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| Map: Kazakhstan. Credit: CIA |
FROM: U.S. STATE DEPARTMENT
Kazakhstan's Independence Day
Press Statement
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
Washington, DC
December 14, 2012
On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to the people of Kazakhstan as you celebrate your Independence Day this December 16. The United States was the first country in the world to recognize Kazakhstan's independence in 1991, so this December also marks 21 years of U.S.-Kazakhstani relations.
Today, through our Strategic Partnership Dialogue, the people of the United States and Kazakhstan continue to work closely together to improve economic ties, chart a responsible and reliable energy future, promote innovation through cooperation on science and technology, and enhance regional and global security. In Seoul this past spring, President Obama was privileged to meet with President Nursultan Nazarbayev and honor Kazakhstan’s global leadership on non-proliferation and disarmament issues. The United States is also working with Kazakhstan’s civil society, private sector leaders, and government officials to improve human rights and help build a more stable, secure, democratic, and prosperous future.
As you celebrate this special day, know that the United States joins with you in honoring Kazakhstan's cultural heritage and working together towards a peaceful and prosperous future.
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| Kazakhstan Locator Map. Credit: CIA World Factbook |
ADDITONAL INFORMATION FROM CIA WORLD FACTBOOK
Ethnic Kazakhs, a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes who migrated into the region in the 13th century, were rarely united as a single nation. The area was conquered by Russia in the 18th century, and Kazakhstan became a Soviet Republic in 1936. During the 1950s and 1960s agricultural "Virgin Lands" program, Soviet citizens were encouraged to help cultivate Kazakhstan's northern pastures. This influx of immigrants (mostly Russians, but also some other deported nationalities) skewed the ethnic mixture and enabled non-ethnic Kazakhs to outnumber natives. Independence in 1991 drove many of these newcomers to emigrate. Kazakhstan's economy is larger than those of all the other Central Asian states largely due to the country's vast natural resources. Current issues include: developing a cohesive national identity; expanding the development of the country's vast energy resources and exporting them to world markets; diversifying the economy outside the oil, gas, and mining sectors; enhancing Kazakhstan's economic competitiveness; developing a multiparty parliament and advancing political and social reform; and strengthening relations with neighboring states and other foreign powers.
