Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the
capital city
A capital city or capital is the municipality holding primary status in a country, state, province, Department (country subdivision), department, or other subnational entity, usually as its seat of the government. A capital is typically a city ...
of
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
.
The city lies on the banks of the
Ishim River
The Ishim (russian: Иши́м, Ishim; kk, Есіл, Esil) is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its average discharge is . It is a left tributary of the Irtysh. The Ishim is partly naviga ...
in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the
Akmola Region
Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...
, though administered as a city with special status separately from the rest of the region. A 2020 official estimate reported a population of 1,136,008 within the city limits, making it the
second-largest city in the country, after
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
, which had been the capital until 1997.
The city became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997; since then it has grown and developed economically into one of the most modern cities in
Central Asia
Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
.
In 2021, the government selected Astana as one of the 10 priority destinations for tourist development.
Modern Astana is a
planned city
A planned community, planned city, planned town, or planned settlement is any community that was carefully planned from its inception and is typically constructed on previously undeveloped land. This contrasts with settlements that evolve ...
, following the process of
other planned capitals.
After it became the capital of Kazakhstan, the city dramatically changed its shape. The city's master-plan was designed by Japanese architect
Kisho Kurokawa
(April 8, 1934 – October 12, 2007) was a leading Japanese architect and one of the founders of the Metabolist Movement.
Biography
Born in Kanie, Aichi, Kurokawa studied architecture at Kyoto University, graduating with a bachelor's d ...
.
As the seat of the
government of Kazakhstan
The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Үкіметі, tr, ''Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Ükımetı'') oversees a presidential republic. The President of Kazakhstan, currently Kassym- ...
, Astana is the site of the
Parliament House, the
Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
, the
Ak Orda Presidential Palace
The Ak Orda Presidential Palace ( kk, Ақорда резиденциясы, ''Aqorda rezidentsiyasy'', ) is the official workplace of the President of Kazakhstan, located in the capital city of Astana. The Palace was built within three years, ...
and numerous government departments and agencies. It is home to a range of
futuristic
The future is the time after the past and present. Its arrival is considered inevitable due to the existence of time and the laws of physics. Due to the apparent nature of reality and the unavoidability of the future, everything that currently ...
buildings, including many
skyscraper
A skyscraper is a tall continuously habitable building having multiple floors. Modern sources currently define skyscrapers as being at least or in height, though there is no universally accepted definition. Skyscrapers are very tall high-ris ...
s.
Names
Akmola settlement was founded in 1830, possibly named after a local landmark—''Ақ мола'' literally means ''white grave'' in
Kazakh—although this theory is not universally accepted. In 1832, it was granted town status and renamed Akmolinsk. In 1961 under Soviet government, it was renamed Tselinograd, Russian for "virgin lands city".
In 1991 following Kazakhstan's independence, the name was changed to Akmola.
In December 1997, the city replaced
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
as the capital of Kazakhstan, and in May 1998, it was renamed Astana, which means "capital city" in Kazakh.
In March 2019, the capital was renamed to Nur-Sultan (;
; kk, Нұр-Сұлтан, Nūr-Sūltan) in honor of the long-ruling Kazakh President
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
, shortly after his resignation.
In September 2022, President
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev
Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev ( kk, Қасым-Жомарт Кемелұлы Тоқаев, Qasym-Jomart Kemelūly Toqaev ; born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakh politician and diplomat who is currently serving as the President of Kazakhstan since 12 J ...
signed a constitutional amendment to revert to the name Astana. , it holds the Guinness World Record for the city with the most name changes.
History
Middle Ages (8th to 18th centuries)
Many centuries ago, the Bozok settlement was located on the territory of modern Astana. It was a military fortress of the Steppe section of the
Great Silk Road
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
. The etymology of the Turkic word "Boz" carries several meanings such as ‘untouched earth’, ‘virgin soil’ and ‘feather grass’. It was a large settlement of the 12-14th centuries. At present, Astana is expanding to the territory of ancient Bozok.
Early years (1830–1918)
The settlement of Akmoly was established on the
Ishim River
The Ishim (russian: Иши́м, Ishim; kk, Есіл, Esil) is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its average discharge is . It is a left tributary of the Irtysh. The Ishim is partly naviga ...
in 1830 as the seat of an
okrug
An ''okrug, ; russian: о́круг, ókrug; sr, округ, okrug, ; uk, о́круг, о́kruh; be, акруга, akruha; pl, okręg; ab, оқрҿс; mhr, йырвел, '' is a type of administrative division in some Slavic states. The ...
. In 1832, the settlement was granted town status and named ''Akmolinsk''. The fairly advantageous position of the town was clear as early as 1863. It describes how picket roads and lines connected this geographic center to
Kargaly
Kargaly is a copper mining-metallurgical district in the southern Urals of Russia. Prehistoric sites in Kargaly form a large and unique complex, especially when compared to neighboring metal production centers or the more distant ancient centers ...
in the East,
Aktau
Aktau ( kk, Aqtau, Ақтау , russian: Актау) is a city in Kazakhstan, located on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. Its current name means "white mountain" in Kazakh, which may be due to its cliffs that overlook the Caspian. From 1964 to ...
fort in the South and through
Atbasar to
Kokshetau
Kokshetau (meaning ''Blueish Mountain'' in Kazakh, kz, Көкшетау, Kökşetau; ; rus, Кокшета́у, p=kokʂɛtaʊ) is a city in northern Kazakhstan and the capital of Akmola Region, which stretches along the southern shore of Lak ...
in the West. In 1838, at the height of the great national and liberation movement headed by
Kenesary Khan, Akmolinsk fortress was burned. After the repression of the liberation movement, the fortress was rebuilt. On 16 July 1863, Akmolinsk was officially declared an
uyezd
An uezd (also spelled uyezd; rus, уе́зд, p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context ( uk, повіт), or Kreis in Baltic-German context, was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Russian Empire, and the ea ...
town.
