CRS Report for Congress: Kazakhstan: Recent Developments and U.S. Interests

By Jim Nichol

Kazakhstan is an important power in Central Asia by virtue of its geographic location, large
territory, ample natural resources, and economic growth, but it faces ethnic, political, and other
challenges to stability. Kazakhstan gained independence at the end of 1991 after the break-up of
the former Soviet Union. Kazakhstan's president at the time, Nursultan Nazarbayev, was one of
the top leaders of the former Soviet Union and was instrumental in forming the successor
Commonwealth of Independent States. He has been reelected President of Kazakhstan several
times and in June 2010 was proclaimed the "Leader of the Nation" with lifetime ruling
responsibilities and privileges. Kazakhstan's economy is the strongest in Central Asia, buoyed by
oil exports. Its progress in democratization and respect for human rights has been halting,
according to most observers. Nonetheless, Kazakhstan's pledges to reform convinced the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe to select the country's leadership for its
2010 presidency.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 128742631X
• ISBN13: 9781287426318
• Release Date: September 2013
• Publisher: Bibliogov
• Length: 24 Pages
• Weight: 0.14 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.1" x 7.4" x 9.7"