KAZAKHSTAN (REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN, RК) is a country of Central Asia, in the heartland of the Eurasian continent. With an area of 2.724.900 sq. km Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world. It shares borders with China, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Russia. The population of the Republic of Kazakhstan is 15 074.2 thousand people. Islam is the largest religion in Kazakhstan followed by Russian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic and Protestant Churches.

Administratively, the country is divided into 14 provinces, 84 municipalities, of them 39 municipalities of republican and regional subordination. The capital is Astana (as from December 10, 1997). The population of Astana is 528 thousand people. The state language is Kazakh, meanwhile Russian is also officially used pari passu with Kazakh in the state organizations and municipal self-governance bodies.

As from 1991 Kazakhstan is a unitary presidential republic. The current Constitution was adopted on August 30, 1995, amendments were made in 1998. The head of state is the president (President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nazarbaev Noursultan Abishevich). He is elected for a period of 7 years. The President is the Supreme Commanderin Chief of the RK Armed Forces. The supreme legislative power in Kazakhstan is vested in a bicameral Parliament made up of two houses - the Senate and Majilis. The main public and political organizations include the Republican party "Otan" ("Fatherland"), the Civil party, the Agrarian party, "Ak Zhol" ("Light Way"), and the Communist Party. Today, Kazakhstan is a really functioning market economy. The Republic has large industrial potential and mineral resources. It ranks No.13 worldwide in terms of explored reserves of crude oil and gas. The largest deposits of the iron ore, coal and non-ferrous metals are located in the territory of the Republic. The key industries include the mining, coal, chemical, non-ferrous and ferrous industries, mechanical engineering, light and food industries. The oil refining and production of construction materials are also on the surge.

As for the mineral resources, Kazakhstan ranks No.1 among the CIS countries in terms of the Cr and Pb ore reserves, No.2 in terms of the crude, Ag, Cu, Mg, Zn, Ni and P ore reserves, and No.3 in terms of the coal, Au and Sn ore reserves. The Kazakhstan transport and communications complex is represented by railway, air, sea, river, pipeline transport, network of highways and telecommunication systems. 

In October 1990, the Republic of Kazakhstan declared its sovereignty.