Kazakhstan,
also spelled Kazakstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan,
is a country that stretches over a vast expanse of northern
and central Eurasia. Its territory of 2,717,300 km²
(bigger than Western Europe), the ninth largest in the
world, is partially located to the west of the Ural
River in eastern-most Europe.
Prior
to full independence, Kazakhstan existed as the Kazakh
SSR in the Soviet Union. It is now a member of the Commonwealth
of Independent States, bordering Russia, the People's
Republic of China, and the Central Asian countries Kyrgyzstan,
Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, with a coastline on the
Caspian Sea.
Kazakhstan
is the ninth-largest country in the world by area, but
it is only the 62nd country in population with fewer
than 6 people per square kilometre (15 per sq. mi.).
The population in 2006 is estimated at 15,300,000, down
from 16,464,464 in 1989, due to the emigration of ethnic
Russians and Volga Germans. Much of the country's land
consists of semi-desert (steppe) terrain.
| |
Anthem
: |
|
My
Kazakhstan |
Capital
: |
|
Astana
51°10'N, 71°30'E |
Largest
City : |
|
Almaty |
Official
Languages : |
|
Kazakh
(state language), Russian |
Government
: |
|
Republic |
Independence
: |
|
from
the Soviet Union |
Declare
: |
|
December
16, 1991 |
Area |
Total
: |
|
2,724,900
km² (9th) 1,052,085 sq mi |
Water
(%): |
|
1.7 |
Population
estimate (2006) |
|
15,217,711
National Statistics Agency of Kazakhstan (62nd) |
Density
: |
|
5.4
/km² (215th)
14.0 /sq mi |
GDP |
Total
: |
|
$145.5
billion (56th) |
Percapita
: |
|
$9,594
(66th) |
HDI
: |
|
0.774
(medium) (79th) |
Currency
: |
|
Tenge
(KZT) |
Time
Zone : |
|
West/East
(UTC+5/+6) |
Internet
TLD : |
|
.kz |
Calling
Code : |
|
+7 |
|
|
|
