Regions of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has a large territory and is divided into five main regions: Eastern Kazakhstan, Western Kazakhstan, Northern Kazakhstan, Central Kazakhstan and Southern Kazakhstan.

Eastern Kazakhstan.

Occupies an area of ​​277 thousand square meters. km. population 1772 people. Eastern Kazakhstan is the place of origin of the Kazakhs of the Middle Zhuz; according to the national composition, today 58% of the population is Kazakh and 38% Russian. Eastern Kazakhstan is located in the center of the Eurasian continent. The East Kazakhstan border is located at the junction of the borders of China, Mongolia and Russia. The regional center of East Kazakhstan is the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk; there are 9 cities and 15 districts in the region. In the western part of the region, Semey is a large city.

Amazingly picturesque nature of East Kazakhstan, in the southeast are the Saur and Tabagatiy ridges, between them lies the Zaisan Basin. Among the mountain peaks of Eastern Kazakhstan, Mount Belukha stands out; it is the highest mountain in Siberia and Altai. There is a permanent kingdom of snow and ice here, the height of the mountain is 4506 m above sea level. Nearby is Mount Berkutaul, its height is 3373 m. There are more than 1200 rivers in the region, of which 885 are from 10 to 100 km long, and only 20 rivers are more than 100 km long. The rivers of Eastern Kazakhstan belong to the Arctic Ocean basin and the internal closed Balkhash-Alakol basin. The main river of Eastern Kazakhstan is the Irtysh, its right tributaries are Kurchum, Bukhtarma, Uba, Ulba. Large lakes: Markakol, Zaisan, Rakhmanovskoye, Sasykol, Alakol, Maralye. Lake Alakol is located on the northeastern edge of the Dzhungar Alatau at the junction of two regions.

Climate sharply continental. The relief of East Kazakhstan is quite diverse, here you can find mountainous terrain, sandy desert, steppe, clay canyons, forests, taiga and alpine meadows. The subsoil of East Kazakhstan is rich in minerals; minerals such as lead, zinc, silver, gold, copper, titanium, tantalum, magnesium, cadmium, tellurium, and other metals are mined and processed here. Such deposits as Zyryanovskoye, Leninogorskoye, Nikolskoye have no equal in their reserves among the CIS countries. Eastern Kazakhstan is a large industrial center, with over a thousand medium and large industrial enterprises operating here. Large metal producers in the region are the Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium-Magnesium Plant, the Ulba Metallurgical Plant, a branch of Vostok Kazmed, and Kazakhmys Corporation. JSC Asia-Auto produces passenger cars.

Agriculture The region is represented mainly by livestock farming; the development of this industry is facilitated by vast areas of steppes and mountain pastures. Agriculture in East Kazakhstan is predominantly grain-oriented. Honey-bearing plants grow in the foothills of Altai, so Altai honey is considered one of the best in the world. The largest processing enterprises in Eastern Kazakhstan are Shemazat LLP (meat processing plant), Vostok-Moloko Corporation and Emil LLP.

On the territory of East Kazakhstan there is one of the most interesting historical monuments - the Mazar of Kozy-Korpesha and Bayan-Sulu. (X – XI centuries), on the banks of the Ayaz River.

Flora and fauna of Eastern Kazakhstan amazingly varied. The mountains are covered mainly with coniferous forests, there are larch, poplar, birch, aspen and cedar. Here you can find huge tracts of bushes - thickets of bird cherry, rowan, honeysuckle, rose hips, currants, elm, hawthorn and juniper. Among the animals you can find lynx, wolverine, hares, foxes, bears, deer and many others.

Eastern Kazakhstan has the longest road network in Kazakhstan - 11841,8 km, and therefore the population mainly uses cars and buses when traveling. Trains run in the directions of Almaty and Astana, with separate carriages being formed for Moscow, Barnaul, and Novosibirsk. In East Kazakhstan, navigation along the Irtysh River is also developed.

 Western Kazakhstan.

Western Kazakhstan includes West Kazakhstan, Atyrau, Mangystau and Aktobe regions. Western Kazakhstan includes roads to the central and southern parts of Kazakhstan, as well as to the countries of Central Asia. In the north it is surrounded by the spurs of the Ural Mountains; in the south, the region is surrounded by the deserts of Turkmenistan; in the east is the Aral Sea; in the west is the Caspian Sea. The total area of ​​the territory is 736129 sq. km. The population of Western Kazakhstan is 2500,5 people. The national composition is mainly dominated by Kazakhs. The main rivers are the Ural and Emba. The largest lakes are Inder, Aralsor, Kamys-Samarskie.

