China vs. Kazakhstan
Introduction
China | Kazakhstan | |
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Background | China's historical civilization dates from at least 1200 B.C.; from the 3rd century B.C. and for the next two millennia, China alternated between periods of unity and disunity under a succession of imperial dynasties. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the country was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation. After World War II, the Chinese Communist Party under MAO Zedong established an autocratic socialist system that, while ensuring China's sovereignty, imposed strict controls over everyday life and cost the lives of tens of millions of people. After 1978, MAO's successor DENG Xiaoping and other leaders focused on market-oriented economic development and by 2000 output had quadrupled. For much of the population, living standards have improved dramatically but political controls remain tight. Since the early 1990s, China has increased its global outreach and participation in international organizations. | Ethnic Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes with additional Persian cultural influences, migrated to the region in the 15th century. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1925. Repression and starvation associated with forced agricultural collectivization led to a massive number of deaths in the 1930s. During the 1950s and 1960s, the agricultural "Virgin Lands" program led to an influx of settlers (mostly ethnic Russians, but also other nationalities) and at the time of Kazakhstan's independence in 1991, ethnic Kazakhs were a minority. Non-Muslim ethnic minorities departed Kazakhstan in large numbers from the mid-1990s through the mid-2000s and a national program has repatriated about a million ethnic Kazakhs (from Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia, and the Xinjiang region of China) back to Kazakhstan. As a result of this shift, the ethnic Kazakh share of the population now exceeds two-thirds. |
Geography
China | Kazakhstan | |
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Location | Eastern Asia, bordering the East China Sea, Korea Bay, Yellow Sea, and South China Sea, between North Korea and Vietnam | Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural (Zhayyq) River in easternmost Europe |
Geographic coordinates | 35 00 N, 105 00 E | 48 00 N, 68 00 E |
Map references | Asia | Asia |
Area | total: 9,596,960 sq km land: 9,326,410 sq km water: 270,550 sq km | total: 2,724,900 sq km land: 2,699,700 sq km water: 25,200 sq km |
Area - comparative | slightly smaller than the US | slightly less than four times the size of Texas |
Land boundaries | total: 22,457 km border countries (14): Afghanistan 91 km, Bhutan 477 km, Burma 2129 km, India 2659 km, Kazakhstan 1765 km, North Korea 1352 km, Kyrgyzstan 1063 km, Laos 475 km, Mongolia 4630 km, Nepal 1389 km, Pakistan 438 km, Russia (northeast) 4133 km and Russia (northwest) 46 km, Tajikistan 477 km, Vietnam 1297 km | total: 13,364 km border countries (5): China 1765 km, Kyrgyzstan 1212 km, Russia 7644 km, Turkmenistan 413 km, Uzbekistan 2330 km |
Coastline | 14,500 km | 0 km (landlocked); note - Kazakhstan borders the Aral Sea, now split into two bodies of water (1,070 km), and the Caspian Sea (1,894 km) |
Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin | none (landlocked) |
Climate | extremely diverse; tropical in south to subarctic in north | continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid |
Terrain | mostly mountains, high plateaus, deserts in west; plains, deltas, and hills in east | vast flat steppe extending from the Volga in the west to the Altai Mountains in the east and from the plains of western Siberia in the north to oases and deserts of Central Asia in the south |
Elevation extremes | highest point: Mount Everest (highest peak in Asia and highest point on earth above sea level) 8,849 m lowest point: Turpan Pendi -154 m mean elevation: 1,840 m | highest point: Khan Tangiri Shyngy (Pik Khan-Tengri) 6,995 m lowest point: Vpadina Kaundy -132 m mean elevation: 387 m |
Natural resources | coal, iron ore, helium, petroleum, natural gas, arsenic, bismuth, cobalt, cadmium, ferrosilicon, gallium, germanium, hafnium, indium, lithium, mercury, tantalum, tellurium, tin, titanium, tungsten, antimony, manganese, magnesium, molybdenum, selenium, strontium, vanadium, magnetite, aluminum, lead, zinc, rare earth elements, uranium, hydropower potential (world's largest), arable land | major deposits of petroleum, natural gas, coal, iron ore, manganese, chrome ore, nickel, cobalt, copper, molybdenum, lead, zinc, bauxite, gold, uranium |
Land use | agricultural land: 54.7% (2018 est.) arable land: 11.3% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 1.6% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 41.8% (2018 est.) forest: 22.3% (2018 est.) other: 23% (2018 est.) | agricultural land: 77.4% (2018 est.) arable land: 8.9% (2018 est.) permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.) permanent pasture: 68.5% (2018 est.) forest: 1.2% (2018 est.) other: 21.4% (2018 est.) |
Irrigated land | 690,070 sq km (2012) | 20,660 sq km (2012) |
Natural hazards | frequent typhoons (about five per year along southern and eastern coasts); damaging floods; tsunamis; earthquakes; droughts; land subsidence volcanism: China contains some historically active volcanoes including Changbaishan (also known as Baitoushan, Baegdu, or P'aektu-san), Hainan Dao, and Kunlun although most have been relatively inactive in recent centuries | earthquakes in the south; mudslides around Almaty |
Environment - current issues | air pollution (greenhouse gases, sulfur dioxide particulates) from reliance on coal produces acid rain; China is the world's largest single emitter of carbon dioxide from the burning of fossil fuels; water shortages, particularly in the north; water pollution from untreated wastes; coastal destruction due to land reclamation, industrial development, and aquaculture; deforestation and habitat destruction; poor land management leads to soil erosion, landslides, floods, droughts, dust storms, and desertification; trade in endangered species | radioactive or toxic chemical sites associated with former defense industries and test ranges scattered throughout the country pose health risks for humans and animals; industrial pollution is severe in some cities; because the two main rivers that 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; desertification; soil pollution from overuse of agricultural chemicals and salination from poor infrastructure and wasteful irrigation practices |
Environment - international agreements | party to: Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban | party to: Air Pollution, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements |
Geography - note | note 1: world's fourth largest country (after Russia, Canada, and US) and largest country situated entirely in Asia; Mount Everest on the border with Nepal is the world's tallest peak above sea level note 2: the largest cave chamber in the world is the Miao Room, in the Gebihe cave system at China's Ziyun Getu He Chuandong National Park, which encloses some 10.78 million cu m (380.7 million cu ft) of volume note 3: China appears to have been the center of domestication for two of the world's leading cereal crops: millet in the north along the Yellow River and rice in the south along the lower or middle Yangtze River | world's largest landlocked country and one of only two landlocked countries in the world that extends into two continents (the other is Azerbaijan); Russia leases approximately 6,000 sq km of territory enclosing the Baykonur Cosmodrome; in January 2004, Kazakhstan and Russia extended the lease to 2050 |
Total renewable water resources | 2,840,220,000,000 cubic meters (2017 est.) | 108.41 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
Population distribution | overwhelming majority of the population is found in the eastern half of the country; the west, with its vast mountainous and desert areas, remains sparsely populated; though ranked first in the world in total population, overall density is less than that of many other countries in Asia and Europe; high population density is found along the Yangtze and Yellow River valleys, the Xi Jiang River delta, the Sichuan Basin (around Chengdu), in and around Beijing, and the industrial area around Shenyang | most of the country displays a low population density, particularly the interior; population clusters appear in urban agglomerations in the far northern and southern portions of the country |
Demographics
China | Kazakhstan | |
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Population | 1,397,897,720 (July 2021 est.) | 19,245,793 (July 2021 est.) |
