Kazakhstan (1)

The Republic of Kazakhstan is an independent state situated in the central part of Euroasia.

In the west and north Kazakhstan borders on Russia, in the south – on Turkmenistan, Kirgiziya, Uzbekistan, in the east – on China. It is the ninth biggest country in the world with the territory 2,7 million square km. The population is over 15 million people.

Kazakh is the official language, Russian is the language of international communication. About one hundred nationalities and ethnic groups live in our country.

The Republik of Kazakhstan consists of 14 oblasts. Nowadays it has 85 cities, 169 regions, 2150 settlements. Astana is the capital of the country.

The Republik of Kazakhstan is a secular, democratic and unitary state. The head of state is President. The highest legislative organ is Parliament consisting of the Senate with 47 senators and the Majilis with 67 deputies, local representative authorities are Maslikhats. The executive power belongs to the Government. The currency is tenge.

The Kazakh people were formed by a process of assimilation of ancient tribes that inhabited the territory of Kazakhstan in prehistoric times. The Kazakhs led a nomadic life roaming along the boundless steppes their herds. As a result of ethnic, political and social-economic processes in 1468 an independent Kazakh State was founded on the territory of Kazakhstan. The annexation of the Kazakh territory had been finished by the second half of the 19^th century.

In 1936 Kazakhstan became a Union Republic, during 70 years our country was under the rule of the Soviet power. In 1991 Kazakhstan got its Independents. The first president was Nursultan Nazarbaev. The new Constitution of the Republic was adopted in 1995.

The land of Kazakhstan is rich in mineral resources, including large reserves of oil, iron, ore, copper, chrome, gold and silver.

Our country is an advanced agricultural state. It gives people wheat, cotton, rise, apples, vegetables.

The Sovereign Kazakh Republic is developing its political and economic ties with other countries of the world.

The important social, economic and political reforms are being undertaken in our independent country. It plays an important role in the world.

Kazakhstan (2) ( for advanced students)

General information and geography: The Republic of Kazakhstan is a sovereign independent state in the centre of the Eurasian continent. The official language is Kazakh. The Russian language is officially used on equal grounds along with the Kazakh. The republic celebrates its Independence Day on December 16. The population of Kazakhstan is 16 million 402 thousand. People of more than 130 nationalities live in the country: Kazakhs – 53.4%, Russians – 30%, Ukrainians – 3.7%, Uzbeks – 2.5%, Germans – 2.4%, Tatars – 1.7%, Uygurs – 1.4%.

According to the administrative and territorial division, Kazakhstan consists of 14 regions and 223 districts. The President is Nursultan Nazarbayev. Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan.

The Republic of Kazakhstan lies directly between Europe and Asia, to the south from the Ural Mountains. The southwestern border is washed by the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan borders on China (1,460km), Kyrgyzstan (980 km), Turkmenistan (380km), Uzbekistan (2,300km), Russia (6,467 km). The total extent of Kazakhstan's borders is nearly 12,187 km. The territory is 2,724,900 sq. km.. The territory of the country stretches for 1600 km from north to south and 2800 km from west to east: the total area is 2.7 million square kilometers. The size of the territory places Kazakhstan ninth in the world, after Russia, Canada, China, USA, Brazil, Australia, India and Argentina, second among CIS countries. The Kazakhstan territory is greater than that of the twelve countries of the European Union.

The landscape of Kazakhstan is diverse: about 10% of its territory are highlands; the rest - lowlands, plains and hills. The South-West, North and central parts are mostly plains. In the South-East, there are mountains with peaks rising as high as 5000-6000 meters above the sea level. Khan-Tengri peak reaches 6.995 meters.

Water resources are spread over its territory. There are many rivers, lakes and 2 seas in Kazakhstan. The River Irtysh is the longest. It is 1.700 km. The second longest river is the Syr-Darja - 1.400 km. The other big rivers are the Ill, Ishim, Tobol, Ilek, Chu, Turgai, Irgiz, Talaz, Nura and Emba. The biggest lakes of Kazakhstan are the Balkhash, Alakol and Tengiz. There are the Caspian and Aral Seas in Kazakhstan.

