King: Albert II Prime Minister-designate: Elio di Rupo
Population
17,522,010
10,438,353
Life Expectancy
69.630 years
79.650 years
Capital City
Astana
Brussels
Largest city
Almaty (population: 2,000,900)
Brussels (population: 1,019,020)
Human Development Index
0.807
0.948
GDP per capita
$13,200 US
$38,200 US
Literacy Rate
99.5%
99%
Corruption Perception Index
2.2
7.3
Percentage of Women in Parliament
12.3%
36.2%
Wealthiest Citizens
Alijan Ibragimov ($1.2bn US)
Albert Frere ($2.4bn US)
Unemployment Rate
5.400%
7.700%
Death Penalty
NA
Abolished
Political System
republic; authoritarian presidential rule, with little power outside the executive branch
federal parliamentary democracy under a constitutional monarchy
Independence date
16 December 1991 (from Soviet Union)
4 October 1830 (a provisional government declared independence from the Netherlands); 21 July 1831 (King LEOPOLD I ascended to the throne)
Religions
Muslim 47%, Russian Orthodox 44%, Protestant 2%, other 7%
Roman Catholic 75%, other (includes Protestant) 25%
Languages
Kazakh (Qazaq, state language) 64.4%, Russian (official, used in everyday business, designated the "language of interethnic communication") 95% (2001 est.)
Dutch (official) 60%, French (official) 40%, German (official) less than 1%, legally bilingual (Dutch and French)