Age structure | 0-14 years: 17.29% (male 129,296,339/female 111,782,427) 15-24 years: 11.48% (male 86,129,841/female 73,876,148) 25-54 years: 46.81% (male 333,789,731/female 318,711,557) 55-64 years: 12.08% (male 84,827,645/female 83,557,507) 65 years and over: 12.34% (male 81,586,490/female 90,458,292) (2020 est.) | 0-14 years: 26.13% (male 2,438,148/female 2,550,535) 15-24 years: 12.97% (male 1,262,766/female 1,212,645) 25-54 years: 42.23% (male 3,960,188/female 4,102,845) 55-64 years: 10.25% (male 856,180/female 1,099,923) 65 years and over: 8.43% (male 567,269/female 1,041,450) (2020 est.) |
Median age | total: 38.4 years male: 37.5 years female: 39.4 years (2020 est.) | total: 31.6 years male: 30.3 years female: 32.8 years (2020 est.) |
Population growth rate | 0.26% (2021 est.) | 0.81% (2021 est.) |
Birth rate | 11.3 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 15.87 births/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
Death rate | 8.26 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 8.14 deaths/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
Net migration rate | -0.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) | 0.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2021 est.) |
Sex ratio | at birth: 1.11 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 1.16 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.17 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.9 male(s)/female total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2020 est.) | at birth: 0.94 male(s)/female 0-14 years: 0.96 male(s)/female 15-24 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 25-54 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 55-64 years: 0.78 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.54 male(s)/female total population: 0.91 male(s)/female (2020 est.) |
Infant mortality rate | total: 11.15 deaths/1,000 live births male: 11.6 deaths/1,000 live births female: 10.64 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) | total: 19.59 deaths/1,000 live births male: 22.18 deaths/1,000 live births female: 17.17 deaths/1,000 live births (2021 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth | total population: 76.31 years male: 74.23 years female: 78.62 years (2021 est.) | total population: 72.25 years male: 67.12 years female: 77.06 years (2021 est.) |
Total fertility rate | 1.6 children born/woman (2021 est.) | 2.13 children born/woman (2021 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate | NA | 0.3% (2020 est.) |
Nationality | noun: Chinese (singular and plural) adjective: Chinese | noun: Kazakhstani(s) adjective: Kazakhstani |
Ethnic groups | Han Chinese 91.6%, Zhuang 1.3%, other (includes Hui, Manchu, Uighur, Miao, Yi, Tujia, Tibetan, Mongol, Dong, Buyei, Yao, Bai, Korean, Hani, Li, Kazakh, Dai, and other nationalities) 7.1% (2010 est.) note: the Chinese Government officially recognizes 56 ethnic groups | Kazakh (Qazaq) 68%, Russian 19.3%, Uzbek 3.2%, Ukrainian 1.5%, Uighur 1.5%, Tatar 1.1%, German 1%, other 4.4% (2019 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS | NA | 35,000 (2020 est.) |
Religions | folk religion 21.9%, Buddhist 18.3%, Christian 5.2%, Muslim 2%, Hindu < 0.1%, Jewish < 0.1%, other 0.7% (includes Daoist (Taoist)), unaffiliated 51.8% (2020 est.) note: officially atheist | Muslim 70.2%, Christian 26.2% (mainly Russian Orthodox), other 0.2%, atheist 2.8%, unspecified 0.5% (2009 est.) |
HIV/AIDS - deaths | NA | <500 (2020 est.) |
Languages | Standard Chinese or Mandarin (official; Putonghua, based on the Beijing dialect), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghainese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages (see Ethnic groups entry); note - Zhuang is official in Guangxi Zhuang, Yue is official in Guangdong, Mongolian is official in Nei Mongol, Uighur is official in Xinjiang Uygur, Kyrgyz is official in Xinjiang Uygur, and Tibetan is official in Xizang (Tibet) major-language sample(s): ???? - ??????????? (Mandarin) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. | Kazakh (official, Qazaq) 83.1% (understand spoken language) and trilingual (Kazakh, Russian, English) 22.3% (2017 est.); Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 94.4% (understand spoken language) (2009 est.) major-language sample(s): ??????? ???????? ??????, ??????? ?????????? ???????????? ????. (Kazakh) ????? ?????? ? ???? - ??????????? ???????? ??????? ??????????. (Russian) The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information. |
Literacy | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 96.8% male: 98.5% female: 95.2% (2018) | definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2015) |
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education) | total: 14 years male: 14 years female: 14 years (2015) | total: 16 years male: 15 years female: 16 years (2019) |
Education expenditures | NA | 2.6% of GDP (2018) |
Urbanization | urban population: 62.5% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.78% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) note: data do not include Hong Kong and Macau | urban population: 57.8% of total population (2021) rate of urbanization: 1.19% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.) |
Drinking water source | improved: urban: 97.7% of population rural: 87.8% of population total: 92.8% of population unimproved: urban: 2.3% of population rural: 12.2% of population total: 7.2% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 100% of population rural: 93.8% of population total: 97.4% of population unimproved: urban: 0% of population rural: 6.2% of population total: 2.6% of population (2017 est.) |
Sanitation facility access | improved: urban: 97.1% of population rural: 82% of population total: 90.7% of population unimproved: urban: 2.4% of population rural: 18% of population total: 9.3% of population (2017 est.) | improved: urban: 99.9% of population rural: 100% of population total: 99.9% of population unimproved: urban: 0.1% of population rural: 0% of population total: 0.1% of population (2017 est.) |
Major cities - population | 27.796 million Shanghai, 20.897 million BEIJING (capital), 16.382 million Chongqing, 13.794 million Tianjin, 13.635 million Guangzhou, 12.592 million Shenzhen (2021) | 1.928 million Almaty, 1.212 million NUR-SULTAN (capital), 1.093 million Shimkent (2021) |
Maternal mortality rate | 29 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) | 10 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.) |
Children under the age of 5 years underweight | 2.4% (2013) | 2% (2015) |
Health expenditures | 5.4% (2018) | 2.9% (2018) |
Physicians density | 1.98 physicians/1,000 population (2017) | 3.98 physicians/1,000 population (2014) |
Hospital bed density | 4.3 beds/1,000 population (2017) | 6.1 beds/1,000 population (2014) |
Obesity - adult prevalence rate | 6.2% (2016) | 21% (2016) |
Contraceptive prevalence rate | 84.5% (2017) | 53% (2018) note: percent of women aged 18-49 |
Dependency ratios | total dependency ratio: 42.2 youth dependency ratio: 25.2 elderly dependency ratio: 17 potential support ratio: 5.9 (2020 est.) data do not include Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan | total dependency ratio: 58.8 youth dependency ratio: 46.3 elderly dependency ratio: 12.6 potential support ratio: 8 (2020 est.) |
Government
China | Kazakhstan | |
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Country name | conventional long form: People's Republic of China conventional short form: China local long form: Zhonghua Renmin Gongheguo local short form: Zhongguo abbreviation: PRC etymology: English name derives from the Qin (Chin) rulers of the 3rd century B.C., who comprised the first imperial dynasty of ancient China; the Chinese name Zhongguo translates as "Central Nation" or "Middle Kingdom" | conventional long form: Republic of Kazakhstan conventional short form: Kazakhstan local long form: Qazaqstan Respublikasy local short form: Qazaqstan former: Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic etymology: the name "Kazakh" derives 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" |
Government type | communist party-led state | presidential republic |
Capital | name: Beijing geographic coordinates: 39 55 N, 116 23 E time difference: UTC+8 (13 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) note: China is the largest country (in terms of area) with just one time zone; before 1949 it was divided into five etymology: the Chinese meaning is "Northern Capital" | name: Nur-Sultan geographic coordinates: 51 10 N, 71 25 E time difference: UTC+6 (11 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) note: Kazakhstan has two time zones etymology: on 20 March 2019, Kazakhstan changed the name of its capital city from Astana to Nur-Sultan in honor of its long-serving, recently retired president, Nursultan NAZARBAYEV; this was not the first time the city had its name changed; founded in 1830 as Akmoly, it became Akmolinsk in 1832, Tselinograd in 1961, Akmola (Aqmola) in 1992, and Astana in 1998 |
