Chapter 64
Administrative divisions: 14 oblystar (singular--oblysy) and 3 cities (qala, singular--qalasy)*; Almaty, Almaty*, Aqmola (Astana), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau; formerly Gur'yev), Ongtustik Qazaqstan (Shymkent), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan (Oskemen; formerly Ust'-Kamenogorsk), Soltustik Qazaqstan (Petropavl), Zhambyl (Taraz; formerly Dzhambul) 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 Bayqongyr (Baykonur) space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (formerly Leninsk)
Independence: 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union)
National holiday: Day of the Republic, 25 October (1990) (date on which Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty)
Constitution: adopted by national referendum 30 August 1995; first post-independence constitution was adopted 28 January 1993
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV (chairman of the Supreme Soviet from 22 February 1990-91, president since 1 December 1991) head of government: Prime Minister Nurlan BALGIMBAYEV (since 10 October 1997) and First Deputy Prime Minister Uraz ZHANDOSOV (since 20 February 1998) cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote for a seven-year term; election last held 10 January 1999, a year before it was previously scheduled (next to be held NA 2006); note--President NAZARBAYEV's previous term had been extended to 2000 by a nationwide referendum held 30 April 1995; prime minister and first deputy prime minister appointed by the president election results: Nursultan A. NAZARBAYEV elected president; percent of vote--Nursultan NAZARBAYEV 82%, Serikbolsyn ABDILDIN 12% note: President NAZARBAYEV expanded his presidential powers by decree: only he can initiate constitutional amendments, appoint and dismiss the government, dissolve Parliament, call referenda at his discretion, and appoint administrative heads of regions and cities
Legislative branch: bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (47 seats; 7 senators are appointed by the president; other members are popularly elected, two from each oblast and Almaty, to serve four-year terms) and the Majilis (67 seats; members are popularly elected to serve four-year terms); note--with the oblasts being reduced to 14, the Senate will eventually be reduced to 37 elections: Senate--(indirect) last held 5 December 1995 (next to be held NA 1999); Majilis--last held 9 December and 23 December 1995 (next to be held NA 1999) election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--party members 13, no party affiliation 34, of which "independent" state officials 25, nominated by the president 7, elected by popular vote 15; Majilis--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--PUP 24, December National Democratic Party 12, Kazakhstan Agrarian Union 5, Confederation of Kazakh Trade Unions 5, KPK 2, independents and others 19
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (44 members); Constitutional Council (7 members)
Political parties and leaders: People's Unity Party or PUP (was
Political pressure groups and leaders: Independent Trade Union chairman]
International organization participation: AsDB, CCC, CIS, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Bolat K. NURGALIYEV chancery: 1401 16th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20036 consulate(s): New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Richard H. JONES embassy: 99/97A Furmanova Street, Almaty, Republic of Kazakhstan 480091 mailing address: American Embassy Almaty, Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-7030
Flag description: sky blue background representing the endless sky and a gold sun with 32 rays soaring above a golden steppe eagle in the center; on the hoist side is a "national ornamentation" in yellow
Economy
Economy--overview: Kazakhstan, the second largest of the former Soviet republics in territory, possesses enormous untapped fossil fuel reserves as well as plentiful supplies of other minerals and metals. It also has considerable agricultural potential with its vast steppe lands accommodating both livestock and grain production. Kazakhstan's industrial sector rests on the extraction and processing of these natural resources and also on a relatively large machine building sector specializing in construction equipment, tractors, agricultural machinery, and some defense items. The breakup of the USSR and the collapse of demand for Kazakhstan's traditional heavy industry products have resulted in a sharp contraction of the economy since 1991, with the steepest annual decline occurring in 1994. In 1995-97 the pace of the government program of economic reform and privatization quickened, resulting in a substantial shifting of assets into the private sector. The December 1996 signing of the Caspian Pipeline Consortium agreement to build a new pipeline from western Kazakhstan's Tengiz oil field to the Black Sea increases prospects for substantially larger oil exports in several years. Kazakhstan's economy turned downward in 1998 with a 2.5% decline in GDP growth due to slumping oil prices and the August financial crisis in Russia. 1999 will also be a difficult year.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$52.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: -2.5% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$3,100 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 11.5% industry: 32.6% services: 55.9% (1997 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA%
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 3.1% highest 10%: 24.9% (1993)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 10% (1998 est.)
Labor force: 8.8 million (1997)
Labor force--by occupation: industry 27%, agriculture and forestry 23%, other 50% (1996)
Unemployment rate: 13.7% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.9 billion expenditures: $4.2 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.)
