President had been arranged, which determines strategic priorities and assesses the current state of the science.
• Since 2023, 4 technology parks and engineering hubs have been funded, and 7 specialized scientific and technological centers are planned to open by 2029.
• A new "On Science and Technology Policy" law is being drafted aimed at developing the science, implementing the scientific achievements and supporting the scientists.
• Each year 500 Kazakhstani scientists undergo internships in the world leading scientific centers. In 2023, 809 scientists had received grants for scientific internships.