Administrative divisions | 23 provinces (sheng, singular and plural), 5 autonomous regions (zizhiqu, singular and plural), and 4 municipalities (shi, singular and plural) provinces: Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Zhejiang; (see note on Taiwan) autonomous regions: Guangxi, Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia), Ningxia, Xinjiang Uyghur, Xizang (Tibet) municipalities: Beijing, Chongqing, Shanghai, Tianjin note: China considers Taiwan its 23rd province; see separate entries for the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau | 14 provinces (oblyslar, singular - oblys) and 4 cities* (qalalar, singular - qala); Almaty (Taldyqorghan), Almaty*, Aqmola (Kokshetau), Aqtobe, Atyrau, Batys Qazaqstan [West Kazakhstan] (Oral), Bayqongyr*, Mangghystau (Aqtau), Nur-Sultan*, Pavlodar, Qaraghandy, Qostanay, Qyzylorda, Shyghys Qazaqstan [East Kazakhstan] (Oskemen), Shymkent*, Soltustik Qazaqstan [North Kazakhstan] (Petropavl), Turkistan, Zhambyl (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 Baikonur space launch facilities and the city of Bayqongyr (Baikonur, formerly Leninsk); in 2004, a new agreement extended the lease to 2050 |
Independence | 1 October 1949 (People's Republic of China established); notable earlier dates: 221 B.C. (unification under the Qin Dynasty); 1 January 1912 (Qing Dynasty replaced by the Republic of China) | 16 December 1991 (from the Soviet Union) |
National holiday | National Day (anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China), 1 October (1949) | Independence Day, 16 December (1991) |
Constitution | history: several previous; latest promulgated 4 December 1982 amendments: proposed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress or supported by more than one fifth of the National People's Congress membership; passage requires more than two-thirds majority vote of the Congress membership; amended several times, last in 2018 | 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 2019 |
Legal system | civil law influenced by Soviet and continental European civil law systems; legislature retains power to interpret statutes; note - on 28 May 2020, the National People's Congress adopted the PRC Civil Code, which codifies personal relations and property relations | civil law system influenced by Roman-Germanic law and by the theory and practice of the Russian Federation |
Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal |
Executive branch | chief of state: President XI Jinping (since 14 March 2013); Vice President WANG Qishan (since 17 March 2018) head of government: Premier LI Keqiang (since 16 March 2013); Executive Vice Premiers HAN Zheng (since 19 March 2018), SUN Chunlan (since 19 March 2018), LIU He (since 19 March 2018), HU Chunhua (since 19 March 2018) cabinet: State Council appointed by National People's Congress elections/appointments: president and vice president indirectly elected by National People's Congress for a 5-year term (no term limits); election last held on 17 March 2018 (next to be held in March 2023); premier nominated by president, confirmed by National People's Congress election results: XI Jinping reelected president; National People's Congress vote - 2,970 (unanimously); WANG Qishan elected vice president with 2,969 votes | chief of state: President Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV (since 20 March 2019); note - Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, who was president since 24 April 1990 (and in power since 22 June 1989 under the Soviet period), resigned on 20 March 2019; NAZARBAYEV retained the title and powers of "First President"; TOKAYEV completed NAZARBAYEV's term, which was shortened due to the early election of 9 June 2019, and then continued as president following his election victory head of government: Prime Minister Askar MAMIN (since 25 February 2019); First Deputy Prime Minister Alikhan SMAILOV (since 25 February 2019); Deputy Prime Ministers Berdibek SAPARBAYEV and Roman SKLYAR (since 18 September 2019) cabinet: the president appoints ministers after consultations with the Chair of the Security Council (NAZARBAYEV) who has veto power over all appointments except for the ministers of defense, internal affairs, and foreign affairs; however, the president is required to discuss these three offices with the National Security Committee, which NAZARBAYEV chairs under a lifetime appointment elections/appointments: president directly elected by simple majority popular vote for a 5-year term (eligible for a second consecutive term); election last held on 9 June 2019 (next to be held in 2024); prime minister and deputy prime ministers appointed by the president, approved by the Mazhilis election results: Kasym-Zhomart TOKAYEV elected president; percent of vote - Kassym-Jomart TOKAYEV (Nur Otan) 71%, Amirzhan KOSANOV (Ult Tagdyry) 16.2%, Daniya YESPAYEVA (Ak Zhol) 5.1%, other 7.7% |
Legislative branch | description: unicameral National People's Congress or Quanguo Renmin Daibiao Dahui (maximum of 3,000 seats; members indirectly elected by municipal, regional, and provincial people's congresses, and the People's Liberation Army; members serve 5-year terms); note - in practice, only members of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), its 8 allied independent parties, and CCP-approved independent candidates are elected elections: last held in December 2017-February 2018 (next to be held in late 2022 to early 2023) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 2,238, women 742, percent of women 24.9% | description: bicameral Parliament consists of: Senate (49 seats; 34 members indirectly elected by 2-round majority vote by the oblast-level assemblies and 15 members appointed by decree of the president; members serve 6-year terms, with one-half of the membership renewed every 3 years) Mazhilis (107 seats; 98 members directly elected in a single national constituency by proportional representation vote to serve 5-year terms and 9 indirectly elected by the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan, a 351-member, presidentially appointed advisory body designed to represent the country's ethnic minorities) elections: Senate - last held on 12 August 2020 (next to be held in 2026) Mazhilis - last held on 10 January 2021 (next to be held in 2026) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; composition - men 42, women 5, percent of women 10.6% Mazhilis - percent of vote by party - Nur Otan 71.1%, Ak Zhol 11%, People's Party 9.1%, other 8.8%; seats by party - Nur Otan 76, Ak Zhol 12, People's Party 10; composition - men 78, women 29, percent of women 27% |
Judicial branch | highest courts: Supreme People's Court (consists of over 340 judges, including the chief justice and 13 grand justices organized into a civil committee and tribunals for civil, economic, administrative, complaint and appeal, and communication and transportation cases) judge selection and term of office: chief justice appointed by the People's National Congress (NPC); limited to 2 consecutive 5-year-terms; other justices and judges nominated by the chief justice and appointed by the Standing Committee of the NPC; term of other justices and judges determined by the NPC subordinate courts: Higher People's Courts; Intermediate People's Courts; District and County People's Courts; Autonomous Region People's Courts; International Commercial Courts; Special People's Courts for military, maritime, transportation, and forestry issues note: in late 2014, China unveiled a multi-year judicial reform program; progress continued in 2018 | highest courts: Supreme Court of the Republic (consists of 44 members); Constitutional Council (consists of the chairman 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; chairman of the Constitutional Council appointed by the president for a 6-year term subordinate courts: regional and local courts |
Political parties and leaders | Chinese Communist Party or CCP [XI Jinping] note: China has 8 nominally independent small parties controlled by the CCP | Ak Zhol (Bright Path) Party or Democratic Party of Kazakhstan Ak Zhol [Azat PERUASHEV] Birlik (Unity) Party [Serik SULTANGALI] National Social Democratic Party or NSDP [Zharmakhan TUYAKBAY] Nur Otan (Radiant Fatherland) Democratic People's Party [Nursultan NAZARBAYEV] People's Democratic (Patriotic) Party "Auyl" [Ali BEKTAYEV] People's Party of Kazakhstan [informal leader Aikyn KONUROV] Ult Tagdyry (Conscience of the Nation) |
