57%
forest and woodland: 4%
other: 24%

Irrigated land: 23,080 sq km (1990)

Environment:
current issues: radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with
its former defense industries and test ranges are found throughout
the country and pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial
pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers
which flowed into the Aral Sea have been diverted for irrigation, it
is drying up and leaving behind a harmful layer of chemical
pesticides and natural salts; these substances are then picked up by
the wind and blown into noxious dust storms; pollution in the
Caspian Sea; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals
and salinization from faulty irrigation practices
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Biodiversity, Climate Change,
Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Desertification

Geographic note: landlocked

People
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Population: 16,916,463 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 2,576,204; female 2,486,937)
15-64 years: 63% (male 5,203,035; female 5,451,404)
65 years and over: 7% (male 384,341; female 814,542) (July 1996 est.)

Population growth rate: -0.15% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 19.02 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 9.65 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -10.88 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.93 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 63.2 deaths/1,000 live births (1996 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 64.09 years
male: 58.56 years
female: 69.9 years (1996 est.)

Total fertility rate: 2.36 children born/woman (1996 est.)

Nationality:
noun: Kazakstani(s)
adjective: Kazakstani

Ethnic divisions: Kazak (Qazaq) 41.9%, Russian 37%, Ukrainian
5.2%, German 4.7%, Uzbek 2.1%, Tatar 2%, other 7.1% (1991 official
data)

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

Languages: Kazak (Qazaqz) official language spoken by over 40% of
population, Russian (language of interethnic communication) spoken
by two-thirds of population and used in everyday business

Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989 est.)
total population: 98%
male: 99%
fem