In 1869, Akmolinsk external district and department were cancelled, and Akmolinsk became the center of the newly established
Akmolinsk Oblast. In 1879, Major General Dubelt proposed to build a railway between
Tyumen
Tyumen ( ; rus, Тюмень, p=tʲʉˈmʲenʲ, a=Ru-Tyumen.ogg) is the administrative center and largest city of Tyumen Oblast, Russia. It is situated just east of the Ural Mountains, along the Tura River. Fueled by the Russian oil and gas indu ...
and Akmolinsk to the Ministry of Communications of Russia. In the course of the first 30 years of its existence, the population of Akmola numbered a trifle more than 2,000 people. However, over the next 30 years the city's population increased by three times according to
volost
Volost ( rus, во́лость, p=ˈvoləsʲtʲ; ) was a traditional administrative subdivision in Eastern Europe.
In earlier East Slavic history, ''volost'' was a name for the territory ruled by the knyaz, a principality; either as an absolute ...
s and
settlements of the Akmolinsk Oblast. In 1893, Akmolinsk was an
uyezd
An uezd (also spelled uyezd; rus, уе́зд, p=ʊˈjest), or povit in a Ukrainian context ( uk, повіт), or Kreis in Baltic-German context, was a type of administrative subdivision of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, the Russian Empire, and the ea ...
with a 6,428 strong population, 3
churches, 5
school
A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...
s and
college
A college (Latin: ''collegium'') is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate or federal university, an institution offering ...
s and 3
factories
A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. T ...
.
Soviet era (1918–1991)
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Akmolinsk served as a route for the transport of engineering tools and equipment from evacuated
plant
Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plantae. Historically, the plant kingdom encompassed all living things that were not animals, and included algae and fungi; however, all current definitions of Plantae exclud ...
s in the
Ukrainian SSR
The Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic ( uk, Украї́нська Радя́нська Соціалісти́чна Респу́бліка, ; russian: Украи́нская Сове́тская Социалисти́ческая Респ ...
,
Byelorussian SSR
The Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic (BSSR, or Byelorussian SSR; be, Беларуская Савецкая Сацыялістычная Рэспубліка, Bielaruskaja Savieckaja Sacyjalistyčnaja Respublika; russian: Белор ...
, and
Russian SFSR
The Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Russian SFSR or RSFSR ( rus, Российская Советская Федеративная Социалистическая Республика, Rossíyskaya Sovétskaya Federatívnaya Soci ...
located in the
oblast
An oblast (; ; Cyrillic (in most languages, including Russian and Ukrainian): , Bulgarian: ) is a type of administrative division of Belarus, Bulgaria, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as the Soviet Union and the Kingdom of ...
s of the
Kazakh SSR
; kk, Қазақ Советтік Социалистік Республикасы)
*1991: Republic of Kazakhstan (russian: Республика Казахстан; kk, Қазақстан Республикасы)
, linking_name = the ...
. Local industries were appointed to respond to war needs, assisting the country to provide the battle and home fronts with all materials needed. In the post-war years, Akmolinsk became a beacon of economic revival in the west of the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
ruined by the war. Additionally, many
Russian-Germans were resettled here after being
deported
Deportation is the expulsion of a person or group of people from a place or country. The term ''expulsion'' is often used as a synonym for deportation, though expulsion is more often used in the context of international law, while deportation ...
under
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
's rule.
In 1954, Northern Kazakh SSR oblasts became a territory of the
Virgin Lands Campaign, in order to turn the region into a second
grain
A grain is a small, hard, dry fruit (caryopsis) – with or without an attached hull layer – harvested for human or animal consumption. A grain crop is a grain-producing plant. The two main types of commercial grain crops are cereals and legum ...
producer for the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
. In December 1960,
Central Committee
Central committee is the common designation of a standing administrative body of Communist party, communist parties, analogous to a board of directors, of both ruling and nonruling parties of former and existing socialist states. In such party org ...
made a resolution to create the Tselinniy Krai, which comprised five regions of the Northern Kazakh SSR oblasts.
Akmolinsk Oblast was ceased to exist as a separate administrative entity. Its districts were directly subordinated to the new
krai
A krai or kray (; russian: край, , ''kraya'') is one of the types of federal subjects of modern Russia, and was a type of geographical administrative division in the Russian Empire and the Russian SFSR.
Etymologically, the word is relate ...
administration, and Akmolinsk became the krai capital, as well as the administrative seat of the new Virgin Lands economic region. On 14 March 1961, Khrushchev suggested the city should have a name corresponding to its role in the Virgin Lands Campaign. On 20 March 1961, the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR renamed Akmolinsk ''Tselinograd''. On 24 April 1961, the region was reconstituted as ''Tselinograd Oblast''. In the 1960s, Tselinograd was completely transformed. In 1963, work on the first three new high-rise housing districts began. In addition, the city received a number of new monumental public buildings, including the Virgin Lands Palace, a Palace of Youth, a House of Soviets, a new airport, and several sports venues. In 1971, the Tselinniy Krai was abolished and Tselinograd became the centre of the oblast.
Contemporary era (1991–present)
After the
dissolution of the Soviet Union
The dissolution of the Soviet Union, also negatively connoted as rus, Разва́л Сове́тского Сою́за, r=Razvál Sovétskogo Soyúza, ''Ruining of the Soviet Union''. was the process of internal disintegration within the Sov ...
and the consequent independence of Kazakhstan, the city's original name was restored in the modified form ''Akmola''. On 6 July 1994, the
Supreme Council of Kazakhstan
The Supreme Council of Kazakhstan (), was a unicameral legislative branch in Kazakhstan that existed from 1993 to 1995. The Supreme Council succeeded the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR after the new Constitution of Kazakhstan was adopted on 28 ...
adopted the decree "On the transfer of the capital of Kazakhstan".
After the capital of Kazakhstan was moved to Akmola on 10 December 1997, the city was consequently renamed Astana in 1998. On 10 June 1998, Astana was presented as the capital internationally. Due to several determined advantages, Astana was chosen as the capital: large urban areas, favorable geographical position, proximity to the major economic centers of the region, considerable demographic capacity, good transportation facilities, and a relatively favorable climate. On 16 July 1999, Astana was awarded the medal and title of the City of Peace by
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
.
