Kazakhstan Media & Information Centre

Facts & Stats

General

Kazakhstan, with a total area of 1,049,149.53 sq miles (2,717,300 sq km), is the ninth-largest country in the world.
The population of Kazakhstan is 15.2 million.
More than 100 ethnicities and 46 religions are represented in Kazakhstan.
Today, there are more than 3,500 religious congregations in Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has a 98 percent literacy rate.

Kazakhstan gained independence from the former Soviet Union on December 16, 1991.
In June 2001, the President signed into law a decree delegating executive powers and providing for popular elections of regional and local authorities.
In 1998, Kazakhstan became the first post-Soviet nation to adopt a specific law supporting the fight against corruption. In the spring of 2005, Kazakhstan began implementing a national program to fight corruption.
As of January 1, 2006, there were 2,000 news media outlets, more than 80 percent of which were privately owned.

In March 2002, Kazakhstan became the first country in the Commonwealth of Independent States to be granted market economy status by the United States. The same status was given to Kazakhstan by the European Union in 2000.
In 2006, the GDP of Kazakhstan grew by 10.6 percent.
Agriculture accounted for 10.3 percent of Kazakhstan's GDP in 2005.
Kazakhstan harvests 14-15 million tons of wheat per year.
American companies account for the largest share of more than $45 billion in foreign direct investment in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan’s current oil reserves are 35 billion barrels, or twice as much as the North Sea.
Kazakhstan’s projected oil reserves are 100-110 billion barrels by 2015.
Current gas reserves are two trillion cubic meters.
Projected Gas Reserves are five trillion cubic metres by 2015.