International organization participation | ADB, AfDB (nonregional member), APEC, Arctic Council (observer), ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), BIS, BRICS, CDB, CICA, EAS, FAO, FATF, G-20, G-24 (observer), G-5, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAIA (observer), MIGA, MINURSO, MINUSMA, MONUSCO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, Pacific Alliance (observer), PCA, PIF (partner), SAARC (observer), SCO, SICA (observer), UN, UNAMID, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMISS, UNOCI, UN Security Council (permanent), UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC | ADB, CICA, CIS, CSTO, EAEU, EAPC, EBRD, ECO, EITI (compliant country), FAO, GCTU, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (observer), NSG, OAS (observer), OIC, OPCW, OSCE, PFP, SCO, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UN Security Council (temporary), UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer), ZC |
Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission: Ambassador QIN Gangas (since 29 July 2021) chancery: 3505 International Place NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 495-2266 FAX: [1] (202) 495-2138 email address and website: chinaemppress_us@mfa.gov.cn http://www.china-embassy.org/eng/ consulate(s) general: Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco; note - the US ordered closure of the Houston consulate in late July 2020 | 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: washington@mfa.kz https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/mfa-washington?lang=en consulate(s) general: New York |
Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant); Chargé d'Affaires David MEALE (since July 2021) embassy: 55 An Jia Lou Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100600 mailing address: 7300 Beijing Place, Washington DC 20521-7300 telephone: [86] (10) 8531-3000 FAX: [86] (10) 8531-4200 email address and website: BeijingACS@state.gov https://china.usembassy-china.org.cn/ consulate(s) general: Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenyang, Wuhan; note - the Chinese Government ordered closure of the US consulate in Chengdu in late July 2020 | chief of mission: Ambassador William MOSER (since 27 March 2019) embassy: Rakhymzhan Koshkarbayev Avenue, No. 3, Nur-Sultan 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: USAKZ@state.gov https://kz.usembassy.gov/ consulate(s) general: Almaty |
Flag description | red with a large yellow five-pointed star and four smaller yellow five-pointed stars (arranged in a vertical arc toward the middle of the flag) in the upper hoist-side corner; the color red represents revolution, while the stars symbolize the four social classes - the working class, the peasantry, the urban petty bourgeoisie, and the national bourgeoisie (capitalists) - united under the Communist Party of China | 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 |
National anthem | name: "Yiyongjun Jinxingqu" (The March of the Volunteers) lyrics/music: TIAN Han/NIE Er note: adopted 1949; the anthem, though banned during the Cultural Revolution, is more commonly known as "Zhongguo Guoge" (Chinese National Song); it was originally the theme song to the 1935 Chinese movie, "Sons and Daughters in a Time of Storm" | name: "Menin Qazaqstanim" (My Kazakhstan) lyrics/music: Zhumeken NAZHIMEDENOV and Nursultan NAZARBAYEV/Shamshi KALDAYAKOV note: adopted 2006; President Nursultan NAZARBAYEV played a role in revising the lyrics |
International law organization participation | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt | has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; non-party state to the ICCt |
National symbol(s) | dragon, giant panda; national colors: red, yellow | golden eagle; national colors: blue, yellow |
Citizenship | citizenship by birth: no citizenship by descent only: least one parent must be a citizen of China dual citizenship recognized: no residency requirement for naturalization: while naturalization is theoretically possible, in practical terms it is extremely difficult; residency is required but not specified | 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 |
Economy
China | Kazakhstan | |
---|---|---|
Economy - overview | Since the late 1970s, China has moved from a closed, centrally planned system to a more market-oriented one that plays a major global role. China has implemented reforms in a gradualist fashion, resulting in efficiency gains that have contributed to a more than tenfold increase in GDP since 1978. Reforms began with the phaseout of collectivized agriculture, and expanded to include the gradual liberalization of prices, fiscal decentralization, increased autonomy for state enterprises, growth of the private sector, development of stock markets and a modern banking system, and opening to foreign trade and investment. China continues to pursue an industrial policy, state support of key sectors, and a restrictive investment regime. From 2013 to 2017, China had one of the fastest growing economies in the world, averaging slightly more than 7% real growth per year. Measured on a purchasing power parity (PPP) basis that adjusts for price differences, China in 2017 stood as the largest economy in the world, surpassing the US in 2014 for the first time in modern history. China became the world's largest exporter in 2010, and the largest trading nation in 2013. Still, China's per capita income is below the world average. In July 2005 moved to an exchange rate system that references a basket of currencies. From mid-2005 to late 2008, the renminbi (RMB) appreciated more than 20% against the US dollar, but the exchange rate remained virtually pegged to the dollar from the onset of the global financial crisis until June 2010, when Beijing announced it would resume a gradual appreciation. From 2013 until early 2015, the renminbi held steady against the dollar, but it depreciated 13% from mid-2015 until end-2016 amid strong capital outflows; in 2017 the RMB resumed appreciating against the dollar - roughly 7% from end-of-2016 to end-of-2017. In 2015, the People's Bank of China announced it would continue to carefully push for full convertibility of the renminbi, after the currency was accepted as part of the IMF's special drawing rights basket. However, since late 2015 the Chinese Government has strengthened capital controls and oversight of overseas investments to better manage the exchange rate and maintain financial stability. The Chinese Government faces numerous economic challenges including: (a) reducing its high domestic savings rate and correspondingly low domestic household consumption; (b) managing its high corporate debt burden to maintain financial stability; (c) controlling off-balance sheet local government debt used to finance infrastructure stimulus; (d) facilitating higher-wage job opportunities for the aspiring middle class, including rural migrants and college graduates, while maintaining competitiveness; (e) dampening speculative investment in the real estate sector without sharply slowing the economy; (f) reducing industrial overcapacity; and (g) raising productivity growth rates through the more efficient allocation of capital and state-support for innovation. Economic development has progressed further in coastal provinces than in the interior, and by 2016 more than 169.3 million migrant workers and their dependents had relocated to urban areas to find work. One consequence of China's population control policy known as the "one-child policy" - which was relaxed in 2016 to permit all families to have two children - is that China is now one of the most rapidly aging countries in the world. Deterioration in the environment - notably air pollution, soil erosion, and the steady fall of the water table, especially in the North - is another long-term problem. China continues to lose arable land because of erosion and urbanization. The Chinese Government is seeking to add energy production capacity from sources other than coal and oil, focusing on natural gas, nuclear, and clean energy development. In 2016, China ratified the Paris Agreement, a multilateral agreement to combat climate change, and committed to peak its carbon dioxide emissions between 2025 and 2030. The government's 13th Five-Year Plan, unveiled in March 2016, emphasizes the need to increase innovation and boost domestic consumption to make the economy less dependent on government investment, exports, and heavy industry. However, China has made more progress on subsidizing innovation than rebalancing the economy. Beijing has committed to giving the market a more decisive role in allocating resources, but the Chinese Government's policies continue to favor state-owned enterprises and emphasize stability. Chinese leaders in 2010 pledged to double China's GDP by 2020, and the 13th Five Year Plan includes annual economic growth targets of at least 6.5% through 2020 to achieve that goal. In recent years, China has renewed its support for state-owned enterprises in sectors considered important to "economic security," explicitly looking to foster globally competitive industries. Chinese