Atyrau Region ( kk, Атырау облысы / ; russian: Атырауская область) formerly known as Guryev Region (russian: Гурьевская область) until 1991, is one of the
regions of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions ( kk, облыстар/''oblystar''; singular: облыс/''oblys''; russian: области/''oblasti''; singular: область/''oblast). The regions are further subdivided into districts ( kk, ауда� ...
, in the west of the country around the northeast of the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central A ...
. Its capital is the city of
Atyrau, with a population of 355,117; the region itself has a population of 659,074, of which
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also part ...
make up more than 90%.
History
The
Turan lowlands of Atyrau Region were the central homeland for the
Malkar "Hun" dynasties of late antiquity.
Geography
With an area of 118,600 square kilometers, it is the second-smallest region in Kazakhstan (
Turkistan Region is the smallest). It borders
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
(
Astrakhan Oblast
Astrakhan Oblast (russian: Астраха́нская о́бласть, ''Astrakhanskaya oblast'', , ''Astrakhan oblysy'') is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast) located in southern Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Astrakhan. ...
) to the west, as well as the fellow Kazakh regions
Aktobe
Aktobe ( kz, Ақтөбе, Aqtöbe; russian: Актобе, Aktobe) is a city on the Ilek River in Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of Aktobe Region. In 2020, it had a population of 500,757 people.
Aktobe is located in the west of Ka ...
to the east,
Mangystau to the south, and the
West Kazakhstan Region
West Kazakhstan Region ( kk, Батыс Қазақстан облысы, translit=Batys Qazaqstan oblysy; russian: Западно-Казахстанская область, translit=Zapadno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast) is a region of Kazakhstan. The ...
to the north. The
Ural River
The Ural (russian: Урал, ), known before 1775 as Yaik (russian: Яик, ba, Яйыҡ, translit=Yayıq, ; kk, Жайық, translit=Jaiyq, ), is a river flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan in the continental border between Europe and Asia ...
is the border between
Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...
and
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...
and flows from Russia to the
Caspian Sea
The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central A ...
through the region, meaning western Atyrau Region lies in Europe.
A large part of the region is situated in the
oil-rich
Caspian Depression. Many oil wells have been drilled in the
Tengiz Field
Tengiz field ( kk, Теңіз мұнай кен орны, ''Teñız mūnai ken orny''; Tengiz is Turkic for "sea") is an oil field located in northwestern Kazakhstan's low-lying wetlands along the northeast shores of the Caspian Sea. It covers ...
and
Kashagan Field
Kashagan Field ( kk, Қашаған кен орны, ''Qashaǵan ken orny'') is an offshore oil field in Kazakhstan's zone of the Caspian Sea. The field, discovered in 2000, is located in the northern part of the Caspian Sea close to Atyrau and i ...
areas. An
oil pipeline runs from Atyrau to
Samara, Russia, where it joins the Russian pipeline system. A separate oil pipeline runs from the
Tengiz field
Tengiz field ( kk, Теңіз мұнай кен орны, ''Teñız mūnai ken orny''; Tengiz is Turkic for "sea") is an oil field located in northwestern Kazakhstan's low-lying wetlands along the northeast shores of the Caspian Sea. It covers ...
to the Russian Black Sea port of
Novorossiisk
Novorossiysk ( rus, Новоросси́йск, p=nəvərɐˈsʲijsk; ady, ЦIэмэз, translit=Chəməz, p=t͡sʼɜmɜz) is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia. It is one of the largest ports on the Black Sea. It is one of the few cities ho ...
.
Atyrau is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.
Demographics
As of 2021, the Atyrau Region has a population of 659,074.
Ethnic groups (2021):
*
Kazakh: 92.86%
*
Russian: 5.01%
*
Koreans
Koreans ( South Korean: , , North Korean: , ; see names of Korea) are an East Asian ethnic group native to the Korean Peninsula.
Koreans mainly live in the two Korean nation states: North Korea and South Korea (collectively and simply r ...
: 0.48%
*
Tatars
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different Turki ...
: 0.35%
*Others: 1.30%
Administrative divisions
The region is divided into seven districts and the city of
Atyrau. The districts are:
#
Inder District, with the administrative center in the urban-type settlement of
Inderbor;
#
Isatay District, the
selo (village) of
Akkystau;
#
Kurmangazy District, the selo of
Ganyushkino;
#
Kyzylkoga District, the selo of
Miyaly;
#
Makat District, the urban-type settlement of
Makat
Makat, also known as Maqat ( kz, Мақат, ''Maqat'', ''ماقات''; russian: Макат, ''Makat'') is a town in Atyrau Region
Atyrau Region ( kk, Атырау облысы / ; russian: Атырауская область) formerly known ...
;
#
Makhambet District, the selo of
Makhambet;
#
Zhylyoi District
Zhylyoi District ( kk, Жылыой ауданы, ) is a district located in the south-eastern region of Atyrau Region in Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central ...
, the town of
Kulsary
Kulsary ( kk, Құлсары, ''Qūlsary'') is a town and the center of the Zhylyoi District in the Atyrau Region of western Kazakhstan. Population:
The city is located 11 kilometers from the Emba River, and 230 kilometers from the city of Aty ...
.
* Two localities in Atyrau Region have town status. These are Atyrau and
Kulsary
Kulsary ( kk, Құлсары, ''Qūlsary'') is a town and the center of the Zhylyoi District in the Atyrau Region of western Kazakhstan. Population:
The city is located 11 kilometers from the Emba River, and 230 kilometers from the city of Aty ...
. Isatay and Kurmangazy districts are in Europe, Makat, Kyzylkoga and Zhylyoi in Asia, while Inder and Makhambet straddle the Ural River which marks the boundary.
References
* ''National Geographic Atlas of the World'', Eighth Edition.
External links
Official website
{{Authority control
Regions of Kazakhstan