In March 2019, Kazakhstan renamed its capital Astana to Nur-Sultan to honour the country's outgoing long-term authoritarian president,
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
. In September 2022, after a number of controversies and
unrest
Unrest, also called disaffection, is a sociological phenomenon, including:
* Civil unrest
* Civil disorder
* Domestic terrorism
* Industrial unrest
* Labor unrest
* Rebellion
* Riot
* Strike action
* State of emergency
Notable historical instance ...
resulting in Nazarbayev's resignation from the
Security Council of Kazakhstan
The Security Council of Kazakhstan (, ''Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Qauıpsızdık Keñesı'' ) is a constitutional advisory body of the Kazakh Government which aides and assists the President of Kazakhstan in implementation of military policy and ...
, the name of the capital was changed back to Astana.
Geography
![Astana (Kazakhstan), satellite image 2017-07-24](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f3/Astana_%28Kazakhstan%29%2C_satellite_image_2017-07-24.jpg)
Astana is almost from the country's largest city and former capital,
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
. The nearest big cities are
Karaganda
Karaganda or Qaraghandy ( kk, Қарағанды/Qarağandy, ; russian: Караганда, ) is the capital of Karaganda Region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, fourth most populous city in Kaza ...
() and
Omsk
Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...
in Russia ().
Topography
Astana is located in central Kazakhstan on the
Ishim River
The Ishim (russian: Иши́м, Ishim; kk, Есіл, Esil) is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its average discharge is . It is a left tributary of the Irtysh. The Ishim is partly naviga ...
in a very flat, semi-arid steppe region which covers most of the country's territory. It is at 51° 10' north latitude and 71° 26' east longitude. The city encompasses . The elevation of Astana is
above sea level
Height above mean sea level is a measure of the vertical distance (height, elevation or altitude) of a location in reference to a historic mean sea level taken as a vertical datum. In geodesy, it is formalized as ''orthometric heights''.
The comb ...
. Astana is in a spacious steppe landscape, in the transitional area between the north of Kazakhstan and the extremely thinly settled national centre, because of the Ishim River. The older boroughs lie north of the river, whilst the new boroughs are located south of the Ishim.
Time
The
time offset
The UTC offset is the difference in hours and minutes between Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) and local solar time, at a particular place. This difference is expressed with respect to UTC and is generally shown in the format , , or . So if the tim ...
from the
UTC used by Astana is 6 hours ahead of UTC, or
UTC+6:00. This is also used by most of
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
and
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
.
Climate
Astana is the second-coldest national capital in the world after
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...
, Mongolia, a position formerly held by Canada's capital,
Ottawa
Ottawa (, ; Canadian French: ) is the capital city of Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River in the southern portion of the province of Ontario. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the core ...
, until Astana attained capital city status in 1997. Astana has an extreme continental climate with warm summers (featuring occasional brief rain showers) and long, very cold, dry winters. Summer temperatures occasionally reach while is not unusual between mid-December and early March. Typically, the city's river is frozen over between the second week of November and the beginning of April. Astana has a well-deserved reputation among Kazakhs for its frequent high winds, the effects of which are felt particularly strongly on the fast-developing but relatively exposed Left Bank area of the city.
Overall, Astana has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
(
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Dfb''). The average annual temperature in Astana is . January is the coldest month with an average temperature of and record lowest is in January 1893's cold wave reaching temperatures down to .
July is the hottest month with an average temperature of .
Demographics
Population
As of January 2020, the population of Astana is 1,136,008;
over double the 2002 population of 493,000.
As of 2018, ethnic
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 parts o ...
made up 80.6% of the city population, representing an increase from 17% during the country's independence.
Ethnic groups (2020):
*
Kazakh: 79.1%
*
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
: 12.85%
*
Ukrainian
Ukrainian may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to Ukraine
* Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe
* Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine
* So ...
: 1.32%
*
Tatar
The Tatars ()[Tatar]
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different : 1.08%
*
Uzbek: 0.96%
* Others: 4.65%
In 1989, Tselinograd had a population of 281,000. The ethnic mix was about 17.7%
Kazakh, 54.1%
Russian
Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including:
*Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries
*Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...
and 28.2% other ethnic groups.
By 2007, Astana's population had more than doubled since becoming the capital, to over 600,000, and it topped 1 million in 2017. Migrant workers—legal and illegal—have been attracted from across Kazakhstan and neighbouring states such as Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan, and Astana is a magnet for young professionals seeking to build a career.
Religion
Islam
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...
is the predominant religion of the city. Other religions practiced are
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
(primarily
Russian Orthodoxy
Russian Orthodoxy (russian: Русское православие) is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity, whose liturgy is or was traditionally conducted in Church Slavonic language. Most C ...
,
Roman Catholicism
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
, and
Protestantism
Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
),
Judaism
Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in the ...
, and
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...
.
The
Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation ( kk, Бейбітшілік пен келісім сарайы, ''Beibıtşılık pen kelısım saraiy''), also translated as the ''Pyramid of Peace and Accord'', is a pyramid in Astana, the capital of Kaz ...
was specially constructed in 2006 to host the Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. It contains accommodations for different religions: Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism,
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
,
Taoism
Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of Philosophy, philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of China, Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmo ...
and other faiths.
Central Asia's largest mosque is found in Astana.
Metropolitan area
The metropolitan area centered upon Astana includes the
Arshaly
Arshaly ( kk, Аршалы, ''Arşaly''; russian: Аршалы) is a settlement in northern-central Kazakhstan. It is the administrative center of Arshaly District in Akmola Region
Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola ...
,
Shortandy
Shortandy ( kk, Шортанды, ''Şortandy''), is a village in northern-central Kazakhstan. It is the seat of Shortandy District in Aqmola Region.
References
Populated places in Akmola Region
{{Kazakhstan-geo-stub ...
,
Tselinograd
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capital city of Kazakhstan.
The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, thou ...
and (partially)
Akkol
Akkol ( kz, Ақкөл, ''Aqköl'', zh, 阿科尔), formerly known as ''Alexeyevka'' (russian: italic=yes, Алексеевка, until 1997), is a town in northern Kazakhstan. It is located north of the national capital Nur-Sultan along the hig ...
districts of
Akmola Region
Akmola Region ( kz, Ақмола облысы, translit=Aqmola oblysy; russian: Акмолинская область, Akmolinskaya oblast) is a centrally located region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Kokshetau. The national capital, Astana, is en ...
. The area contains 1.2 million people.
Economy
![KazMunayGaz in Astana Kazakhstan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/KazMunayGaz_in_Astana_Kazakhstan.jpg)
Astana's economy is based on
trade
Trade involves the transfer of goods and services from one person or entity to another, often in exchange for money. Economists refer to a system or network that allows trade as a market.
An early form of trade, barter, saw the direct excha ...
,
industrial production
Industrial production is a measure of output of the industrial sector of the economy. The industrial sector includes manufacturing, mining, and utilities. Although these sectors contribute only a small portion of gross domestic product (GDP), the ...
,
transport
Transport (in British English), or transportation (in American English), is the intentional movement of humans, animals, and goods from one location to another. Modes of transport include air, land (rail and road), water, cable, pipeline, an ...
,
communication
Communication (from la, communicare, meaning "to share" or "to be in relation with") is usually defined as the transmission of information. The term may also refer to the message communicated through such transmissions or the field of inquir ...
and
construction
Construction is a general term meaning the art and science to form objects, systems, or organizations,"Construction" def. 1.a. 1.b. and 1.c. ''Oxford English Dictionary'' Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) Oxford University Press 2009 and com ...
. The city's industrial production is mainly focused on producing
building materials
Building material is material used for construction. Many naturally occurring substances, such as clay, rocks, sand, wood, and even twigs and leaves, have been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-ma ...
,
food
Food is any substance consumed by an organism for nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or fungal origin, and contains essential nutrients, such as carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, or minerals. The substance is inge ...
stuff and
mechanical engineering
Mechanical engineering is the study of physical machines that may involve force and movement. It is an engineering branch that combines engineering physics and mathematics principles with materials science, to design, analyze, manufacture, and ...
.
Astana is the leader in the CIS region on Global Financial Centers Index rank in 2022.
The Astana International Financial Center (AIFC) opened in July 2018 to become a hub for financial services in Central Asia.
Astana is the headquarters of
state-owned corporations such as
Samruk-Kazyna
Samruk-Kazyna ( kk, Самұрық-Қазына, translit=Samūryq-Qazyna), officially known as the National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna" ( kk, «Самұрық-Қазына» ұлттық әл-ауқат қоры» Акционерлік Қо ...
,
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy
Kazakhstan Temir Joly (KTJ; kk, Қазақстан Темір Жолы, Qazaqstan Temır Joly (QTJ)), also National Company Kazakhstan Temir Joly, is the national railway company of Kazakhstan.
Organization
Founded by the government in 2002 as ...
,
KazMunayGas
KazMunayGas (KMG) ( kk, QazMúnayGaz, ҚазМұнайГаз) is the state-owned oil and gas company of Kazakhstan. ,
KazTransOil,
Kazatomprom,
KEGOC
Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC) joint-stok company is a Nur-Sultan based state company of Kazakhstan established in 1997.
General information
KEGOC is the System Operator of the Unified Power System (UPS) of Kazakhstan, an ...
,
Kazpost
Kazpost (russian: Акционерное общество «Казпочта», kk, “Qazpošta” Aktsionerlik Qoğamy, «Қазпошта» акционерлік қоғамы) is the national postal service of Kazakhstan.
History
Indepen ...
and
Kazakhtelecom
Kazakhtelecom JSC ( kk, Қазақтелеком, ''Qazaqtelekom''; russian: Казахтелеком) is the largest telecommunication company in Kazakhstan.
Shareholders
* 51.00% - AO Samruk-Kazyna JSC - fund of national wealth
* 16.90% - Bo ...
.
The shift of the capital has given it a powerful boost to Astana's economic development. The city's high economic growth rate has attracted numerous investors. In the 16 years since Astana became the capital, the volume of investments has increased by almost 30 times, the gross regional product has increased by 90 times, and industrial output has increased by 11 times. The city's
Gross Regional Product
Gross regional product (GRP) is a monetary measure of the market value of all final goods and services produced in a region or subdivision of a country in a period (quarterly or yearly) of time.
A metropolitan area's GRP (gross metropolitan prod ...
makes up about 8.5 per cent of the republic's
Gross domestic product
Gross domestic product (GDP) is a money, monetary Measurement in economics, measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced and sold (not resold) in a specific time period by countries. Due to its complex and subjec ...
.
The Astana – New City
special economic zone
A special economic zone (SEZ) is an area in which the business and trade laws are different from the rest of the country. SEZs are located within a country's national borders, and their aims include increasing trade balance, employment, increas ...
was established in 2001 to help develop industry and increase the attractiveness of the city to investors.
The SEZ plans to commission five projects worth 20 billion KZT (around $108 million) in the Industrial Park No. 1 in 2015.
The projects include construction of a plant for production of
diesel engine
The diesel engine, named after Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which ignition of the fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to mechanical compression; thus, the diesel engine is a so-call ...
s, a
fast food
Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredien ...
complex, temporary storage warehouses and a business center, a furniture factory, and production of military and civil engineering machinery.
The new
Astana International Financial Centre
The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is a financial hub in Astana, Kazakhstan that officially launched on July 5, 2018.
On 20 May 2015, the President of Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev announced the “100 Concrete Steps ...
opened in July 2018.
Astana's administration is promoting the development of small and medium-sized businesses through the cooperation of the Sovereign Welfare Fund
Samruk-Kazyna
Samruk-Kazyna ( kk, Самұрық-Қазына, translit=Samūryq-Qazyna), officially known as the National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna" ( kk, «Самұрық-Қазына» ұлттық әл-ауқат қоры» Акционерлік Қо ...
and National Economic Chamber. Support is provided by a special programme of crediting. As a result, the number of small and medium-sized businesses increased by 13.7% to over 96,000 compared to the previous year as of 1 July 2015.
In addition, the number of people employed in small and medium-sized business increased by 17.8% to over 234,000 people as of 1 April 2015.
Astana was included in the list of top 21 intelligent communities of the world, according to the report released by the Intelligent Community Forum in October 2016. The rating list includes the cities, regions and communities which use digital instruments for the construction of local economy and society.