leaders also have undermined some market-oriented reforms by reaffirming the "dominant" role of the state in the economy, a stance that threatens to discourage private initiative and make the economy less efficient over time. The slight acceleration in economic growth in 2017-the first such uptick since 2010-gives Beijing more latitude to pursue its economic reforms, focusing on financial sector deleveraging and its Supply-Side Structural Reform agenda, first announced in late 2015. | Kazakhstan's vast hydrocarbon and mineral reserves form the backbone of its economy. Geographically the largest of the former Soviet republics, excluding Russia, Kazakhstan, g possesses substantial fossil fuel reserves and other minerals and metals, such as uranium, copper, and zinc. It also has a large agricultural sector featuring livestock and grain. The government realizes that its economy suffers from an overreliance on oil and extractive industries and has made initial attempts to diversify its economy by targeting sectors like transport, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, petrochemicals and food processing for greater development and investment. It also adopted a Subsoil Code in December 2017 with the aim of increasing exploration and investment in the hydrocarbon, and particularly mining, sectors. Kazakhstan's oil production and potential is expanding rapidly. A $36.8 billion expansion of Kazakhstan's premiere Tengiz oil field by Chevron-led Tengizchevroil should be complete in 2022. Meanwhile, the super-giant Kashagan field finally launched production in October 2016 after years of delay and an estimated $55 billion in development costs. Kazakhstan's total oil production in 2017 climbed 10.5%. Kazakhstan is landlocked and depends on Russia to export its oil to Europe. It also exports oil directly to China. In 2010, Kazakhstan joined Russia and Belarus to establish a Customs Union in an effort to boost foreign investment and improve trade. The Customs Union evolved into a Single Economic Space in 2012 and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in January 2015. Supported by rising commodity prices, Kazakhstan's exports to EAEU countries increased 30.2% in 2017. Imports from EAEU countries grew by 24.1%. The economic downturn of its EAEU partner, Russia, and the decline in global commodity prices from 2014 to 2016 contributed to an economic slowdown in Kazakhstan. In 2014, Kazakhstan devalued its currency, the tenge, and announced a stimulus package to cope with its economic challenges. In the face of further decline in the ruble, oil prices, and the regional economy, Kazakhstan announced in 2015 it would replace its currency band with a floating exchange rate, leading to a sharp fall in the value of the tenge. Since reaching a low of 391 to the dollar in January 2016, the tenge has modestly appreciated, helped by somewhat higher oil prices. While growth slowed to about 1% in both 2015 and 2016, a moderate recovery in oil prices, relatively stable inflation and foreign exchange rates, and the start of production at Kashagan helped push 2017 GDP growth to 4%. Despite some positive institutional and legislative changes in the last several years, investors remain concerned about corruption, bureaucracy, and arbitrary law enforcement, especially at the regional and municipal levels. An additional concern is the condition of the country's banking sector, which suffers from poor asset quality and a lack of transparency. Investors also question the potentially negative effects on the economy of a contested presidential succession as Kazakhstan's first president, Nursultan NAZARBAYEV, turned 77 in 2017. |
GDP (purchasing power parity) | $22,526,502,000,000 (2019 est.) $21,229,363,000,000 (2018 est.) $19,887,033,000,000 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $487.868 billion (2019 est.) $466.859 billion (2018 est.) $448.472 billion (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
GDP - real growth rate | 6.14% (2019 est.) 6.75% (2018 est.) 6.92% (2017 est.) | 6.13% (2019 est.) 4.41% (2018 est.) 4.38% (2017 est.) |
GDP - per capita (PPP) | $16,117 (2019 est.) $15,243 (2018 est.) $14,344 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars | $26,351 (2019 est.) $25,544 (2018 est.) $24,863 (2017 est.) note: data are in 2010 dollars |
GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 7.9% (2017 est.) industry: 40.5% (2017 est.) services: 51.6% (2017 est.) | agriculture: 4.7% (2017 est.) industry: 34.1% (2017 est.) services: 61.2% (2017 est.) |
Population below poverty line | 0.6% (2019 est.) | 4.3% (2018 est.) |
Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: 2.1% highest 10%: 31.4% (2012) note: data are for urban households only | lowest 10%: 4.2% highest 10%: 23.3% (2016) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.8% (2019 est.) 2% (2018 est.) 1.5% (2017 est.) | 5.2% (2019 est.) 6% (2018 est.) 7.3% (2017 est.) |
Labor force | 774.71 million (2019 est.) note: by the end of 2012, China's working age population (15-64 years) was 1.004 billion | 8.685 million (2020 est.) |
Labor force - by occupation | agriculture: 27.7% industry: 28.8% services: 43.5% (2016 est.) | agriculture: 18.1% industry: 20.4% services: 61.6% (2017 est.) |
Unemployment rate | 3.64% (2019 est.) 3.84% (2018 est.) note: data are for registered urban unemployment, which excludes private enterprises and migrants | 4.8% (2019 est.) 4.85% (2018 est.) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index | 38.5 (2016 est.) 46.2 (2015 est.) | 27.5 (2017 est.) 31.5 (2003) |
Budget | revenues: 2.553 trillion (2017 est.) expenditures: 3.008 trillion (2017 est.) | revenues: 35.48 billion (2017 est.) expenditures: 38.3 billion (2017 est.) |
Industries | world leader in gross value of industrial output; mining and ore processing, iron, steel, aluminum, and other metals, coal; machine building; armaments; textiles and apparel; petroleum; cement; chemicals; fertilizer; consumer products (including footwear, toys, and electronics); food processing; transportation equipment, including automobiles, railcars and locomotives, ships, aircraft; telecommunications equipment, commercial space launch vehicles, satellites | oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials |
Industrial production growth rate | 6.1% (2017 est.) | 5.8% (2017 est.) |
Agriculture - products | maize, rice, vegetables, wheat, sugar cane, potatoes, cucumbers, tomatoes, watermelons, sweet potatoes | wheat, milk, potatoes, barley, watermelons, melons, linseed, onions, maize, sunflower seed |
Exports | $2.49 trillion (2018) $2.216 trillion (2017 est.) $1.99 trillion (2016 est.) | $76.455 billion (2019 est.) $74.809 billion (2018 est.) $68.256 billion (2017 est.) |
Exports - commodities | broadcasting equipment, computers, integrated circuits, office machinery and parts, telephones (2019) | crude petroleum, natural gas, copper, iron alloys, radioactive chemicals (2019) |
Exports - partners | United States 17%, Hong Kong 10%, Japan 6% (2019) | China 13%, Italy 12%, Russia 10%, Netherlands 7%, France 6%, South Korea 5% (2019) |
Imports | $2.14 trillion (2018) $1.74 trillion (2017 est.) $1.501 trillion (2016 est.) | $69.117 billion (2019 est.) $61.933 billion (2018 est.) $58.099 billion (2017 est.) |
Imports - commodities | crude petroleum, integrated circuits, iron, natural gas, cars, gold (2019) | packaged medicines, natural gas, cars, broadcasting equipment, aircraft (2019) |
Imports - partners | South Korea 9%, Japan 8%, Australia 7%, Germany 7%, US 7%, Taiwan 6% (2019) | Russia 34%, China 24% (2019) |
Debt - external | $2,027,950,000,000 (2019 est.) $1,935,206,000,000 (2018 est.) | $159.351 billion (2019 est.) $163.73 billion (2018 est.) |
Exchange rates | Renminbi yuan (RMB) per US dollar - 6.5374 (2020 est.) 7.0403 (2019 est.) 6.8798 (2018 est.) 6.1434 (2014 est.) 6.1958 (2013 est.) | tenge (KZT) per US dollar - 420.0049 (2020 est.) 385.9248 (2019 est.) 370.4648 (2018 est.) 221.73 (2014 est.) 179.19 (2013 est.) |
Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
Public debt | 47% of GDP (2017 est.) 44.2% of GDP (2016 est.) note: official data; data cover both central and local government debt, including debt officially recognized by China's National Audit Office report in 2011; data exclude policy bank bonds, Ministry of Railway debt, and China Asset Management Company debt | 20.8% of GDP (2017 est.) 19.7% of GDP (2016 est.) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | $3.236 trillion (31 December 2017 est.) $3.098 trillion (31 December 2016 est.) | $30.75 billion (31 December 2017 est.) $29.53 billion (31 December 2016 est.) |
Current Account Balance | $141.335 billion (2019 est.) $25.499 billion (2018 est.) | -$7.206 billion (2019 est.) -$138 million (2018 est.) |
