7-th Asian Games | Astana Almaty 2011

Capital: Astana.
Area: 2 717 300 sq. km. km.
Population: 16 million 304 thousand 840 people (provisional results of the census of enumerationof 2009)
Admin. Divisions: The Republic, composed of 14 regions and three cities of republican subordination.
Currency: Kazakh tenge (100 tiyn).
Geographical Location: Kazakhstan - a state in Central Asia. In the south-west is washed by the Caspian Sea. It borders on Russia, China, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan. In the West - a part of the Caspian, and Turan lowlands, in the central part - Kazakh melkosopochnik, in the north - the southern edge of the West Siberian Plain, in the East and South-East - Mountains of Altai, Tarbagatay, Jungar Alat, Tien-Shan.
Climate: The climate is continental. The average temperatures on January from -18 C in the north to -3 C in the south, on July 19C in the north and 30C in the South. Annual precipitation At the north from 300 mm in the desert less than 100 mm in the mountains up to 1 600 mm.
In the Republic of Kazakhstan state language is Kazakh. In state institutions and local self-administrative bodies the Russian language is officially used on equal grounds along with the Kazak language.
Official holidays:
01, 02 January - New Year
08 March - International Women’s Day
March 22 - Feast of Nauryz
01 May - Celebration of Unity of Peoples of Kazakhstan
09 May - Victory Day
July 06 - Day of Capital
30 August - Day of Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan
25 October - Republic Day
16, December 17 - Independence Day
Government
Kazakhstan - Republic of Kazakhstan proclaims itself a democratic, secular, legal and social state whose highest values are an individual, his life, rights and freedoms.
The Republic of Kazakhstan is a unitary state with presidential form of government.
President of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the head of the state, its highest official, determining the main directions of internal and foreign policy and representing Kazakhstan within the country and in international relations.
President of the Republic - the symbol and guarantor of the unity of the people and state power, inviolability of the Constitution, human rights and freedoms of citizens.
President of the Republic to ensure the coherent functioning of all branches of government and responsible authorities to the people.

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan - Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Executive power is exercised by the Government, headed by a system of executive bodies and provide guidance to them.
Government is a collegial body and all its activities is responsible to the President of the Republic, and in cases prescribed by the Constitution - in front of Parliament and Parliament Majilis.
Competence, the organization and activities of the Government shall be determined by Constitutional Law.
The government formed by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in accordance with the Constitution.
Proposals on the structure and composition of Government shall be submitted to the President of the Republic, Prime Minister of the Republic within ten days after the appointment of the Prime Minister.
Members of the Government shall take an oath to the people and the President of Kazakhstan. The system of the executive branch is composed of ministries, services and agencies. Head of Government - Prime Minister Karim Massimov.
The Parliament is the supreme representative body of the Republic performing legislative functions.
The powers of Parliament may be prematurely terminated in cases and manner prescribed by the Constitution.
The organization and activities of Parliament, the legal status of its deputies shall be determined Constitutional Law.
Parliament consists of two chambers: the Senate and the Majilis, acting on a permanent basis.
Foreign policy. The main foreign partners of Kazakhstan - Russia, China and the EU.
Kazakhstan is a member of CIS, SCO, CICA, CSTO and EurAsEC.
Proclaimed a course for entering of Kazakhstan into the 50 most competitive countries in the world.
Economy. Kazakhstan is the most developed country in Central Asia.
Leading industries: ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical, machine building, light and food industries. Developed as oil refining, production of construction materials and mining (coal, oil, natural gas, iron ore, copper ore, lead-zinc ore, nickel ore, bauxite and other minerals).
Agriculture - Crops, mainly hard wheat varieties. Also grown feep and technical crops: sunflower, cotton, linen. There are fruit growing, wine growing, melon-growing. Stock breeding presented by meat and wool sheep breeding, meat and dairy cattle breeding.
Large resorts: Borovoye, Alma-Arasan, Saryagash, Kenderli.
Since July 1, 2007 the entire income of the primary sector (including the oil) is sent to the National Fund. Thus, the budget which is at the government disposal is formed without the «oil money».
Cultural activities in Kazakhstan. Annually held in Kazakhstan International Film Festival «Eurasia». According to the basic parameters of the festival program was built as a cultural bridge «East-West», therefore in the «Eurasia» pass retrospective of paintings of famous film directors, representatives of East and West. In total, the festival is attended by over one hundred and thirty film makers from Europe, Asia, America, CIS and Baltic countries. The event attended by such celebrities as Kim Ki Duk, Emir Kusturica, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Michele Placido, Catherine Deneuve, and others.
Sports. The most popular sport in Kazakhstan - football. The current champion of the country’s football team is FC «Aktobe» from the same city. Hockey is also at a good level. Hockey School of Ust-Kamenogorsk has brought more than one generation of hockey players well-known throughout the world, including: multiple champion of the USSR, the world and Europe, the first series of games the USSR - Canada Eugene Polad, Boris Alexandrov, Olympic champion, world champion Yuri Leonov, a current - Evgeni Nabokov (goalkeeper San Jose Sharks (NHL), Team Russia at the Olympics in Turin), Dmitry Pattsold (goalkeeper San Jose Sharks (NHL), the German national team at the World Championships 2007) and Nikolai Antropov (Toronto Maple Lifs (NHL)), Eugene and Alexander Koreshkovs (who spoke a long time for Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and are one of the most successful players of the Russian hockey), Vitaly Eremeev (goalkeeper Moscow Dynamo), Vitaly Kolesnik (goalkeeper Khimik Moscow), Vadim Tarasov, the best goalkeeper in the championship of Russia Metallurg Novokuznetsk, repeated champion of Russia Alexei Troschinsky, and many others.
Currently hockey in Kazakhstan is actively developing. From Kazakhstan to the KHL team plays «Barys».
Third on the popularity after football and hockey sport in Kazakhstan is cycling. In 2006, established one of the strongest in the world of professional team «Astana», sponsored the largest companies in Kazakhstan. Serious blow for cycling in Kazakhstan has had a year 2007, when the best racers Alexander Vinokurov and Andrei Kashechkin were accused of using doping. In 2008, for the command «Astana» are the champions and winners of the Tour de France: Alberto Kontador (Spain), Andreas Kleden (Germany), Levy Lefaymer (United States) and a whole galaxy of Kazakh riders, led by Andrew Mizurovym, Maxim Iglinskim and Asan Bazayev. In 2009 the team added multiple Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong. Also, in Kazakhstan there is a youth professional team «Ulan».
Of the individual types of Kazakh sport is traditionally regarded as boxing and wrestling.