Climate:Kazakhstan has an extreme continental climate due to distance from oceans and great territory. The average temperature in January is within limits from 19 to 4 degrees below zero, in July – from 19 to 26 degrees above zero. Different climatic zones, territories change from north to south, all of them have own flora and fauna.

Religion: Diversity of religions; most prevalent are Islam and Christianity.

 Political System: Republican form of government. President is the head of the state. Legislative authority – parliament. Administrative divisions – 14 oblasts.

Kazakhstan government overview: Kazakhstan has a hybrid system of government that combines aspects of both parliamentary and presidential systems.

The principle of independence and the political system were formulated in the first Constitution of Kazakhstan of January 1993, which was approved by referendum on 30 August 1995

Kazakhstan government features: Kazakhstan has a parliamentary system with a president as head of the State. Kazakhstan last presidential election was in January 2006 for a seven-year term. Kazakhstan president serves as commander-in-chief, sets foreign policy, can initiate legislation, and appoints Kazakhstan prime minister, subject to Parliamentary approval.

Kazakhstan parliament is the supreme legislative body and consists of two chambers, the Senate (Upper House) and the Mazhilis (Lower House). The 47 members of Kazakhstan Senate are indirectly elected representatives of regional assemblies and appointees of Kazakhstan president. The Mazhilis is composed of 67 elected deputies. Kazakhstan parliament is elected for a four-year term.

Kazakhstan prime minister is the head of the executive branch of government and is appointed by Kazakhstan president, with the approval of Kazakhstan parliament. He chairs the Cabinet, which, as of January 2006, consists of three Deputy Prime Ministers, the Ministers of the 14 State Ministries and the 5 Chairmen of the State Agencies.

The heads of the local administrations (Akims of 14 oblasts and 2 cities) are appointed by Kazakhstan president. Since December 1997, the capital of Kazakhstan has been Astana. From 1929 to 1997 the capital of Kazakhstan was the city of Almaty, founded in 1854.

The Economy of Kazakhstan: Agriculture accounts for about two-fifths of the value of Kazakhstan’s economic production. Farmers raise sheep and cattle in Kazakhstan. The main products are dairy goods, meat, leather and wool. The country’s major crops include barley, cotton, rice and wheat.

Kazakhstan’s industries include food processing, mining and chemical, textile and heavy engineering and agricultural machinery manufacturing. They account for about one-third of the value of the economic production of the country.

Astana, Almaty, Chimkent, Pavlodar and Karaganda are the main industrial centers

The mines of the region have many valuable minerals, including bauxite, borax, chromium, gold, iron, lead, nickel, phosphate, silver, tin, tungsten, uranium and zinc. Coal is mined in Central, Eastern and Northeastern Kazakhstan. Petroleum and natural gas come from fields near the Caspian Sea. Copper mines operate in central, northern and eastern Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan has trade relations with many countries of the world. The most important trading partners of Kazakhstan are Russia, China, Germany, France, America and others.

Astana (1)

In the XIX century Akmola was a popular trading and economic steppe center. Its history started in 1830 when Russia founded a fortress with this name. From 1832 the fortress began to be called Akmolinsk and by the end of the XIX century it became a town with the population of about 6428 people.

The next step in the development of this city was cultivating virgin lands. By 1960 the city having the population 100 thousand people had become the center of the north region of Kazakhstan. It was renamed into Tselinograd and became a beautiful modern city with the population 250 thousand people. Many institutes, hospitals, museums, theatres were built there. The virgin area became an agricultural center with the developed machinery engineering, cattle-breeding and poultry-keeping.

After Kazakhstan gained its independence the city got its former name - Akmola. But in 1998 when the capital was transferred from Almaty, the city got a symbolic name – Astana. The decision to transfer the capital depended on some economic, ecological and geographical factors.

For the last few years Astana has changed greatly. It became a beautiful city of Kazakhstan. The city centre impresses especially. Grand buildings of the Government and Parliament Houses, other administrative establishments meet all modern requirements. The city is marked by magnificent architectural items. Astana is very wonderful at night. After a working day citizens and guests love walking along the embankment of the Ishim River with attractions, parks and cafes working half the night.

The capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan (2)

( for advanced students)

Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, is situated in the central part of the country. In 1830 Akmolinsk was founded as the military locality, in 1862 it had got the status of the town, because of its ever growing importance as it was on the trading way from Tashkent to the Urals.

In 50s of the XXth century it was an important centre of development of virgin lands in the north of the country. The town was renamed into Tselinograd and typified the administrative centre of an agricultural region

Astana is located on the bank of the river Ishim. After Kazakhstan gained its independence in 1991, the city and the region were renamed to "Akmola", literally meaning "White Shrine".

In 1995, the city was designated as the future capital of the country, and the capital was officially moved from Almaty on December 10, 1997. The new name, Astana, was bestowed on May 6, 1998. On the 10th of June 1998 the international presentation of the new capital Astana took place.

In 1999 Astana had the population of 281,000. By 2007 Astana's population had more than doubled since the move to over 600,000, and it is estimated to top 1 million by 2030. Migrant workers – legal and illegal – have been attracted from Kazakhstan and neighboring states such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and Astana is a magnet for young professionals seeking to make a career. This has changed the city's demographic, bringing more ethnic Kazakhs to the city.

Politics and government are the main economic activities in the capital, which also forms a Special Economic Zone. At present many different branches of industry such as machine-building, food and consumer goods production, building materials industries are well developed there.

There are 5 Universities in the city, among them the State Euro-Asian University named after N.Gumilev, Nazarbaev‘s University.

Ak Orda is the official workplace of the President of Kazakhstan. Ak Orda Presidential Palace was built in 2004 as a five-story building. The total area is 36,720 square meters. Ak Orda includes a yurt-like hall designed of marble and granite, a marble hall for summits and official visits by foreign-country representatives, and a golden hall for negotiations and private discussions between the head of the state and the leaders of other countries.

The Tower of Baiterek became the city's symbol. At the height of 97 meters an observation deck is located providing a bird's eye view of the city. Height of 97 meters was chosen to symbolizes the year of changing the capital of Kazakhstan from Almaty to Astana. The Baiterek Tower accommodates an art gallery, large aquarium and a traditional restaurant. In the sphere on the top of Bayterek there is an imprint of President Nursultan Nazarbayev 's hand.

Palace of Peace and Reconciliation (Pyramid of Peace) has been conceived and designed by architect Sir Norman Foster and engineers Buro Happold and inaugurated in September 2006. It contains accommodations for different religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism and other faiths. There is a 1,500 - seat opera house, a national museum of culture, a new “university of civilization”, a library and a research center for Kazakhstan’s ethnic and geographical groups. The pyramid is 62 meters high with a 62 x 62-meter base. The building is conceived as a global center for religious understanding, the renunciation of violence and the promotion of faith and human equality. The Pyramid of Peace expresses the spirit of Kazakhstan, where cultures, traditions and representatives of various nationalities coexist in peace, harmony and accord.

The Islamic Center was built in 2005 and was sponsored by the Emir of Qatar. It consists of a mosque, madrasah, and a library. The mosque has 4 minarets, 63 meters high, and has a capacity of 5,000 people. The height of the mosque's dome is 43 meters

In December 2006 President Nursultan Nazarbayev unveiled plans to build Khan Shatyry, a "giant, transparent tent", over an area of the city. The project has been completed in July 2010. The tent is 150 meters high, and likes a pyramid. The Khan Shatyry entertainment centre in

Astana will become a dramatic civic focal point for the capital of Kazakhstan. The 100,000sqm centre’s unique concept - to provide a sheltered environment embracing an urban-scale internal park, shopping and entertainment centers - was developed in response to the harsh climate of extreme weather in both winter and summer. The building will become a lively public space and an unprecedented amenity for the people of Astana which can be used throughout the year.

The Central Concert Hall is located next to the Ak Orda Presidential Palace in Astana. It has been inaugurated by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev on the Independence Day of Kazakhstan, the16th of December 2009. The building’s shape reminds the dynamism of the petals of a flower as a metaphor of the dynamism of music itself. The building external structure is made by a series of curved inclined walls made of concrete with a blue back painted glass panels.