GDP (official exchange rate) | $14,327,359,000,000 (2019 est.) note: because China's exchange rate is determined by fiat rather than by market forces, the official exchange rate measure of GDP is not an accurate measure of China's output; GDP at the official exchange rate substantially understates the actual level of China's output vis-a-vis the rest of the world; in China's situation, GDP at purchasing power parity provides the best measure for comparing output across countries | $181.194 billion (2019 est.) |
Credit ratings | Fitch rating: A+ (2007) Moody's rating: A1 (2017) Standard & Poors rating: A+ (2017) | Fitch rating: BBB (2016) Moody's rating: Baa3 (2016) Standard & Poors rating: BBB- (2016) |
Ease of Doing Business Index scores | Overall score: 77.9 (2020) Starting a Business score: 94.1 (2020) Trading score: 86.5 (2020) Enforcement score: 80.9 (2020) | Overall score: 79.6 (2020) Starting a Business score: 94.4 (2020) Trading score: 70.4 (2020) Enforcement score: 81.3 (2020) |
Taxes and other revenues | 21.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | 22.3% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-) | -3.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.) | -1.8% (of GDP) (2017 est.) |
GDP - composition, by end use | household consumption: 39.1% (2017 est.) government consumption: 14.5% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 42.7% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 1.7% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 20.4% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -18.4% (2017 est.) | household consumption: 53.2% (2017 est.) government consumption: 11.1% (2017 est.) investment in fixed capital: 22.5% (2017 est.) investment in inventories: 4.8% (2017 est.) exports of goods and services: 35.4% (2017 est.) imports of goods and services: -27.1% (2017 est.) |
Gross national saving | 44.2% of GDP (2019 est.) 44.4% of GDP (2018 est.) 45% of GDP (2017 est.) | 26.6% of GDP (2019 est.) 27.8% of GDP (2018 est.) 25.9% of GDP (2017 est.) |
Energy
China | Kazakhstan | |
---|---|---|
Electricity - production | 5.883 trillion kWh (2016 est.) | 100.8 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - consumption | 5.564 trillion kWh (2016 est.) | 94.23 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Electricity - exports | 18.91 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 5.1 billion kWh (2017 est.) |
Electricity - imports | 6.185 billion kWh (2016 est.) | 1.318 billion kWh (2016 est.) |
Oil - production | 3.773 million bbl/day (2018 est.) | 1.856 million bbl/day (2018 est.) |
Oil - imports | 6.71 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 1,480 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Oil - exports | 57,310 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 1.409 million bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Oil - proved reserves | 25.63 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.) | 30 billion bbl (1 January 2018 est.) |
Natural gas - proved reserves | 5.44 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) | 2.407 trillion cu m (1 January 2018 est.) |
Natural gas - production | 145.9 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 22.41 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - consumption | 238.6 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 15.37 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - exports | 3.37 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 12.8 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Natural gas - imports | 97.63 billion cu m (2017 est.) | 5.748 billion cu m (2017 est.) |
Electricity - installed generating capacity | 1.653 billion kW (2016 est.) | 20.15 million kW (2016 est.) |
Electricity - from fossil fuels | 62% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) | 86% of total installed capacity (2016 est.) |
Electricity - from hydroelectric plants | 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 14% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Electricity - from nuclear fuels | 2% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Electricity - from other renewable sources | 18% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) | 1% of total installed capacity (2017 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - production | 11.51 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 290,700 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - consumption | 12.47 million bbl/day (2016 est.) | 274,000 bbl/day (2016 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - exports | 848,400 bbl/day (2015 est.) | 105,900 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Refined petroleum products - imports | 1.16 million bbl/day (2015 est.) | 39,120 bbl/day (2015 est.) |
Electricity access | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) | electrification - total population: 100% (2020) |
Telecommunications
China | Kazakhstan | |
---|---|---|
Telephones - main lines in use | total subscriptions: 191.033 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13.75 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 3,072,500 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 16.24 (2019 est.) |
Telephones - mobile cellular | total subscriptions: 1,746,238,000 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 125.66 (2019 est.) | total subscriptions: 25,717,700 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 135.96 (2019 est.) |
Internet country code | .cn | .kz |
Internet users | total: 751,886,119 percent of population: 54.3% (July 2018 est.) | total: 14,789,448 percent of population: 78.9% (July 2018 est.) |
Telecommunication systems | general assessment: China has the largest Internet market in the world with almost all subscribers accessing Internet through mobile devices; market is driven through government-allied investment; fast-developing data center market; government aims to provide universal and affordable broadband coverage through market competition and private investment in state-controlled enterprises; 3G and LTE subscribers will migrate to 5G aiming for 1M 5G base stations; government strengthens IoT policies to boost economic growth; China is pushing development of smart cities beyond Beijing; Beijing residents carry virtual card integrating identity, social security, health, and education documents; government controls gateways to global Internet through censorship, surveillance, and shut-downs; major exporter of broadcasting equipment world-wide (2021) (2020) domestic: 13 per 100 fixed line and 120 per 100 mobile-cellular; a domestic satellite system with several earth stations has been in place since 2018 (2019) international: country code - 86; landing points for the RJCN, EAC-C2C, TPE, APCN-2, APG, NCP, TEA, SeaMeWe-3, SJC2, Taiwan Strait Express-1, AAE-1, APCN-2, AAG, FEA, FLAG and TSE submarine cables providing connectivity to Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and the US; satellite earth stations - 7 (5 Intelsat - 4 Pacific Ocean and 1 Indian Ocean; 1 Intersputnik - Indian Ocean region; and 1 Inmarsat - Pacific and Indian Ocean regions) (2019) note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments | general assessment: one of the most progressive telecom sectors in Central Asia; vast 4G network; low fixed-line and fixed-broadband penetration; moderate mobile broadband penetration and high mobile penetration; mobile market highly competitive and growth is slow due to saturation (2020) (2020)domestic: intercity by landline and microwave radio relay; number of fixed-line connections is 17 per 100 persons; mobile-cellular usage increased rapidly and the subscriber base approaches 139 per 100 persons (2019) international: country code - 7; international traffic with other former Soviet republics and China carried by landline and microwave radio relay and with other countries by satellite and by the TAE fiber-optic cable; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat note: the COVID-19 pandemic continues to have a significant impact on production and supply chains globally; since 2020, some aspects of the telecom sector have experienced downturn, particularly in mobile device production; many network operators delayed upgrades to infrastructure; progress towards 5G implementation was postponed or slowed in some countries; consumer spending on telecom services and devices was affected by large-scale job losses and the consequent restriction on disposable incomes; the crucial nature of telecom services as a tool for work and school from home became evident, and received some support from governments |
Broadband - fixed subscriptions | total: 449.279 million subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 32.33 (2019 est.) | total: 2,511,100 subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 13.28 (2019 est.) |
