Kazakhstan - Government
Based on the etymolgy of Kazakhstan, it was the name "Kazakh" may derive from the Turkic word "kaz" meaning "to wander," recalling the Kazakh's nomadic lifestyle; the Persian suffix "-stan" means "place of" or "country," so the word Kazakhstan literally means "Land of the Wanderers". The Government system in this country is the presidential republic type and the different Administrative divisions includes: 17 provinces (oblystar, singular - oblys) and 4 cities* (qalalar, singular - qala); Abay (Semey), Almaty (Qonaev), Almaty*, Aqmola (Kokshetau), Aqtobe, Astana*, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan [West Kazakhstan] (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau), Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan [East Kazakhstan] (Oskemen), Shymkent*, Soltustik Qazaqstan [North Kazakhstan] (Petropavl), Turkistan, Ulytau (Zhezqazghan), Zhambyl (Taraz), Zhetisu (Taldyqorghan)
National symbols
Golden eagle; national colors: blue, yellow.
The flag
The National flag of Kazakhstan has a gold sun with 32 rays above a soaring golden steppe eagle, both centered on a sky blue background; the hoist side displays a national ornamental pattern "koshkar-muiz" (the horns of the ram) in gold; the blue color is of religious significance to the Turkic peoples of the country, and so symbolizes cultural and ethnic unity; it also represents the endless sky as well as water; the sun, a source of life and energy, exemplifies wealth and plenitude; the sun's rays are shaped like grain, which is the basis of abundance and prosperity; the eagle has appeared on the flags of Kazakh tribes for centuries and represents freedom, power, and the flight to the future.
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The National Anthem
| Title | "Menin Qazaqstanim" (My Kazakhstan) |
|---|---|
| Lyric/music | Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV |
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note: adopted 2006; President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV played a role in revising the lyrics
More about the government of Kazakhstan
| Date of Independence | 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union) |
|---|---|
| National holiday | Independence Day, 16 December (1991) |
| Legal system | civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation |
| International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
| Constitution | |
| History | Previous 1937, 1978 (preindependence), 1993; latest approved by referendum 30 August 1995, effective 5 September 1995 |
| Amendments | Introduced by a referendum initiated by the president of the republic, on the recommendation of Parliament, or by the government; the president has the option of submitting draft amendments to Parliament or directly to a referendum; passage of amendments by Parliament requires four-fifths majority vote of both houses and the signature of the president; passage by referendum requires absolute majority vote by more than one half of the voters in at least two thirds of the oblasts, major cities, and the capital, followed by the signature of the president; amended several times, last in 2022 |
| Citizenship | |
| Citizenship by birth | no |
| Citizenship by descent only | at least one parent must be a citizen of Kazakhstan |
| Dual citizenship recognized | no |
| Residency requirement for naturalization | 5 years |
| Executive Branch | |
| Chief of state | President Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (since 20 March 2019) |
| Head of government | Prime Minister Olzhas BEKTENOV (since 6 February 2024) |
| Cabinet | the president appoints ministers based on the prime minister's recommendations; the president has veto power over all appointments and independently appoints the ministers of defense, internal affairs, and foreign affairs |
| Elections/appointments | president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a single 7-year term (prior to September 2022, the president of Kazakhstan could serve up to two 5-year terms; legislation passed in September 2022 reduced the maximum number of terms to one 7-year term); election last held on 20 November 2022 (next to be held in 2029); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Mazhilis |
| Election results | 2024: Olzhas BEKTENOV elected as prime minister; 69-0 in parliament 2022: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV reelected president; percent of vote - Kassym-Jomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 81.3%, Zhiguli DAYRABAEV (Auyl) 3.4%, Qaraqat or Karakat ÄBDEN (KÄQŪA) 2.6%, Meyram KAZHYKEN (Amanat) 2.5%, Nurlan AUYESBAYEV (NSDP) 2.2%, Saltanat TURSYNBEKOVA (QA-DJ) 2.1%, other 5.8% 2019: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV elected president; percent of vote - Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (Amanat) 71%, Amirzhan KOSANOV (Ult Tagdyry) 16.2%, Daniya YESPAYEVA (Ak Zhol) 5.1%, other 7.7% |
| Legislative branch | |
| Description | Bicameral Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan consists of: Senate (50 seats); 40 members indirectly elected by 2-round majority vote by the oblast-level assemblies and 10 members appointed by decree of the president; members serve 6-year terms, with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) Mazhilis (98 seats; 69 members directly elected in a single national constituency by party list proportional representation vote (5% minimum threshold to gain seats) and 29 directly elected in single-seat constituencies to serve 5-year terms |
| Elections | Senate - last held on 14 January 2023 (next to be held in 2026) Mazhilis - last held on 19 March 2023 (next to be held in 2026) |
| Election results | Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 38, women 12, percentage women 24% Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Nur Otan 53.9%, Auvl 10.9%, Respublica 8.6%, Ak Zhol 8.4%, QHP 6.8%, NSDP 5.2%, Baytak 2.3%, Against all 3.9%; percent of vote by party (single-mandate districts) - Nur Otan 75.9%, independent 24%; seats by party - Nur Otan 62, Auvl 8, Respublica 6, Ak Zhol 6, QHP 5, NSDP 4, independent 7; composition - men 79, women 19, percentage women 18.4%; note - total Parliament percentage women 20.9% |
| Judicial branch | |
| Highest court(s) | Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of the chairperson and 6 members) |
| Judge selection and term of office | Supreme Court judges proposed by the president of the republic on recommendation of the Supreme Judicial Council and confirmed by the Senate; judges normally serve until age 65 but can be extended to age 70; Constitutional Council - the president of the republic, the Senate chairperson, and the Mazhilis chairperson each appoints 2 members for a 6-year term; chairperson of the Constitutional Council appointed by the president for a 6-year term |
| Subordinate courts | Regional and local courts |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Yerzhan ASHIKBAYEV (since 7 July 2021) |
| Chancery | 1401 16th Street NW, Washington, DC 20036 |
| Telephone | [1] (202) 232-5488 |
| FAX | [1] (202) 232-5845 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-washington?lang=en |
| Consulate(s) general | New York, San Francisco |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | |
| Chief of mission | Ambassador Daniel N. ROSENBLUM (since 14 November 2022) |
| Embassy | Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Avenue, No. 3, Astana 010010 |
| Mailing address | 2230 Astana Place, Washington DC 20521-2230 |
| Telephone | [7] (7172) 70-21-00 |
| FAX | [7] (7172) 54-09-14 |
| Email address and website | [email protected] https://kz.usembassy.gov/ |
| Consulate(s) general | Almaty |
| National heritage | |
| Total World Heritage Sites | 6 (3 cultural, 3 natural) |
| Selected World Heritage Site locales | Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi (c); Petroglyphs at Tanbaly (c); Saryarka - Steppe and Lakes of Northern Kazakhstan (n); Silk Roads: the Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor (c); Western Tien-Shan (n); Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (n) |
Key Political parties and their leaders in Kazakhstan
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International organization participation
All Important Facts about Kazakhstan
Want to know more about Kazakhstan? Check all different factbooks for Kazakhstan below.
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Kazakhstan Factbook
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The Economy of Kazakhstan
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Learn about the Government of Kazakhstan
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Communication in Kazakhstan
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Popular Universities in Kazakhstan
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Enerny in Kazakhstan
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Transport in Kazakhstan
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The Geography and society of Kazakhstan
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The Environment of Kazakhstan
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Military and security in Kazakhstan