Industries: oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, iron and steel, nonferrous metal, tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials; much of industrial capacity is shut down and/or is in need of repair
Industrial production growth rate: -2.1% (1998 est.)
Electricity--production: 52 billion kWh (1997)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 86.3% hydro: 13.6% nuclear: 0.1% other: 0% (1997)
Electricity--consumption: 64.34 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 1.75 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 8.5 billion kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: grain (mostly spring wheat), cotton; wool, livestock
Exports: $6.3 billion (1998 est.)
Exports--commodities: oil, ferrous and nonferrous metals, chemicals, grain, wool, meat, coal
Exports--partners: Russia, UK, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Netherlands, China, Italy, Germany (1997)
Imports: $7.4 billion (1998 est.)
Imports--commodities: machinery and parts, industrial materials, oil and gas, consumer goods
Imports--partners: Russia, Ukraine, US, Uzbekistan, Turkey, UK, Germany, South Korea (1997)
Debt--external: $3.1 billion (1998 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $409.6 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Kazakhstani tenge = 100 tiyn
Exchange rates: tenges per US$1--85.2 (February 1999), 78.30 (1998), 75.44 (1997), 67.30 (1996), 60.95 (1995), 35.54 (1994)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 2 million (1997)
Telephone system: service is poor domestic: landline and microwave radio relay; AMPS standard cellular systems are available in most of Kazakhstan international: international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and through 8 international telecommunications circuits at the Moscow international gateway switch; satellite earth stations--1 Intelsat and a new digital satellite earth station established at Almaty; a third satellite earth station at Atyrau provides teleconnectivity to the AT&T network via Intelsat; cable connected by the Trans-Asia-Europe Fiber-Optic Line
Radio broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
Radios: 4.088 million (with multiple speakers for program diffusion 6.082 million)
Television broadcast stations: 20 (of which at least eight are government stations and at least 12 are private stations--seven of those are satellite TV relay stations) (1997)
Televisions: 4.75 million
Transportation
Railways: total: 14,400 km in common carrier service; does not include industrial lines broad gauge: 14,400 km 1.520-m gauge (3,299 km electrified) (1997)
Highways: total: 141,000 km paved: 104,200 km unpaved: 36,800 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: 3,900 km on the Syrdariya (Syr Darya) and Ertis (Irtysh)
Pipelines: crude oil 2,850 km; refined products 1,500 km; natural gas 3,480 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev), Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk)
Airports: 10 (1997 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 9 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 3 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 (1997 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (1997 est.)
Military
Military branches: General Purpose Forces (Army), Air Force, Border Guards, Navy, Republican Guard
Military manpower--military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower--availability: males age 15-49: 4,450,258 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 3,550,645 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--reaching military age annually: males: 155,767 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $232.4 million (1998)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1% (1998)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: Caspian Sea boundaries are not yet determined among Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Turkmenistan; Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome
Illicit drugs: significant illicit cultivation of cannabis and limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrone); limited government eradication program; cannabis consumed largely in the CIS; used as transshipment point for illicit drugs to Russia, North America, and Western Europe from Southwest Asia
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@Kenya -----
Geography
Location: Eastern Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean, between Somalia and Tanzania
Geographic coordinates: 1 00 N, 38 00 E
Map references: Africa
Area: total: 582,650 sq km land: 569,250 sq km water: 13,400 sq km
Area--comparative: slightly more than twice the size of Nevada
Land boundaries: total: 3,446 km border countries: Ethiopia 830 km, Somalia 682 km, Sudan 232 km, Tanzania 769 km, Uganda 933 km
Coastline: 536 km
Maritime claims: continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: varies from tropical along coast to arid in interior
Terrain: low plains rise to central highlands bisected by Great Rift Valley; fertile plateau in west
Elevation extremes: lowest point: Indian Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Kenya 5,199 m
Natural resources: gold, limestone, soda ash, salt barites, rubies, fluorspar, garnets, wildlife
Land use: arable land: 7% permanent crops: 1% permanent pastures: 37% forests and woodland: 30% other: 25% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 660 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: recurring drought in northern and eastern regions; flooding during rainy seasons
Environment--current issues: water pollution from urban and industrial wastes; degradation of water quality from increased use of pesticides and fertilizers; deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; poaching
Environment--international agreements: party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography--note: the Kenyan Highlands comprise one of the most successful agricultural production regions in Africa; glaciers on Mt. Kenya; unique physiography supports abundant and varied wildlife of scientific and economic value
People
Population: 28,808,658 (July 1999 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 43% (male 6,244,321; female 6,104,181) 15-64 years: 54% (male 7,845,083; female 7,826,442) 65 years and over: 3% (male 343,449; female 445,182) (1999 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.59% (1999 est.)
