Capital:Astana
Population:15,185,844
Area:2,717,300 sq km
Climate:continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid
Languages:Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95%
Currency:tenge (KZT)
Government:republic; authoritarian presidential rule
Religions:Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Source: CIA World Factbook 2007
