Kazakhstan
 Economic
Overview
- Major Natural Resources - Oil, natural gas, coal,
gold, diamonds, uranium, copper, iron ore, chrome, wolfram, and zinc.
- Major Industries - Mining, chemicals and
petrochemicals, ferrous metals, gas, light industry (including wool and
leather), petroleum drilling and refining, and non-ferrous metallurgy.
- Chief Agricultural Crops - Wheat, maize, and cotton.
- Convertibility - The tenge is fully convertible into
U.S. dollars and other major international currencies through foreign
exchange auctions conducted by the National Bank.
Political System
Kazakhstan is a republic administered by a President who appoints a
Prime Minister and Council of Ministers to work with the national
legislature (the Majilis and Senate).
History & Customs
Kazakhstan has always been a crossroads between Europe and Asia,
from its strategic position on the Silk Road to its present role as a
key political player in the post-Soviet era. Present-day Kazakhstan
traces its historical evolution from the 13th century, when nomadic
Turkic and Mongol tribes ruled the area and derived their power from
the key positions they controlled along the Silk Road. In the late 15th
century, these tribes organized a political confederation to protect
the region and adopted Islam as their national religion.
This confederation fought off hostile acts by the Chinese and
Russians until the mid18th century, when the Kazakhs traded
independence for protection by Russia. Kazakhstan remained under
Russian rule until the fall of the Romanov monarchy, and then became a
constituent republic of the Soviet Union in 1936. The ethnic makeup of
Kazakhstan changed under Soviet domination, as Russian nationals
immigrated, and although a minority in numbers, they became the elite
ethnic class. Today, Russians represent 37% of the country's total
population. Kazakhstan became fully independent after the dissolution
of the Soviet Union in 1991. Mr. Nursultan Nazarbaev was elected
President in 1991, and reelected in 1999.
Back to About Regions
|