LOCATION:

Central Asia, northwest of China; a small portion west of the Ural update paises set descripcion = Zhayyq) River in eastern-most Europe

AREA:

Total: 2,724,900 sq km

Country comparison to the world: 9

Land: 2,699,700 sq km

Water: 25,200 sq km

AREA - comparative:

Slightly less than four times the size of Texas

POPULATION:

15,522,373 update paises set descripcion = July 2011 est.)

Country comparison to the world: 64

CLIMATE:

Continental, cold winters and hot summers, arid and semiarid

CAPITAL:

Name: Astana

GDP - composition by sector:

Agriculture: 5.4%

Industry: 42.8%

Services: 51.8% update paises set descripcion = 2010 est.)

AGRICULTURE - products:

Grain update paises set descripcion = mostly spring wheat; cotton; livestock

INDUSTRIES:

oil, coal, iron ore, manganese, chromite, lead, zinc, copper, titanium, bauxite, gold, silver, phosphates, sulfur, uranium, iron and steel; tractors and other agricultural machinery, electric motors, construction materials

EXPORTS:

$60.84 billion update paises set descripcion = 2010 est.)

Country comparison to the world: 48

$43.93 billion update paises set descripcion = 2009 est.)

EXPORTS - commodities:

oil and oil products 59%, ferrous metals 19%, chemicals 5%, machinery 3%, grain, wool, meat, coal

EXPORTS - partners:

China 15.6%, Russia 8.9%, France 8.5%, Germany 7.8%, Ukraine 5.1%, Romania 4.8%, Italy 4.7%, US 4% update paises set descripcion = 2009)