ABSTRACT
Kazakhstan has a multi-ethnic population of great diversity, the product of an extraordinarily complex demographic history. It is home to over 100 ethnic groups. They vary considerably in size, historical experiences, and patterns of behavior. Consequently it is difficult to establish an organizational framework that could serve as an analytical tool for examining group dynamics. Yet without such a framework it is impossible to move beyond a mere recital of group designations. A project of this magnitude would require a full-length study. Here, owing to constraints of space, the aim is inevitably far more modest: a preliminary categorization, based on certain salient characteristics, is presented and this is developed into a tentative typology.