In 2018, Astana attracted more than three trillion tenge (US$7.91 billion) in foreign direct investment, a record amount for the city. The growth was achieved due to a large number of construction projects.
Tourism becomes one of the factors that drive economic growth in the city. Astana is among the top ten most attractive tourist cities in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).
Diplomacy platform
Astana has become a platform for high-profile diplomatic talks and summits on critical global issues. Astana has hosted multiple rounds of talks between the
Syrian Arab Republic government led by
Bashar al-Assad
Bashar Hafez al-Assad, ', Levantine pronunciation: ; (, born 11 September 1965) is a Syrian politician who is the 19th president of Syria, since 17 July 2000. In addition, he is the commander-in-chief of the Syrian Armed Forces and the ...
and
Syrian opposition
The Syrian opposition ( ar, المعارضة السورية ', ) is the political structure represented by the Syrian National Coalition and associated Syrian anti-Assad groups with certain territorial control as an alternative Syrian gover ...
.
The 12th Ministerial Conference of the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization that regulates and facilitates international trade. With effective cooperation
in the United Nations System, governments use the organization to establish, revise, and e ...
(WTO) was originally scheduled to take place in June 2020 in then Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In May 2020, WTO members discussed Kazakhstan's offer to reschedule the conference to June 2021 but postponed taking a decision due to the ongoing pandemic. In April 2021, members agreed that MC12 would take place in Geneva from 30 November to 3 December.
Since 2003, Astana has hosted the Congress on World and Traditional Religions, which is a diverse gathering of religious leaders to discuss religious harmony and ending terrorism and extremism.
Cityscape
![Downtown Astana With The National Concert Hall (6246435844)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Downtown_Astana_With_The_National_Concert_Hall_%286246435844%29.jpg)
Astana is subdivided into four districts.
Almaty District
Almaty District ( kk, Алматы ауданы, ; russian: Район Алматы), is an administrative subdivision of the city of Astana
Astana, previously known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, Akmola, and most recently Nur-Sultan, is the capi ...
was created on 6 May 1998 by presidential decree. The district's territory encompasses an area of with a population of 375,938 people. The district has five villages.
Yesil District
Yesil District ( kk, Есіл Ауданы, ; russian: Район Есиль), is an administrative subdivision of the city of Astana, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mai ...
, which is also called left bank of the city, was created on 5 August 2008 by presidential decree. The district's territory encompasses an area of with a population of 119,929 people.
Saryarka District was created on 6 May 1998 by presidential decree. The district's territory encompasses an area of with a population of 339,286 people.
Baykonyr District was created on 16 March 2018 by presidential decree. The district's territory encompasses an area of with a population of 233 351 people.
In April 1998, the
Government of Kazakhstan
The Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan ( kk, Қазақстан Республикасының Үкіметі, tr, ''Qazaqstan Respublikasynyñ Ükımetı'') oversees a presidential republic. The President of Kazakhstan, currently Kassym- ...
asked architects and
urban planner
An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning.
An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, town ...
s of international renown to participate in a design competition for the new capital. On 6 October 1998, Japanese architect
Kisho Kurokawa
(April 8, 1934 – October 12, 2007) was a leading Japanese architect and one of the founders of the Metabolist Movement.
Biography
Born in Kanie, Aichi, Kurokawa studied architecture at Kyoto University, graduating with a bachelor's d ...
was awarded the First Prize. Kurokawa's proposal aimed to preserve and redevelop the existing city, and create a new city at the south and the east sides of the
Ishim River
The Ishim (russian: Иши́м, Ishim; kk, Есіл, Esil) is a river running through Kazakhstan and Russia. It is long, and has a drainage basin of . Its average discharge is . It is a left tributary of the Irtysh. The Ishim is partly naviga ...
, enabling the Symbiosis of the History and the Future.
North of the railway line, which crosses Astana in an east–west direction, are industrial and poorer residential areas. Between the railway line and the Ishim river is the city centre, where at present intense building activity is occurring. To the west and east are more elevated residential areas with parks and the new area of government administration to the south of the Ishim River. Here many large building projects are under way; for example, the construction of a diplomatic quarter, and government buildings. By 2030, these quarters are to be completed. Astana's chief planner, Vladimir Laptev, wants to build a
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
in a
Eurasia
Eurasia (, ) is the largest continental area on Earth, comprising all of Europe and Asia. Primarily in the Northern and Eastern Hemispheres, it spans from the British Isles and the Iberian Peninsula in the west to the Japanese archipelago a ...
n style. He has stated that a purely administrative capital such as
Canberra
Canberra ( )
is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...
is not one of his goals.
Sport
![Barys Arena](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Barys_Arena.jpg)
The city has a variety of sports teams. The major
association football
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
team is the
FC Astana
Astana Football Club ( kk, Astana Futbol Kluby) is a professional football club based in Astana. They play in the Kazakhstan Premier League, the highest level of Kazakh football. The club's home ground is the 30,254-seat Astana Arena stadium. Th ...
of the
Kazakhstan Premier League
The Kazakhstan Professional Football League ( kk, Қазақстан Премьер Лигасы, ''Qazaqstan Premer Ligasy''), commonly referred to as Kazakh Premier League or simply Premier League, is the top division of football in Kazakhstan ...
. Founded in 2009, the FC Astana won six league titles, three
Kazakh Cups and five
Kazakh Super Cups. Their home stadium is the
Astana Arena
The Astana Arena ( kk, Астана Арена) is a football stadium in Astana, Kazakhstan. The stadium holds 30,000 and has a retractable roof. It serves as the national stadium for the Kazakhstan national football team. Astana Arena is the lar ...
, which also serves as a home for the
Kazakhstan national football team
The Kazakhstan national football team ( kk, Қазақстан Ұлттық футбол құрамасы, ''Qazaqstan Ūlttyq Futbol qūramasy'') represents Kazakhstan in men's international football and it is governed by the Kazakhstan Footbal ...
and the
FC Bayterek. The FC Bayterek is a member of the Kazakhstan First Division. They were founded in 2012, to develop
youth football. The
FC Astana-1964
FC Zhenis ( kk, Жеңіс футбол клубы) is a Kazakhstani football club based at the K.Munaitpasov Stadium in Astana. Founding members of the Kazakhstan Premier League, they were relegated to First Division for the first time in 2009 ...
is based in the
Kazhymukan Munaitpasov Stadium and plays in the Astana Municipal Football League. The club's most successful years were 2000s, when they won 3 league titles.
