KazakhstanBy, Mackenzie Olesen

Geography

slightly less than 4 times the size of Texas

2,724,900 square km

cold winters and hot summers

arid and semiarid

General Information

Population: 15,522,373

male: 7,476,377

female: 8,046000

Religions: Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, Other 7%

Ethnic Groups:Kazakh 63.1%, Russian 23.7%, Uzbek 2.8%, Ukrainian 2.1%, Uighur 1.4%, Tatar 1.3%, German 1.1%, Other 4.5%

Languages: Kazakh 64.4%, Russian 95%

Official Language: Kazakh

Education

Literacy: 99.5%

Male: 99.8%

Female:99.3%

Education Expediters: 2.8% of GDP

Health

Infant Mortality Rates: 24.15deaths/1,000 live births

Male: 28.44deaths/ 1,000 live births

Female: 19.62deaths/ 1,000 live births

Life Expectancy: 68.51 years

Male: 63.24 years,Female: 74 years

Government

Type: Republic

Current Leader: President Nursultan Nazarbayev

Stability: very stabile

Economics

GDP per Capita: $12,700

Industry: oil coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron, steel, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials

Relationship with the United States

We were the first country to recognize Kazakhstan on December 25, 1991

It won its independence from Russia December 14, 1991

We helped them with the removal of nuclear warheads, weapon-grade materials, and their supporting infrastructure

Kazakhstan renounced nuclear weapons in 1993

The U.S. spent $240 million in the assisting the removal of the weapons

Between 1992-2005 the U.S. has provided roughly $1.205 billion in technical assistance and investment support for Kazakhstan

2006 became the first country to share directly in the cost of a U.S. government’s foreign assistance program

We provide U.S. business internships for Kazakhstanis

We support their businesses through a matchmaker program

Sharia

“Kazakhstan has set its sights on becoming a regional Islamic finance country by 2020 and largely to help move in that direction, the government is keen to support and promote Islamic banking activities wherever possible.” says Prasad Abraham, chief executive of the Kazakhstan branch of Abu Dhabi’s Al Hilal Bank

Kazakhstan is only interested in Islamic finance

But some people are skeptical if that will help them financially

Sharia-compliant IDB played a large role in introducing Islamic Banking to Kazakhstan

Sharia does not influence the government

Human Rights

The people do not have many freedoms

Outsiders are closely watched

Forcibly returned at least 28 Uzbeks to Uzbekistan which put them in danger

The government’s immigration policies and protection gaps expose migrants to abuse

They have a horrible human rights record

The people are being repressed

The government is denying health care benefits to those that need it

Nicholas Sarkozy, the president of France has told Kazakhstan that they need to make human rights reforms

They sentenced their leading human rights defender to 4 years of prison in an unfair trial

The judge would not let his lawyer defend him or use witnesses

There are no media freedoms

There are very few human rights developments

They have flawed and unfair elections

Kazakhstan does not use torture

They have bad judges

Kazakhstan sometimes gets rid of refugees(ex. the Uzbeks)

Due process is a little shaky but is still there

Women have equal rights

Minorities have equal rights

There are no cruel and unusual punishments- criminals go to jail

Kazakhstan is similar to the U.S. but there is no death penalty

Current Event

Kazakhstan has a partnership with the European Union

They have a 3 year program called the ”Path to Europe” which has run since 2009

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized an international conference

European Union is Kazakhstan’s leading trade investment partner

Kazakhstan also has a partnership with France, Italy, Spain, Germany, and the U.K.

In a way Kazakhstan is a part of Europe

“I notice a special identity of your country in every discussion that takes place in Paris and other European capitals,” says Roland Dumas, France’s ex-Foreign Minister and former president of the Constitutional Council

Roland Dumas also participated in the development of Kazakhstan’s constitution of 1995

Igor Rogov, the Chairman of Kazakhstan’s Constitutional Council, also participated in the development of Kazakhstan’s Constitution and was at the conference

The conference also consisted of ambassadors of a few European countries

There were also heads of relevant state bodies of Kazakhstan there

The E.U. is responsible for 50% of Kazakhstan’s foreign trade and 1/3 of their investments

The European countries are also giving Kazakhstan lots of money

They contribute to the implementation of Kazakhstan’s Program for Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development(PAIID)

They have worked together on security issues

The program is the development of a partnership between Kazakhstan and the E.U.

They also moving towards signing a document oriented toward long-term goals

Bibliography

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