Birth rate: 30.8 births/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Death rate: 14.58 deaths/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Net migration rate: -0.34 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1999 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth: 1.03 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.77 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (1999 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 59.07 deaths/1,000 live births (1999 est.)
Life expectancy at birth: total population: 47.02 years male: 46.56 years female: 47.49 years (1999 est.)
Total fertility rate: 3.88 children born/woman (1999 est.)
Nationality: noun: Kenyan(s) adjective: Kenyan
Ethnic groups: Kikuyu 22%, Luhya 14%, Luo 13%, Kalenjin 12%, Kamba 11%, Kisii 6%, Meru 6%, other African 15%, non-African (Asian, European, and Arab) 1%
Religions: Protestant 38%, Roman Catholic 28%, indigenous beliefs 26%, Muslim 7%, other 1%
Languages: English (official), Swahili (official), numerous indigenous languages
Literacy: definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 78.1% male: 86.3% female: 70% (1995 est.)
Government
Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Kenya conventional short form: Kenya former: British East Africa
Data code: KE
Government type: republic
Capital: Nairobi
Administrative divisions: 7 provinces and 1 area*; Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi Area*, North Eastern, Nyanza, Rift Valley, Western
Independence: 12 December 1963 (from UK)
National holiday: Independence Day, 12 December (1963)
Constitution: 12 December 1963, amended as a republic 1964; reissued with amendments 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1991, 1992, and 1997
Legal system: based on English common law, tribal law, and Islamic law; judicial review in High Court; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations; constitutional amendment of 1982 making Kenya a de jure one-party state repealed in 1991
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch: chief of state: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Daniel Toroitich arap MOI (since 14 October 1978); note--the president is both the chief of state and head of government cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president elections: president elected by popular vote from among the members of the National Assembly for a five-year term; election last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held by early 2003); vice president appointed by the president election results: President Daniel T. arap MOI reelected; percent of vote--Daniel T. arap MOI (KANU) 40.12%, Mwai KIBAKI (DP) 31.09%, Raila ODINGA (NDP) 10.2%, Michael WAMALWA (FORD-Kenya) 8.29%, Charity NGILU (SDP) 7.71%
Legislative branch: unicameral National Assembly or Bunge (222 seats, 12 appointed by the president, 210 members elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 29 December 1997 (next to be held between 1 December 2002 and 30 April 2003) election results: percent of vote by party--NA; seats by party--KANU 107, FORD-A 1, FORD-K 17, FORD-People 3, DP 39, NDP 21, SDP 15, SAFINA 5, smaller parties 2; seats appointed by the president--KANU 6, FORD-Kenya 1, DP 2, SDP 1, NDP 1, SAFINA 1
Judicial branch: Court of Appeal, chief justice is appointed by the president; High Court
Political parties and leaders: Toroitich arap MOI] SHIKUKU, chairman]; Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya or MWANDAWIRO, secretary general]
Political pressure groups and leaders: National Convention Executive Council or NCEC, a proreform coalition of political Catholic and other Christian churches; human rights groups; labor unions; Muslim organizations; Protestant National Council of
International organization participation: ACP, AfDB, C, CCC, EADB, ECA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MONUA, NAM, OAU, OPCW, UN, UN Security Council (temporary), UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMOP, UNOMIL, UNOMSIL, UNPREDEP, UNU, UPU, WCL, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Samuel K. CHEMAI chancery: 2249 R Street NW, Washington, DC 20008 consulate(s) general: Los Angeles and New York
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Prudence B. BUSHNELL embassy: USAID Building, The Crescent, Parklands, Nairobi (temporary location) mailing address: P. O. Box 30137, Box 21A, Unit 64100, APO AE 09831
Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of black (top), red, and green; the red band is edged in white; a large warrior's shield covering crossed spears is superimposed at the center
Economy
Economy--overview: Since 1993, the government of Kenya has implemented a program of economic liberalization and reform. Steps have included the removal of import licensing and price controls, removal of foreign exchange controls, fiscal and monetary restraint, and reduction of the public sector through privatizing publicly owned companies and downsizing the civil service. With the support of the World Bank, IMF, and other donors, these reforms have led to a turnaround in economic performance following a period of negative growth in the early 1990s. Kenya's real GDP grew at 5% in 1995 and 4% in 1996, and inflation remained under control. Growth slowed in 1997-98. Political violence damaged the tourist industry, and the IMF allowed Kenya's Enhanced Structural Adjustment Program to lapse due to the government's failure to enact reform conditions and to adequately address public sector corruption. Moreover, El Nino rains destroyed crops and damaged an already crumbling infrastructure in 1997 and 1998. Long-term barriers to development include electricity shortages, the government's continued and inefficient dominance of key sectors, endemic corruption, and the country's high population growth rate.