Broadcast media | all broadcast media are owned by, or affiliated with, the Communist Party of China or a government agency; no privately owned TV or radio stations; state-run Chinese Central TV, provincial, and municipal stations offer more than 2,000 channels; the Central Propaganda Department sends directives to all domestic media outlets to guide its reporting with the government maintaining authority to approve all programming; foreign-made TV programs must be approved prior to broadcast; increasingly, Chinese turn to online and satellite television to access Chinese and international films and television shows (2019) | the state owns nearly all radio and TV transmission facilities and operates national TV and radio networks; there are 96 TV channels, many of which are owned by the government, and 4 state-run radio stations; some former state-owned media outlets have been privatized; households with satellite dishes have access to foreign media; a small number of commercial radio stations operate along with state-run radio stations; recent legislation requires all media outlets to register with the government and all TV providers to broadcast in digital format by 2018; broadcasts reach some 99% of the population as well as neighboring countries |
Transportation
China | Kazakhstan | |
---|---|---|
Railways | total: 131,000 km 1.435-m gauge (80,000 km electrified); 102,000 traditional, 29,000 high-speed (2018) | total: 16,614 km (2017) broad gauge: 16,614 km 1.520-m gauge (4,200 km electrified) (2017) |
Roadways | total: 4,960,600 km (2017) paved: 4,338,600 km (includes 136,500 km of expressways) (2017) unpaved: 622,000 km (2017) | total: 95,409 km (2017) paved: 81,814 km (2017) unpaved: 13,595 km (2017) |
Waterways | 110,000 km (navigable waterways) (2011) | 4,000 km (on the Ertis (Irtysh) River (80%) and Syr Darya (Syrdariya) River) (2010) |
Pipelines | 76000 km gas, 30400 km crude oil, 27700 km refined petroleum products, 797000 km water (2018) | 658 km condensate, 15,256 km gas (2017), 8,013 km oil (2017), 1,095 km refined products, 1,975 km water (2016) (2017) |
Ports and terminals | major seaport(s): Dalian, Ningbo, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin container port(s) (TEUs): Dalian (8,760,000), Guangzhou (23,236,200), Ningbo (27,530,000), Qingdao (21,010,000), Shanghai (43,303,000), Shenzhen (25,770,000), Tianjin (17,264,000) (2019) LNG terminal(s) (import): Fujian, Guangdong, Jiangsu, Shandong, Shanghai, Tangshan, Zhejiang river port(s): Guangzhou (Pearl) | major seaport(s): Caspian Sea - Aqtau (Shevchenko), Atyrau (Gur'yev) river port(s): Oskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Pavlodar, Semey (Semipalatinsk) (Irtysh River) |
Merchant marine | total: 6,197 by type: bulk carrier 1,515, container ship 322, general cargo 862, oil tanker 968, other 2,530 (2020) | total: 128 by type: general cargo 3, oil tanker 8, other 117 (2020) |
Airports | total: 507 (2013) | total: 96 (2013) |
Airports - with paved runways | total: 510 (2019) over 3,047 m: 87 2,438 to 3,047 m: 187 1,524 to 2,437 m: 109 914 to 1,523 m: 43 under 914 m: 84 | total: 63 (2017) over 3,047 m: 10 (2017) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 25 (2017) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 15 (2017) 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2017) under 914 m: 8 (2017) |
Airports - with unpaved runways | total: 23 (2019) over 3,047 m: 2 2,438 to 3,047 m: 0 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 7 under 914 m: 13 | total: 33 (2013) over 3,047 m: 5 (2013) 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 (2013) 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 (2013) 914 to 1,523 m: 5 (2013) under 914 m: 13 (2013) |
Heliports | 39 (2019) | 3 (2013) |
National air transport system | number of registered air carriers: 56 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 2,890 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 436,183,969 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 611,439,830 mt-km (2018) | number of registered air carriers: 12 (2020) inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 84 annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 7,143,797 (2018) annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 50.22 million mt-km (2018) |
Civil aircraft registration country code prefix | B | UP |
Military
China | Kazakhstan | |
---|---|---|
Military branches | People's Liberation Army (PLA): Ground Forces, Navy (PLAN, includes marines and naval aviation), Air Force (PLAAF, includes airborne forces), Rocket Force (strategic missile force), and Strategic Support Force (information warfare, cyber, space forces); People's Armed Police (PAP, includes Coast Guard, Border Defense Force, Internal Security Forces); PLA Reserve Force (2021) note(s): the PAP is a paramilitary police component of China's armed forces that is under the command of the Central Military Commission (CMC) and charged with internal security, law enforcement, counterterrorism, and maritime rights protection in 2018, the Coast Guard was moved from the State Oceanic Administration to the PAP; in 2013, China merged four of its five major maritime law enforcement agencies - the China Marine Surveillance (CMS), Maritime Police, Fishery Law Enforcement (FLE), and Anti-Smuggling Police - into a unified coast guard | Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan: Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air and Air Defense Forces; Ministry of Internal Affairs: National Guard, Border Service (includes Coast Guard), State Security Service (2021) |
Military service age and obligation | 18-22 years of age for selective compulsory military service, with a 2-year service obligation; no minimum age for voluntary service (all officers are volunteers); 18-19 years of age for women high school graduates who meet requirements for specific military jobs (2019) | All men 18-27 are required to serve in the military for at least one year. (2019) |
Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.7% of GDP (2020 est.) 1.9% of GDP (2019) 1.9% of GDP (2018) 1.9% of GDP (2017) 1.9% of GDP (2016) | 1.1% of GDP (2019) 0.9% of GDP (2018) 0.9% of GDP (2017) 0.9% of GDP (2016) 1.1% of GDP (2015) |
Military and security service personnel strengths | information varies; approximately 2 million total active duty troops (est. 1.0 - 1.1 million Ground; 250,000 Navy/Marines; 350-400,000 Air Force; 120,000 Rocket Forces; 150-175,000 Strategic Support Forces); est. 600-650,000 People's Armed Police (2020) | information varies; approximately 45,000 active duty personnel (30,000 Land Forces; 3,000 Naval Forces; 12,000 Air and Air Defense Forces) (2020) |
Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the PLA is outfitted primarily with a wide mix of older and modern domestically-produced systems heavily influenced by technology derived from other countries; Russia is the top supplier of foreign military equipment since 2010, followed by France and Ukraine; the Chinese defense-industrial sector is large and capable of producing advanced weapons systems across all military domains; it is the world's second largest arms producer (2020) note: the PLA is in the midst of a decades-long modernization effort; in 2017, President XI set three developmental goals for the force - becoming a mechanized force with increased information and strategic capabilities by 2020, a fully modernized force by 2035, and a worldwide first-class military by mid-century | the Kazakh military's inventory is comprised of mostly older Russian and Soviet-era equipment; since 2010, Russia remains by far the leading supplier of weapons systems (2020) |
Military deployments | 425 Mali (MINUSMA); 225 Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO); 320 Sudan (UNAMID); 420 Lebanon (UNIFIL); 1,000 South Sudan (UNMISS); up to 2,000 Djibouti (Jan 2021) | 120 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (Jan 2021) Note: Kazakhstan contributes forces to CSTO's Rapid Reaction Force |
Transnational Issues
China | Kazakhstan | |
---|---|---|
