1. Benedict (Viktor) Gombocz

2.  Location: Central Asia, northwest of China,
with a small part west of the Ural (Zhayyq)
River in eastern-most Europe
 Area:
◦ Total: 2,724,900 sq km
◦ Country comparison to the world: 9
◦ Land: 2,699,700 sq km
◦ Water: 25,200 sq km
 Area – comparative: Slightly less than four
times the size of Texas
 Land boundaries:
◦ Total: 12,185 km
◦ Border countries: China 1,533 km, Kyrgyzstan
1,224 km, Russia 6,846 km, Turkmenistan 379 km,
Uzbekistan 2,203 km
 Coastline: 0 km (landlocked – note:
Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split
into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the
Caspian Sea (1,894 km)

4.  The majority of Kazakhs are Sunni Muslims of the Hannifin school, which
customarily include ethnic Kazakhs, who account for almost 60% of
Kazakhstan’s population, along with minorities like Uzbeks, Uyghur's, and
Tatars.
 Less than 1% belong to the Shari's (mainly Chechens) and Shia.
 There are a total of 2,300 mosques; each mosque is associated with the
“Spiritual Association of Muslims of Kazakhstan”, led by a supreme mufti.
 The Enid al-Adwa is recognized as a national celebration.
 Less than 25% of Kazakhstan’s population is Russian Orthodox, which
customarily comprises ethnic Russians, Ukrainians, and Belarusians.
 Other Christian minorities include Roman Catholics and Protestants
(Baptists, Presbyterians, Lutherans, and Pentecostals, as well as Jehovah’s
Witnesses and Seventh-day Adventists, Methodists, Mennonites, and members
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or Mormons).
 In all, there are 265 registered Orthodox churches, 93 Catholic churches, and
543 Protestant churches and prayer homes; the Russian Orthodox Christmas is
recognized as a national observance in Kazakhstan.
 Other smaller registered religions include Judaism, the Baha'i Faith, Hare
Krishna's, Buddhists, the Church of Scientology, Christian Scientists, and the
Unification Church.
 Kazakhstan is ethnically diverse; it has a long history of acceptance and
secularism and, since independence, the number of mosques and churches
have increased significantly.
 Nonetheless, the population is at times suspicious of minority religious groups
and groups that proselytize; there were a number of incidences in which
citizens filed objections with authorities after their families became involved
with these groups.
 Leaders of the four religious groups regarded as “traditional” by the government
(Islam, Russian Orthodoxy, Roman Catholicism, and Judaism) indicated overall
acceptance and open-mindedness that other minority religious groups did not
always have the benefit of.

5.  Muslim 70.2%
 Christian 26.2% (Russian Orthodox
23.9%, other Christian 2.3%)
 Buddhist 0.1%
 Other 0.2%
 Atheist 2.8%
 Unspecified 0.5% (2009 census)

6.  Kazakhstan’s politics function in the structure of a presidential republic; the
President of Kazakhstan serves as head of state and appoints the head of
government.
 The government exercises executive power; legislative power is vested in both the
government and the two chambers of parliament.

7.  Capital: Astana
◦ Largest city: Almaty
 Official languages: Kazakh
(national), Russian
 Demonym: Kazakh
 Government: Dominant-party unitary
presidential state
 President: Nursultan Nazarbayev
 Prime Minister: Serik Akhmetov
 Legislature: Parliament
 Upper house: Senate
 Lower house: Mazhilis

8. Main office holders
Powers of the President
and the Prime Minister
 Office: President
◦ Name: Nursultan Nazarbayev
◦ Party: Nur Otan
◦ Since: 24 April 1990
 Office: Prime Minister
◦ Name: Serik Akhmetov
◦ Party: Nur Otan
◦ Since: 24 September 2012
 The president is elected by popular vote to a five-year term.
 The president nominates both the PM and the first Deputy PM; the
president also nominates the Council of Ministers.
 President Nazarbayev extended his presidential powers by decree:
only he may initiate constitutional modifications, nominate and
discharge the government, dissolve Parliament, call referendums at
his discretion, and nominate executive heads of regions and cities.
 The president acts as head of state; he is additionally the
commander-in-chief of the armed forces and can forbid legislation
that has been passed by the Parliament.
 President Nazarbayev, in office since Kazakhstan’s independence, was
elected to a new 7-year term in the 1999 election, which the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe said did not meet
international standards.
 A key political opponent, ex-PM Akezhan Kazhegeldin, was forbidden
from running against the president because he attended an illegal
meeting of “the movement for free elections”.
 The election was also illegally called two years ahead of schedule.
 Free media access is also prohibited to contrasting views.
 In 2002, a law set very strict requirements for the continuance of the
lawful standing of a political party; the number of legitimate parties
was decreased from 19 in 2002 to 8 in 2003.
 The PM, who serves as the president’s delight, chairs the Cabinet of
Ministers and serves as the head of government of Kazakhstan.
 The Cabinet is made up of three Deputy PMs and 16 ministers.
 Serik Akhmetov became PM in September 2012.

9.  The legislature, or Parliament, contains two
chambers.
 The Lower House Assembly (Mazhilis) contains 107
seats, elected to a four-year term; 98 seats are
from party lists, and 9 are from the Assembly of
People.
 All MPs are elected to five-year terms.
 The Upper House Senate contains 47 members; 40
of them are elected to six-year terms in double-
seat constituencies by the local authorities, with
half renewed every two years; the other seven are
presidential appointees.
 Additionally, former presidents are ex-officio
senators for life.
 Majilis delegates and the government both reserve
the right to legislative initiative, although the
government advises most legislation considered by
the Parliament.
 Numerous delegates are elected from the
Assembly of People of Kazakhstan.

10.  44 judges serve in the Supreme Court
of Kazakhstan.
 The Constitutional Council has seven
members.

11.  Nur Otan (83)
 Ak Zhol (8)
 Communist People’s Party (7)

12.  Born in Chemolgan on 6 July 1940.
 1st and current President of Kazakhstan;
assumed office on 24 April 1990.
 Also the 2nd and current chairman of the
National Democratic Party Nur Otan since 4
July 2007.
 Previously served as Secretary General of
the Central Committee of the Communist
Party of Kazakh SSR (22 June 1989-14
December 1991) and Chairman of the
Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh Soviet
Socialist Republic (22 February 1990-24
April 1990).
 Was re-elected to another five-year term in
April 2011.

13.  Born 25 June 1958 in Temirtau.
 8th and current PM of Kazakhstan since
2012.
 Served as Deputy Governor of Astana
briefly prior to his appointment to the
Government of Kazakhstan as Minister of
Transportation on 25 September 2006.
 Has also served as Chairman of the Board
of the Atameken National Union of
Entrepreneurs and Employers of
Kazakhstan since 2005.
 Was nominated by President Nursultan
Nazarbayev as PM subsequent to Karim
Massimov’s resignation on 24 September
2012; was sworn in the same day.