GDP: purchasing power parity--$43.9 billion (1998 est.)
GDP--real growth rate: 1.6% (1998 est.)
GDP--per capita: purchasing power parity?$1,550 (1998 est.)
GDP--composition by sector: agriculture: 29% industry: 17% services: 54% (1997)
Population below poverty line: 42% (1992 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%: 1.2% highest 10%: 47.7% (1992)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 2.5% (1998)
Labor force: 9.2 million (1998 est.)
Labor force--by occupation: agriculture 75%-80%, nonagriculture 20%-25%
Unemployment rate: 50% (1998 est.)
Budget: revenues: $2.6 billion expenditures: $2.7 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1997 est.)
Industries: small-scale consumer goods (plastic, furniture, batteries, textiles, soap, cigarettes, flour), agricultural products processing; oil refining, cement; tourism
Industrial production growth rate: 3.8% (1995)
Electricity--production: 3.81 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--production by source: fossil fuel: 10.5% hydro: 81.63% nuclear: 0% other: 7.87% (1996)
Electricity--consumption: 3.985 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity--exports: 0 kWh (1996)
Electricity--imports: 175 million kWh (1996)
Agriculture--products: coffee, tea, corn, wheat, sugarcane, fruit, vegetables; dairy products, beef, pork, poultry, eggs
Exports: $2 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Exports--commodities: tea 18%, coffee 15%, petroleum products (1995)
Exports--partners: Uganda 16.1%, Tanzania 12.8%, UK 10.4%, Germany 7.5% (1996)
Imports: $3.05 billion (f.o.b., 1998)
Imports--commodities: machinery and transportation equipment 31%, consumer goods 13%, petroleum products 12% (1995)
Imports--partners: UK 13.2%, UAE 8.2%, South Africa 7.6%, Germany 7.4% (1996)
Debt--external: $6.45 billion (1997 est.)
Economic aid--recipient: $642.8 million (1995)
Currency: 1 Kenyan shilling (KSh) = 100 cents
Exchange rates: Kenyan shillings (KSh) per US$1--61.802 (January 1999), 60.367 (1998), 58.732 (1997), 57.115 (1996), 51.430 (1995), 56.051 (1994)
Fiscal year: 1 July--30 June
Communications
Telephones: 383,676 (1997); 3,077 cellular telephone subscribers (1998)
Telephone system: domestic: primarily microwave radio relay international: satellite earth stations--4 Intelsat
Radio broadcast stations: AM 24, FM 7, shortwave 2
Radios: 5 million
Television broadcast stations: 8 (of which six are government-controlled and two are commercial) (1997)
Televisions: 500,000
Transportation
Railways: total: 2,652 km narrow gauge: 2,652 km 1.000-m gauge
Highways: total: 63,800 km paved: 8,868 km unpaved: 54,932 km (1996 est.)
Waterways: part of the Lake Victoria system is within the boundaries of Kenya
Pipelines: petroleum products 483 km
Ports and harbors: Kisumu, Lamu, Mombasa
Merchant marine: total: 2 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 4,883 GRT/6,255 DWT ships by type: oil tanker 1, roll-on/roll-off cargo 1 (1998 est.)
Airports: 232 (1998 est.)
Airports--with paved runways: total: 21 over 3,047 m: 4 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 14 (1998 est.)
Airports--with unpaved runways: total: 211 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 14 914 to 1,523 m: 113 under 914 m: 83 (1998 est.)
Military
Military branches: Army, Navy, Air Force, paramilitary General Service Unit of the Police
Military manpower--availability: males age 15-49: 7,094,151 (1999 est.)
Military manpower--fit for military service: males age 15-49: 4,397,008 (1999 est.)
Military expenditures--dollar figure: $197 million (FY98/99)
Military expenditures--percent of GDP: 1.9% (FY98/99)
Transnational Issues
Disputes--international: administrative boundary with Sudan does not coincide with international boundary
Illicit drugs: widespread harvesting of small, wild plots of marijuana and qat (chat); transit country for South Asian heroin destined for Europe and, sometimes, North America; Indian methaqualone also transits on way to South Africa
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@Kingman Reef ------------
Geography
Location: Oceania, reef in the North Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to American Samoa
Geographic coordinates: 6 24 N, 162 24 W