Astana is home to several professional
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
teams. The
Barys Astana
Hockey Club Barys ( kk, Барыс хоккей клубы , translit=Barys Hokkei Kluby), also referred to as Barys Astana or HC Barys, is a professional ice hockey team based in Astana, Kazakhstan. It is one of the founding members of the Kontine ...
, a founding member of the
Kontinental Hockey League
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; russian: Континентальная хоккейная лига (КХЛ), Kontinental'naya khokkeynaya liga) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs ba ...
in 2008 and based in the
Barys Arena
Barys Arena ( kk, Barys Arena) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Astana, Kazakhstan. It serves as a home arena for the Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The arena seats 11,578 spectators for ice hockey.
See also
*List ...
. The
Nomad Astana
Nomad Hockey Club ( kk, Nomad Hokkej Kluby), commonly referred to as Nomad Astana, is a farm team of the Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). Founded in 2007 as Barys Astana–2, the team changed its name to Nomad Astana in 2013. Fo ...
and
HC Astana
Hockey Club Astana ( kk, «Астана» хоккей клубы, ''Astana hokkeı klýby'') is a professional ice hockey team based in Astana, Kazakhstan. They were founded in 2011, and play in the Kazakhstan Hockey Championship, the top level of ...
play in the
Kazakhstan Hockey Championship
The Pro Hokei Ligasy formerly known as ''Republic of Kazakhstan Open Ice Hockey Championship'' ''( kk, Шайбалық хоккей бойынша Қазақстан Республикасының ашық чемпионаты, russian: Откры ...
. The
Snezhnye Barsy
The Snow Leopards Astana, Also known As Snezhnye Barsy, ( kk, Qar Barystary Nur-Sultan, Қар Барыстары Нұр-Сұлтан; russian: Снежные Барсы; en, Snow Leopards) is a Professional ice hockey team from Astana. They comp ...
of the Junior Hockey League (Russia), Junior Hockey League is a junior team of the Barys Astana. Astana annually hosts the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan's Cup ice hockey tournament.
The Astana Pro Team, founded in 2007, participates in the UCI World Tour. The team is one of the most successful road bicycle racing, road cycling teams of recent years, winning several Grand Tour (cycling), grand tours. The BC Astana of the VTB United League and the Kazakhstan Basketball Championship, Kazakhstan Basketball League is the only professional basketball team in Astana.
It is the most successful basketball team in Kazakhstan with three Kazakhstan Basketball League titles and four Kazakhstan Basketball Cups.
Its home arena is the Saryarka Velodrome, which is mainly used for track cycling events.
The Saryarka Velodrome hosted the UCI Track Cycling World Cup stage in 2011. The Astana Presidential Sports Club was founded in 2012, to combine the main sports teams in Astana. The organization is supported by Sovereign Wealth Fund
Samruk-Kazyna
Samruk-Kazyna ( kk, Самұрық-Қазына, translit=Samūryq-Qazyna), officially known as the National Welfare Fund "Samruk-Kazyna" ( kk, «Самұрық-Қазына» ұлттық әл-ауқат қоры» Акционерлік Қо ...
. The 2011 Asian Winter Games were partly held in the capital. The Alau Ice Palace, hosted the 2015 World Sprint Speed Skating Championships. The President's Cup (tennis), President's Cup tennis tournament is annually held at the Daulet National Tennis Centre.
The martial art palace was opened on 6 July 2019. Sports facilities for five thousand spectators can take part in international competitions in boxing, wrestling, judo, weightlifting, and other Olympic and non-Olympic disciplines. The palace has a 25-meter pool, fitness and wrestling rooms, a football field, as well as a comfortable hotel. The object will be made available to the pupils of the sports school.
Education
![Palace of Arts Shabyt](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/af/Palace_of_Arts_Shabyt.jpg)
Astana has many universities and junior colleges. academic year, Astana had a total enrollment of 53,561 students in its 14 higher educational institutions, a 10% increase from the prior year. The L.N.Gumilyov Eurasian National University is the biggest university in Astana with 16,558 students and 1,678 academic staff. It was founded as the result of merging the Akmola Civil Engineering Institute with the Akmola Pedagogical Institute on 23 May 1996. The oldest university in Astana is the S. Seifullin Kazakh Agro Technical University founded in 1957. Nazarbayev University is an autonomous research university founded in 2010 in partnership with some of the world's top universities. The Kazakh University of Economics, Finance and International Trade is an economic institution in Astana. The Kazakh Humanities and Law Institute is a law university founded by initiative of Ministry of Justice in 1994. The Astana Medical University was the only medical school in Astana until the opening of the School of Medecine at Nazarbayev University in 2014. The Kazakh National University of Arts is the premier music school and has provided Astana with highly qualified professional specialists in the field of Arts.
Astana schools enrolls about 103,000 students across 83 schools, including 71 state schools and 12 private schools. The Miras International School Astana, Miras International School, established 1999, was the first private high school established in Astana. The Haileybury Astana school was established in 2011, as a branch of the Haileybury and Imperial Service College, an independent school in The United Kingdom. The Astana Kazakh-Turkish High Schools are run by the International KATEV foundation. There are Kazakh-Turkish High Boarding Schools for gifted boys and girls, separately and th
Nurorda International School Astana hosts two Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools (NIS), including the School of Physics and Mathematics and International Baccalaureate world school. The QSI International School of Astana is an international school that provides an American curriculum to its students. The school is a branch of the Quality Schools International that started in the Middle East.
Transportation
City transport
![KZ 721 RC01 (44513246565)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5f/KZ_721_RC01_%2844513246565%29.jpg)
The city transport in Astana consists of buses and taxis. Over 720,000 people use public transport daily. There are over 40 bus lines served by more than 1000 vehicles, with over 3000 people working in the public transport sector. Just like buses, share taxis have their own predefined routes and work on a shared basis. There are nine share taxi routes in total.
Trolleybus routes were opened in 1983. There were originally 3 routes, however, by 2006, only one route was left. In 2008, the only trolleybus fleet by the special state commission was declared unprofitable due to debts to the energy supply company and as a result, it was completely closed.
In 2011, the Akimat of Astana established a company to implement a series of changes and programmes in the metropolis known as the "New transport system of Astana". As part of these programmes, bus rapid transit (BRT) lines were opened. That same year, the construction of a light rail (LRT) was to begin. It was planned that the first stage of construction of a 16.4-kilometer line, which would've included nine stations, was planned to be completed by 1 December 2013. However, as of May 2020, construction has not started. In November 2013, President
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
condemned the construction of LRT because of the high cost. In exchange, there was a promise to launch high-speed buses. Despite the controversy, the construction of the LRT began in 2017 with the flyovers along to which the trains will pass. The opening is planned for the end of 2020.
The bicycle-sharing program AstanaBike has been operating in Astana since 2014. In 2017, the system consisted of 40 stations with 1000 bicycles. The registration in the system for a season costs 5000 tenge ($28), plus a deposit for an RFID card ($5.50), the first half-hour of bike rental is free, the next hour is 100 tenge ($0.55). After more than 4 hours, the rent costs 1000 tenge.
Air
Nursultan Nazarbayev International Airport , located south-east of the city center, is the main gateway for the city's domestic and international civilian air traffic. It is the second-busiest airport in Kazakhstan, with 2,960,181 passengers passing through it in 2014. The airport hosts 13 airlines operating regular passenger flights inside the country and internationally. Air Astana maintains its second-largest hub at the airport. An expected 50% increase in passenger traffic by 2017 has spurred the construction of a new terminal with an area of about .
Railway and roads
![Talgo 200 Tulpar train, Astana rail terminal](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/04/Talgo_200_Tulpar_train%2C_Astana_rail_terminal._Kazakhstan%2C_2009.JPG)
Astana is located in the centre of the country, serving as a well-positioned transport node for rail and automotive networks.
Astana railway station is the city's main railway station and serves approximately 7,000 people each day. A new railway station, Astana Nurly Zhol railway station, Nurly Zhol was built during the Expo 2017 event with a customer capacity of 12,000. Talgo, Tulpar Talgo is a daily express train to
Almaty
Almaty (; kk, Алматы; ), formerly known as Alma-Ata ( kk, Алма-Ата), is the List of most populous cities in Kazakhstan, largest city in Kazakhstan, with a population of about 2 million. It was the capital of Kazakhstan from 1929 to ...
. Short-term plans include the construction of a new railway station in the industrial district; in the vicinity of CHPP-3 a new terminal will be erected for freight cars.
M-36 Chelyabinsk-Almaty and A-343 Astana-Petropavlovsk highways are routed through the city. The strategic geographical positioning of Astana allows the city to serve as a transport and reload centre for cargoes formed at adjacent stations in the area.
River transport
Since 2008, navigation on the Esil River has been organized within the city. The Akimat of the city in the framework of the implementation of the "Shipping Esil" program created a specialized enterprise GKKP "Esil-Astana". The first navigation was opened in 2008.
Expo 2017
On 1 July 2010, at the 153rd General Assembly of Bureau International des Expositions held in Paris, representatives from then-Astana presented the city's bid to host the Specialised Expo 2017.
The Kazakh concept for this exhibition relates to the impact of energy on society in the modern world. The theme of the Astana Expo was "Future Energy".
Expo 2017 opened to much fanfare on 10 June 2017, with heads of state from 17 nations in attendance. It is the first world's fair to be held in Central Asia and its central pavilion, ''Nur Alem'', is the largest spherical building in the world. The two-millionth visitor was registered on 7 August. More than 4 million people attended the event.
Sightseeing
*Baiterek (monument), Baiterek is the main attraction and symbol of Astana.
*Kazakh Eli – ("The Country of Kazakhs") – a monument on Independence Square, Astana, Independence Square. The 91-meter stele is crowned with the Samruk bird (Samұryқ, Simurg) – the king of all birds, the keeper of the peoples. The mythological image of Samruk also includes the second important monument of Kazakhstan – "Baiterek", in the translation "Tree of Life", under which the king of birds sits and spreads seeds on the ground from the flapping of wings.
*Nurjol Boulevard (formerly Water-Green Boulevard) is a recreational pedestrian zone with an Alley of Singing Fountains.
*Akorda is the residence of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
*Independence Palace – a building designed for diplomatic and other events of international level; the building also has a large-scale layout plan of Astana with existing and future facilities.
*The
Palace of Peace and Reconciliation
The Palace of Peace and Reconciliation ( kk, Бейбітшілік пен келісім сарайы, ''Beibıtşılık pen kelısım saraiy''), also translated as the ''Pyramid of Peace and Accord'', is a pyramid in Astana, the capital of Kaz ...
is the Congress Hall, designed for summits and congresses of representatives of traditional Kazakhstan and world religions. Architect Norman Foster
*"Kazakhstan" – Central Concert Hall.
*"Shabyt" – Kazakh National University of Arts.
*"Jastar" – the Palace of creativity of schoolchildren and youth.
*Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center, Khan Shatyr is the largest shopping and entertainment center (considered the largest tent in the world). Architect Norman Foster
*"Ethnoaul National Cultural Complex" – a unique cultural, tourist and image project for EXPO-2017.
Ethnoaul is a real opportunity to travel to the past and feel like a real nomad, to feel the atmosphere of centuries past. The national-cultural complex will acquaint visitors with the rich history, culture, art and traditions of the Kazakh people, where anyone who is interested will be transferred to the ethno-cultural environment of the nomadic civilization and fully enjoy the daily and festive life of the aul.
*The triumphal arch "Mangilik el" [2] is a landmark architectural structure, erected in honour of the anniversary of independence of Kazakhstan on the idea of
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev ( kk, Нұрсұлтан Әбішұлы Назарбаев, Nūrsūltan Äbişūlı Nazarbaev, ; born 6 July 1940) is a Kazakh politician and military officer who served as the first President of Kazakhstan, in off ...