Disputes - international | China and India continue their security and foreign policy dialogue started in 2005 related to a number of boundary disputes across the 2,000 mile shared border; India does not recognize Pakistan's 1964 ceding to China of the Aksai Chin, a territory designated as part of the princely state of Kashmir by the British Survey of India in 1865; China claims most of the Indian state Arunachal Pradesh to the base of the Himalayas, but the US recognizes the state of Arunachal Pradesh as Indian territory; Bhutan and China continue negotiations to establish a common boundary alignment to resolve territorial disputes arising from substantial cartographic discrepancies, the most contentious of which lie in Bhutan's west along China's Chumbi salient; Chinese maps show an international boundary symbol (the so-called "nine-dash line") off the coasts of the littoral states of the South China Sea, where China has interrupted Vietnamese hydrocarbon exploration; China asserts sovereignty over Scarborough Reef along with the Philippines and Taiwan, and over the Spratly Islands together with Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, Vietnam, and Brunei; the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea eased tensions in the Spratlys, and in 2017 China and ASEAN began confidential negotiations for an updated Code of Conduct for the South China Sea designed not to settle territorial disputes but establish rules and norms in the region; this still is not the legally binding code of conduct sought by some parties; Vietnam and China continue to expand construction of facilities in the Spratlys and in early 2018 China began deploying advanced military systems to disputed Spratly outposts; China occupies some of the Paracel Islands also claimed by Vietnam and Taiwan; the Japanese-administered Senkaku Islands are also claimed by China and Taiwan; certain islands in the Yalu and Tumen Rivers are in dispute with North Korea; North Korea and China seek to stem illegal migration to China by North Koreans, fleeing privation and oppression; China and Russia have demarcated the once disputed islands at the Amur and Ussuri confluence and in the Argun River in accordance with their 2004 Agreement; China and Tajikistan have begun demarcating the revised boundary agreed to in the delimitation of 2002; the decade-long demarcation of the China-Vietnam land boundary was completed in 2009; citing environmental, cultural, and social concerns, China has reconsidered construction of 13 dams on the Salween River, but energy-starved Burma, with backing from Thailand, continues to consider building five hydro-electric dams downstream despite regional and international protests | in January 2019, the Kyrgyz Republic ratified the demarcation agreement of the Kazakh-Kyrgyz border; the demarcation of the Kazakh-Uzbek borders is ongoing; the ongoing demarcation with Russia began in 2007; demarcation with China completed in 2002 |
Illicit drugs | major transshipment point for heroin produced in the Golden Triangle region of Southeast Asia; growing domestic consumption of synthetic drugs, and heroin from Southeast and Southwest Asia; source country for methamphetamine and heroin chemical precursors, despite new regulations on its large chemical industry; more people believed to be convicted and executed for drug offences than anywhere else in the world, according to NGOs | significant illicit cultivation of cannabis for CIS markets, as well as limited cultivation of opium poppy and ephedra (for the drug ephedrine); limited government eradication of illicit crops; transit point for Southwest Asian narcotics bound for Russia and the rest of Europe; significant consumer of opiates |
Refugees and internally displaced persons | refugees (country of origin): 303,095 (Vietnam), undetermined (North Korea) (2019) IDPs: undetermined (2021) | stateless persons: 7,999 (2020) |
Trafficking in persons | current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in China and Chinese people abroad; Chinese men, women, and children are victims of forced labor and sex trafficking in at least 60 countries; traffickers also use China as a transit point to subject foreign individuals to trafficking in other countries throughout Asia and in international maritime industries; state-sponsored forced labor is intensifying under the government's mass detention and political indoctrination campaign against Muslim minorities in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; well-organized criminal syndicates and local gangs subject Chinese women and girls to sex trafficking within China; women and girls from South Asia, Southeast Asia, and several countries in Africa experience forced labor in domestic service, forced concubinism leading to forced childbearing, and sex trafficking via forced and fraudulent marriage to Chinese men; African and Asian men reportedly experience conditions indicative of forced labor aboard Chinese-flagged fishing vessels; many North Korean refugees and asylum-seekers living in China illegally are particularly vulnerable to trafficking tier rating: Tier 3 - China does not fully meet the minimum standards for elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so; the government prosecuted and convicted some traffickers and continued to cooperate with international authorities to address forced and fraudulent marriages in China; however, there was a government policy or pattern of widespread forced labor, including the continued mass arbitrary detention of more than one million Uyghurs, ethnic Kazakhs, ethnic Kyrgyz, and other Muslims in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; the government did not report any investigations, prosecutions, or convictions of law enforcement officials allegedly complicit despite continued reports of officials benefiting from, permitting, or directly facilitating sex trafficking; authorities did not report identifying any trafficking victims or referring them to protective services; it is likely that law enforcement arrested and detained unidentified trafficking victims for crimes traffickers compelled them to commit; for the third consecutive year, the government did not report the extent to which it funded anti-trafficking activities in furtherance of the 2013-2020 National Action Plan on Combating Human Trafficking (2020) | current situation: human traffickers exploit domestic and foreign victims in Kazakhstan and Kazakhstanis abroad; traffickers lure victims from rural areas to larger cities with fake offers of employment; traffickers coerce or force Kazakhstani men and women into labor in Russia, Bahrain, Brazil, the Republic of Korea, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates; sex traffickers exploit Kazakhstani women and girls in the Middle East, Europe, East Asia, the United States, Central Asian and Eastern European countries and rural areas in Kazakhstan; children are forced to beg and adults and children may be coerced into criminal behavior; traffickers are increasingly using debt-based coercion; traffickers capitalize on tough law enforcement policies on migrants to coerce them to remain and leverage these policies to threaten victims with punishment and deportation if they notify authorities, which fosters a distrust in law enforcement tier rating: Tier 2 Watch List - Kazakhstan does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so; the government adopted amendments increasing criminal penalties for traffickers, including rescinding the provision allowing alleged traffickers to pay a settlement to victims to withdraw their criminal cases; authorities developed victim identification guidelines for diplomatic staff and provided victim identification training to some labor inspectors; the government took initial steps toward improving its annual NGO funding process; the government's efforts to identify and protect foreign victims increased; foreign victims who did not participate in criminal investigations were ineligible for services and were deported; law enforcement continued to make limited efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict labor trafficking crimes; trafficking convictions decreased for the fourth consecutive year; NGOs reported allegations of police officers' involvement in human trafficking, but few police or other officials suspected of complicity were investigated or prosecuted (2020) |
Environment
China | Kazakhstan | |
---|---|---|
Air pollutants | particulate matter emissions: 49.16 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 9,893.04 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 1,490.24 megatons (2020 est.) | particulate matter emissions: 11.32 micrograms per cubic meter (2016 est.) carbon dioxide emissions: 247.21 megatons (2016 est.) methane emissions: 45.03 megatons (2020 est.) |
Total water withdrawal | municipal: 79.4 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 133.5 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 385.2 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) | municipal: 2.347 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) industrial: 6.984 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) agricultural: 15.12 billion cubic meters (2017 est.) |
Revenue from forest resources | forest revenues: 0.08% of GDP (2018 est.) | forest revenues: 0% of GDP (2018 est.) |
Revenue from coal | coal revenues: 0.57% of GDP (2018 est.) | coal revenues: 0.99% of GDP (2018 est.) |
Waste and recycling | municipal solid waste generated annually: 210 million tons (2015 est.) | municipal solid waste generated annually: 4,659,740 tons (2012 est.) municipal solid waste recycled annually: 136,064 tons (2012 est.) percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 2.9% (2012 est.) |
Source: CIA Factbook