Formal Name

Republic of Kazakhstan

Kyrgyz Republic

Short Form

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Term for Citizens

Kazakhstani(s)

Kyrgyzstani(s)

Capital

Astana (the government
moved from Almaty to
Astana in December 1998)

Bishkek
(called Frunze between
1926 and 1991)

Date of
Independence

December 16, 1991

August 31, 1991

Size

2,717,300 sq km
(slightly less than four
times the size of Texas)

198,500 sq km
(slightly smaller than
South Dakota)

Population

16, 731, 303
(July 2001 estimates)
14,896,100
(December 1999 estimates)
16,464,464
(January 1989 estimates)

4,753,003
(July 2001 estimates)
4,850,700
(January 1999 estimates)
4,257,755
(January 1989 estimates)

Ethnic Groups

(permanent
inhabitants,
1999 census)

(permanent
inhabitants,
1989 census)

Kazakh – 7,985,000 (53.4%)

                6,535,000 (39.7%)

Russian – 4,479,000 (30%)

                 6,228,000 (37.8%)

Ukrainian – 547,100 (3.7%)

                    896,000 (5.4%)

Uzbek – 370,700 (2.5%)

               332,000 (2.0%)

German – 353,400 (2.4%)

                 958,000 (5.8%)

Tatar – 249,000 (1.7%)

            328,000 (2.0%)

Uigur – 210,400 (1.4%)

             185,000 (1.1%)

Belarusian – 111,900 (0.7%)

                     183,000 (1.1%)

Korean – 99,700 (0.7%)

               103,000 (0.6%)

Azerbaijani – 78,300 (0.5%)

                       90,000 (0.5%)

Turkish – 75,900 (0.5%)

Other – 392,100 (2.6%)

             391,000 (2.4%)

Kyrgyz – 3,128,147 (64.9%)

                2,230,000 (52.4 %)

Uzbek – 664,950 (13.8%)

              550,000 (12.9) 

Russian – 603,201 (12.5%)

                 917,000 (21.5%)

Dungan – 51,766 (1.1%)

Ukrainian – 50, 442 (1.0%)

                   108,000 (2.5%)

Uigur – 46,944 (1.0%)

             37,000 (0.9%) 

Tatar – 45,438 (0.9%)

            70,000 (1.6%)

Kazakh – 42,657 (0.9%)

                37,000 (0.9%)

Tajik – 42,636 (0.9%)

            34,000 (0.8%)

Turkish – 33,327 (0.7%)

German – 21,471 (0.4%)

                 101,000 (2.4%)

Korean – 19,784 (0.4%)

Other – 72,175 (1.5%)

             174,000 (4.1%)

Religions

Sunni Muslim
– 47%
Russian Orthodox
– 44%
Protestant
– 2%
Other
– 7%

Sunni Muslim
– 75%
Russian Orthodox
– 20%
Other
– 5%

Language

Kazakh (state language)
– 40%
Russian (official, used
in everyday business)
– 66%

Kyrgyz – official language

Russian – official language
(in May 2000, the Kyrgyz
legislature made Russian
an official language)

Source: compiled from Batalden, Stephen K. and Sandra L. Batalden 
     Newly Independent States of Eurasia. Phoenix, AZ: Oryx, 1993;
Federal Research Division, Library of Congress.
     Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan: Country Studies.
     Washington, DC: The Division, 1997;
The Europa World Year Book 1991. London, England: Europa Publications Limited, 1991;
The Europa World Year Book 2001. London, England: Europa Publications Limited, 2001;
CIA – The World Factbook 2001 – Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan.