Geography
Kazakhstan is located on the border of two continents, Europe and Asia. With the total area of 2,724,900 square kilometers, it stretches from the Caspian Sea and Volga plains in the west to the mountainous Altai in the east, and from the foothills of Tien Shan in the south and south-east to the West-Siberian lowland in the north. The extent of the territory from east to west is more than 3,000 kilometers, and from north to south – 1,700 kilometers. This makes Kazakhstan ninth largest country in the world and second largest in the CIS. Kazakhstan is about the size of Western Europe. Kazakhstan borders Russia in the east, north and northwest, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan in the south, and China in the south-east. The total extent of Kazakhstan borders is nearly 12,200 kilometers, including 600 kilometers along the Caspian Sea in the west. The Russian Federation leases approximately 6,000 sq km of the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan enclosing the world-known Baykonur launching site. There are several mountainous ranges in Kazakhstan. The highest point is Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) rising 7,010 meters above the sea level. The whole mountain system of Kazakhstan is rich with mineral springs.

Demography
Covering a vast territory, Kazakhstan is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world with 5.5 persons per 1 square kilometer. As of January 2001, Kazakhstan?s population was 14.8 million people. Majority of population are Kazakhs - 55.1 %, 28.3 % are Russians. In addition to the two main ethnic groups, over 120 nationalities live in Kazakhstan. Among them, there are more than 800 thousand Ukrainians, 500 thousand Germans, 400 thousand Uzbeks, more than 300 thousand Tatars. 56.4 percent of the people live in towns and settlements, the remaining 43.6 percent constitute rural population (Please, see 2002 NHDR for more information). During last two decades the population has decreased. This is partly explained migration of many citizens abroad and stable decline in the absolute and relative quantity of the natural growth of inhabitants. Kazakhstan?s transition problems have been reflected in the disturbing pattern of demographic statistics. The average life expectancy at birth in Kazakhstan is 64.4 years. Birthrate in Kazakhstan is 19.4 births per 1000. General mortality rate is 9.8 per 1000.

Political System
Kazakhstan gained independence on December 16, 1991, now celebrated as Independence day. The main principles of independence and the political system were declared by the first Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan adopted in January 1993 and approved by the referendum in August 1995. Kazakhstan is a unitary state with a presidential form of government. The President of the Republic is the head of the state, determining the main directions of domestic and foreign policy. President is elected by direct, privy, universal suffrage for 5 years. The first and current President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Nursultan Nazarbayev – won the first ever, democratic Presidential Elections in the history of Kazakhstan on December 1, 1991. The Parliament is the supreme representative legislative body. Bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (39 seats) and Majilis (77 seats). Seven senators are appointed by the president; other members are popularly elected, two from each of the 14 provinces, the capital of Astana, and the city of Almaty. Ten members of the Majilis are elected from the winning party's lists. Elections to the lower House are conducted by direct, privy and universal suffrage. Elections to the Senate are conducted by indirect, privy voting. The term of office of the Parliament is 4 years. The head of the executive power in Kazakhstan is the Government, and the head of the Government is the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Government is responsible to the President in its activity and is accountable to the Parliament in connection with approval or alteration of the government programmes. The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court (44 members) and the Constitutional Council (7 members). Important political decisions in the state can be approved by the President, the Government, and the Parliament of the Republic.