Regional characteristics of the location and the ethnic structure of the population of Kazakhstan: trends of independence period of the Republic of Kazakhstan

Abstract

The article analyzes the changes in the number and ethnic structure of the population by regions of Kazakhstan. Features of the territorial distribution of ethnic groups are distinguished and regions with the highest concentration of Russian and Kazakh populationare defined. In addition, the article considersthe level of urbanization in the regions and the dynamics of urban population growth in the North, East, West, Central and Southern Kazakhstan. Trends in regional distribution of ethnic groupsare identified. An analysis of the ethnic composition of the population in the 1999-2015 period shows that the zones of ethnic accommodation remained the same: the Kazakhs are settled mainly in the south and west of Kazakhstan, Russian – in the north-east. At the same time, an increase in the number of Kazakhs is marked in all regions, including those that were dominatedby the Russian population for a long time. Key words: population, territorial distribution, regions, urban population, rural population, ethnic composition.