KAZAKHSTAN’S MULTIETHNICITY: FACTOR OF INTER-ETHNIC TENSION AND DEVELOPMENT OF CROSS-BORDER TOURISM

Abstract

The Republic of Kazakhstan seeks to strengthen the protection of the country's geopolitical interests. The main focus is to maintain the control over its territory. The Republic of Kazakhstan is a multiethnic state. Ethnic diversity poses the risk of ethnic conflicts and adverse geopolitical consequences. Therefore, defining areas with high potential for interethnic conflict is a priority for geopolitical research. This article discusses issues related to the phenomenon of "ethnic tension". The authors studied the ethnic composition of society, the settlement of ethnic groups and the culture of interethnic communication. Based on the census data and using statistical methods for each ethnic group and region, ethnic tension coefficients for entire country were calculated. Regions with a certain risk of ethnic conflicts were identified according to their values. Maps of Kazakhstan regions with high values of ethnic tension coefficients were compiled using the ArcGIS software. At the same time, ethnic diversity is a valuable resource for developing cross-border tourism.