.
*National Space Center [3] Future Energy Museum "Nur Alem" EXPO 2017 – the spherical building "Nur Alem" (Kaz. Shining World). Its height is 100 meters and its diameter is 80 meters.
*Nur Alem is the tallest building with a spherical shape, 30 meters in diameter, than the Ericsson-Glob Arena in Stockholm.
*Astana Grand Mosque - the largest mosque in Central Asia, completed in 2022.
Theaters, concert halls, and museums
There are 27 libraries in Astana, whose services in 2011 were used by 153 people for every thousand residents, 8 state museums, which were visited by 415,500 people in 2011 and which conducted 68,514 excursions, 10 recreation parks, in 2011 1492.2 thousand visitors were received and 99 events, 6 state museums and 6 cinemas were held.
*The Kazakhstan Central Concert Hall, Central Concert Hall Kazakhstan is a unique complex of the young capital designed for events of various levels: concerts of world and domestic stars, celebrations and official meetings, exhibitions, conferences, presentations. Architect Manfredi Nicoletti
*Astana Circus is an entertaining circus institution in the city of Nur Sultan. One of the three main circuses of Kazakhstan; in the territory of the former USSR, one of the newest circuses and one of two unique circus buildings in the form of a "flying saucer" (along with the Kazan circus).
*The National Opera and Ballet Theater named after K. Baiseitova is the youngest musical theater in the country, the bearer of the traditions of the Kazakh and world musical culture, comprehending the classical heritage and realizing the spiritual needs of the renewed Kazakhstani society.
*Astana Opera is a theater founded by the initiative of the first president of Kazakhstan, Nursultan Nazarbayev. The theater building, built in 2013, this Parthenon-styled edifice is one of the cultural centers of the city, staging both classical and original works, is recognized as an architectural monument of national importance.
*Kazakh Music and Drama Theater named after K. Kuanyshbaev
*State Academic Russian Drama Theater named after Maxim Gorky
*The National Museum of the Republic of Kazakhstan is the largest museum in Central Asia. The museum was created on behalf of the first president of the Republic of Kazakhstan N.A. *Nazarbayev in the framework of the State program "Cultural Heritage"
*Modern Art Museum.
*Presidential Center of Culture – created on the initiative of the head of state N. Nazarbayev. The uniqueness of the research, cultural and educational complex of the capital is that its structure includes a museum, a library, a concert hall.
*ALZHIR (Akmola camp of wives of traitors to the motherland) – the largest Soviet women's camp, one of the three "islands" of the "Gulag Archipelago"
*Atameken is an ethno-memorial complex of nature, architecture and life on a large-scale map of Kazakhstan.
*The Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Museum of the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
*Memorial complex of the Ministry of Internal Affairs (in honor of the heroes of the Great Patriotic War in the capital).
*Museum of The Future (Nur-Alem Pavilion) – is more than just a monument of Expo 2017, EXPO2017. The museum exhibition is all about the energy of the future. You can learn everything there is to know about renewable, green, and solar-powered energy sources, as well as see a model of the city proposed for 2050.
Twin towns – sister cities
Astana is Sister city, twinned with:
* Amman, Jordan (2005)
* Ankara, Turkey (2001)
* Ashgabat, Turkmenistan (2017)
* Bangkok, Thailand (2004)
* Beijing, China (2006)
* Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan (2011)
* Damascus, Syria
* Gdańsk, Poland (1996)
* Hanoi, Vietnam (2009)
* Islamabad, Pakistan
* Kazan, Russia (2004)
* Kyiv, Ukraine (1998)
* Manila, Philippines
* Moscow, Russia
* Nice, France (2013)
* Oulu, Finland (2013)
* Putrajaya, Malaysia
* Riga, Latvia (1998)
* Saint Petersburg, Russia (1996)
* Seoul, South Korea (2004)
* Tashkent, Uzbekistan
* Tbilisi, Georgia (1996)
* Ufa, Russia (2010)
*
Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar (; mn, Улаанбаатар, , "Red Hero"), previously anglicized as Ulan Bator, is the capital and most populous city of Mongolia. It is the coldest capital city in the world, on average. The municipality is located in north ce ...
, Mongolia (2019)
* Uşak, Turkey
* Vilnius, Lithuania
* Warsaw, Poland (2002)
Friendly cities
Astana also cooperates with:
[
* Baku, Azerbaijan
* ]Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...
, Germany
* Bucharest, Romania
* Budapest, Hungary
* Cairo, Egypt
* Chelyabinsk, Russia
* Chișinău, Moldova
* Kurgan, Kurgan Oblast, Kurgan, Russia
* Kursk, Russia
* Minsk, Belarus
* Omsk
Omsk (; rus, Омск, p=omsk) is the administrative center and largest city of Omsk Oblast, Russia. It is situated in southwestern Siberia, and has a population of over 1.1 million. Omsk is the third largest city in Siberia after Novosibirsk ...
, Russia
* Penza, Russia
* Saratov, Russia
* Sverdlovsk Oblast, Russia
* Tomsk, Russia
* Ürümqi, China
Smart city initiative
The Smart Astana project is an initiative developed by the then-Astana city administration that incorporates technology-driven solutions in various sectors, like hospitals, schools, the ticket booking system and street lighting. These projects run on an interconnected application, the Smart Astana.
Astana's smart city sector includes the annual Astana Innovations Challenge, designed to bring attention to the smart city concept. In addition, the world's first smart sustainable city acceleration hub is set to open in Astana. This hub was planned to integrate from 10 to 15 startup solutions into the infrastructure of Kazakhstan.
See also
* List of people from Astana
Footnotes
References
Further reading
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External links
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Official website of the BIE
Expo 2017 Astana-Kazakhstan
{{Authority control
Astana,
Akmolinsk Oblast (Russian Empire)
Weather extremes of Earth
Capitals in Asia
Cities and towns in Kazakhstan
Cities in Central Asia
Planned capitals
Populated places established in 1830
Regions of Kazakhstan
1830 establishments in the Russian Empire