The Republic of Kazakhstan is a European country. Kazakhstan is ninth largest country in the world in terms of geographical area and stand at 62 in terms of population.
Kazakhstan is bordered by Russia, the Peoples’ Republic of China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan, and has a coastline on the Caspian Sea. The land in Kazakhstan is subject to desertification. Kazakhstan possesses only about 35% of water it needs, and 66% of land is subject to desertification.
The climate in Kazakhstan is continental and varies with hot summers and cold winters to arid and semiarid, natural precipitation is uneven. Kazakhstan possesses only about 35% of water it needs, and 66% of land is subject to desertification. The average temperature in January varies within -19 to -4 degrees Celsius, while average July temperature fluctuates from +19 to +26 degrees Celsius. The lowest temperature in winter may go down to – 45 degree Celsius with the highest one in summer +40 degree Celsius.
Archeologists argue that nomad people started living in present day Kazakh territory as early as Stone Age. The theory is supported by excavation done on Botay in North Kazakhstan where numerous handmade articles were found as a proof of early human settlements. During Bronze age, Kazakhstan was populated with Andoron and Begazy-Dandybay cultures. Archeologists have found remains of axes, knives, and daggers from different burial sites; these objects were mainly made of bronze.
Zhezkazgan and Sayak introduced copper culture in Kazakhstan. Ancient people were used to live in large groups. Groups were included professionals like, priests, warriors and craftsmen etc. These people lived on territory of Kazakhstan nearly one thousand years, from XVIIth century to IX – VIII centuries AD. Saks displaced these people and lives here from VI – II century BC. Archeologists have found objects made of sharp animal bones, gold and bronze etc from this period.
During first millennium BC the people living in Kazakhstan were mainly native speakers of Indo Iranian and Indo European languages. From the Issyk burial mound that harboured the world – famous “Golden Man”, diggers have found a silver bowl encrypted 26 characters in the bottom. Still experts are not able to read this encryption but this is a proof that a systematic language was introduced in Kazakhstan by this time. The middle of first millennium AD is vital in the making of Kazakhstan’s history. This era is marked with significant changes in the history of Kazakh. The people occupying Kazakh territory in this era were mainly Turk. The written sources of the VI th century register the term “Tyurk” which is pronounced as Tutszyue From 4th to 12th century the territory of Kazakhstan was occupied by the West-Turkic, Tyurgesh, Karluk Kaganates, of the state made by Oguzes, Karakhanides, Kimeks and Kypchaks. These successively displaced one another before Mongol invaded the region.
After the Mongolians invasion, in the start of XIIIth century there have shaped up uluses of the Mongol Empire of Zhuchi-Khan and Zhatai that later gave birth to Mongolistan and later gave birth to Ak-Orda Mongolistan and finally to Kazakh Khanate. In essence all these states were mixed economies.
Different religions and cultures including dancing arts, painting, architecture and music made their ways to Kazakh land through Grand Silk Route. During early XVth century, on the Bank of Syrdaria River in the city of Turkestan, Turks made a religious sacred place to be worshiped by all Turkic-speaking nations. Thus you can see, like many other world geographies, Kazakhstan has also undergone massive cultural changes.
Russians started visiting Kazakhstan during 17th century; these were mainly Russian traders and soldiers. Cossacks build the forts, which later became the cities of Oral (Ural'sk) and Atyrau (Gur'yev). Later Russian seized the Kazakh territory from Khanates Empire. Further in 1863 Russian Empire elaborated a new Imperial policy announced in the Gorchakov circular mentioning the right to annex troubled areas of the empires border.
The construction of Russian forts started in the early 19th century causing destructive effects on the Kazakhs’ national economy. Between 1906 and 1912, more than a half-million Russian farms were started as part of the reforms of Russian minister of the interior Petr Stolypin, putting immense pressure on the traditional Kazakh way of life by occupying grazing land and using scarce water resources. By the time many Kazakhs were displaced from the land and joined the general Central Asian Revolt against conscription into the Russian Imperial Army which tsar ordered in July 1916. Though Russian armies suppressed the revolt. Further erstwhile USSR ruled Kazakhstan for many decades.
This was June 1990 when Moscow formally declared the sovereignty of central government over Kazakhstan, this forced Kazakhstan to elaborate its own state of sovereignty. Tensions were heavily mounted during 1990, both Kazakhs and Russians performed frequent demonstrations in front of governments houses. Kazakhstan declared its Sovereignty within the USSR in October 1990. Later on December 16 1991, Kazakhstan declared full sovereignty and became the last state to declare full sovereignty from Soviet Union.
Kazakhstan is a republic. The President of Kazakhstan is head of the State and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan. The Prime Minister of Kazakhstan is head of the government. The prime minister runs the government with other cabinet ministers. The parliament of Kazakhstan has 3 deputy prime ministers and 16 other ministers in the cabinet. The parliament of Kazakhstan is bicameral; the Kazakh parliament has two houses the lower house (the Majilis) and the upper house (the Senate). Kazakhstan is divided into 14 provinces (oblystar) and three municipal districts (qala). On 13 June 1992 Kazakhstan's National Security Committee (KNB) was established. The committee avails the Service of Internal Security, Military Counterintelligence, Border Guard, several Commando units, and Foreign Intelligence (Barlau). The Foreign Intelligence is considered the most imperative part of KNB.
Kazakhstan has established humble relationships with all its neighbors and pursued multidimensional foreign policy. Kazakhstan is a member of United Nations, Organizations for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council and Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC). Kazakhstan is an active participant of North Atlantic Treaty Organisation's (NATO) Partnership for Peace program. Kazakhstan is also a member of the Commonwealth of Independent States, the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization along with Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. The nations of Kazakhstan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan established the Eurasian Economic Community in 2000 to re-energize earlier efforts at harmonizing trade tariffs and the creation of a free trade zone under a customs union.
Kazakhstan is the largest economy in Central Asia. Kazakhstan has huge fossil fuel reserves; minerals and metals are also found in abundance. The landscapes are suitable for agriculture and live stock sustenance. Kazakhstan also has well developed infrastructure for space activities. The south mountainous region is suitable for growth of walnuts and apples. The Kazakh industries are mainly involved in extraction and processing of natural resources, viz; fossil fuels, minerals and metals.
The economy of Kazakhstan has declined in the past mainly because of slumping oil prices. Kazakhstan has signed Caspian Pipeline Consortium agreement in 1996. The pipeline would be long from western Kazakhstan Tengiz field to the Black sea. This has brightened the Kazakhstan chances for more oil exports. Kazakhstan also has benefited from recovery in oil prices in 1999. The economy of Kazakhstan has strengthened manifold due to due to increase in prices in oils, metals and grains. The GDP of Kazakhstan grew by 10.6% in 2006. Business ties with Russia, China and CIS nations have helped Kazakhstan grow immensely.
