| Total Area: |
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2,717,300 sq. km
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Population:
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15,185,844 (est. July 2005)
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Ethnicity:
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Kazakh (Qazaq) 53.4%, Russian 30%, Ukrainian 3.7%, Uzbek 2.5%, German 2.4%, Uighur 1.4%, other 6.6% (1999)
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| Language: |
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Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001)
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| Religion: |
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Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, Other 7%
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| Government Type: |
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Republic with an authoritarian presidential rule with little power outside the executive branch
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| Capital: |
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Astana
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| Population Below Poverty Line: |
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19% (est. 2004)
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 Kazakhstan was originally a mix of Turkic and Mongol nomadic tribes, which was conquered by Russia in the eighteenth century. Under Soviet rule, people were encouraged to cultivate the northern pastures of Kazakhstan, resulting in an influx of Russian and other non-Kazakh people, until they outnumbered the native Kazakhs. After independence, many of these newcomers emigrated.
While Kazakhstan's constitution guaranteed freedom of religion in early 2002, the parliament passed a law banning all unregistered church groups and requiring all missionaries to register. This law was not approved by the president, but a new draft is currently being proposed which would require churches and religious organizations to register with the government. Authorities consistently act as though registration is required, despite the fact that the law has not yet been passed. Believers who lived under the communist regime clearly remember the government control that was part of registration. Due to their refusal to accept any control but that of the Holy Spirit, various unregistered churches and pastors have faced fines and church closures.
Children are not exempt from government pressure, either. In January, 2005, a Christian orphanage in Temirtau was forced to virtually close. Authorities claimed that they refused to register, even though no other orphanage in the area has been required to register. They also made claims of “atrocious” conditions, regardless of local testimony to the contrary. On the 18th of the same month, school children in the same town were forced to answer a questionnaire regarding their religious beliefs and activities. Children in some areas of Kazakhstan have even been told that prayer is dangerous for them and could cause death.
Prayer Requests
- Pray that authorities will cease their harassment of unregistered church communities.
- Pray for endurance for those believers facing these challenges.
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