h Soviet Socialist Republic

Government type:

republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside
the executive branch

Capital:

name: Astana
geographic coordinates: 51 10 N, 71 25 E
time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC during
Standard Time)
note: Kazakhstan is divided into two time zones

Administrative divisions:

14 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 3 cities* (qalalar,
singular - qala); Almaty Oblysy, Almaty Qalasy*, Aqmola Oblysy
(Astana), Aqtobe Oblysy, Astana Qalasy*, Atyrau Oblysy, Batys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oral), Bayqongyr Qalasy*, Mangghystau Oblysy
(Aqtau), Ongtustik Qazaqstan Oblysy (Shymkent), Pavlodar Oblysy,
Qaraghandy Oblysy, Qostanay Oblysy, Qyzylorda Oblysy, Shyghys
Qazaqstan Oblysy (Oskemen), Soltustik Qazaqstan Oblysy
(Petropavlovsk), Zhambyl Oblysy (Taraz)
note: administrative divisions have the same names as their
administrative centers (exceptions have the administrative center
name following in parentheses); in 1995, the Governments of
Kazakhstan and Russia entered into an agreement whereby Russia would
lease for a period of 20 years an area of 6,000 sq km enclosing the
Baykonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr
(Baykonur, formerly Leninsk); in 2004, a new agreement extended the
lease to 2050

Independence:

16 December 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday:

Independence Day, 16 December (1991)

Constitution:

first post-independence constitution adopted 28 January 1993; new
constitution adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995

Legal system:

based on Islamic law and Roman law; has not accepted compulsory ICJ
jurisdiction

Suffrage:

18 years of age; universal

Executive branch:

chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the
Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990, elected president 1 December
1991)
head of government: Prime Minister Karim MASIMOV (since 10 January
2007); Deputy Prime Ministers Umirzak SHUKEYEV (since 27 August
2007) and Yerbol ORYNBAYEV (since 29 October 2007)
cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president
elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term
(no term limits); election last held 4 December 2005 (next to be
held in 2012); prime minister and first deputy prime minister
appointed by the president
election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV reelected president;
percent of vote - Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV 91.