Western Kazakhstan is the largest oil refining region in the country. The world's largest oil and gas fields are located here - Tengiz, Karachaganak, Kashagan. The region has reserves of such raw materials as chromium, nickel, titanium, phosphorites, copper, aluminum and coal. Among the large enterprises of Western Kazakhstan, the following enterprises stand out: Aktobe plant for the production of chrome products JSC "Ferrosplav", Atyrau oil refinery, Kazakh gas processing plant in Zhanaozen, Aktobe paint and varnish plant, JSC "Ural plant "Zenit" - shipbuilding, JSC

"Aktyubrentgen" - production of x-ray equipment. The region has developed metalworking, light and food industries. Agriculture is developed - livestock breeding, crop production, meat and dairy, bakery, fish processing industry. A large enterprise for processing fish products is Atyraubalyk JSC.

In Western Kazakhstan there is the largest port in the Caspian Sea - RSE "Aktau International Sea Trade Port". A network of road and railway communications is also developed. There are 4 international airports in Western Kazakhstan: Aktobe, Atyrau, Aktau and Uralsk. On the territory of Western Kazakhstan there is the Ustyur National Biosphere Reserve. For a long time, the Great Silk Road passed through the territory of Western Kazakhstan in ancient times. Caravanserais and small settlements have been preserved here: Sartash, Alta, Ketyk. Also here is the sacred Mount Sherkala, and not far from it are the ruins of the fortress of Genghis Khan’s son Jochi.

The region is also rich in historical and architectural monuments: the underground mosques of Beket-Ata, Shakpak-Ata, carved out of rock, the Eset-Batyr memorial complex and many others.

 Northern Kazakhstan.

Northern Kazakhstan includes the North Kazakhstan region, Pavlodar, Akmola and Kostanay regions. Northern Kazakhstan borders with Russia. The population of North Kazakhstan is 3759,4 people; the ethnic composition is dominated by the Russian population, with the exception of Astana and the Akmola region. The main rivers are the Irtysh and its two left tributaries Yesil and Tobol. Among the large lakes, Kusmyryn, Sary-Kopa, Tengiz, Korganzhyn, Shagala and Burabay stand out. Many lakes are known for their healing waters and mud.

The climate in the region is sharply continental. The unique nature of North Kazakhstan is a special asset of this region. On its territory there is the Borovoye resort area and the Bayanaul resort area in the Pavlodar region, as well as nature reserves such as: Korgalzhinsky National Reserve, Naurzumsky State Reserve, Borovsky and Zerendiysky farms, where hunters settled and acclimatized various species of animals and birds. Northern Kazakhstan is mainly an agro-industrial complex; it produces 15% of the country's agricultural sector. Akmola and Kostanay regions specialize in grain production and the development of livestock farming. And the Akmola region is the main supplier of strong varieties of spring wheat in Kazakhstan.

Northern Kazakhstan also has rich reserves of iron ore, refractory materials and reserves of aluminum and polymetallic ores. Rich reserves of iron ore are located in the Kostanay region - Torgay bauxite and Zhetygara asbestos.

The metallurgical industry is represented by a large enterprise in Northern Kazakhstan, the Sokolovsko-Sarybay Mining and Processing Plant. The Pavlodar region has developed non-ferrous and ferrous metallurgy, coal industry, electric power, mechanical engineering, oil refining, light and food industries. Among the large enterprises, the Aksu Ferroalloy Plant stands out. The Aksu Ferroalloy Plant, together with the Don Mining and Processing Plant and the Aktobin Ferroalloy Plant, was merged into the Kazchrome Corporation with its transfer to the management of the Japanese company Japan Chrome. Also in the city of Pavlodar itself there is a large oil refinery that runs on crude oil coming from Western

Siberia via the Omsk-Pavlodar oil pipeline with a continuation to Shymkent. Coal production in the region is carried out at the Ekibastuz and Maikuben deposits. All types of transport connections are developed in the region. Astana, the capital of the republic, belongs to Northern Kazakhstan.

 Central Kazakhstan.

Central Kazakhstan includes the Karaganda region and the area of ​​the region is 427,9 km1,3. Currently, more than 115 million people live here - representatives of 11 nationalities. On the territory of Central Kazakhstan there are 1063,4 cities with a total population of 479 thousand people. 35 thousand people live in Karaganda (180% of the total population of the region), and more than XNUMX thousand live in Temirtau.

This is the flattest part of the republic with a sharply continental climate. Here is one of the largest lakes in the world, Balkhash, and a wide steppe called Saryarka. There are more than two hundred lakes on the territory of Saryarka, the most famous among them is Lake Tengiz. The lakes are favored by numerous flocks of cranes, swans, herons, ducks and geese. The Karkaraly State National Park is located on the territory of Central Kazakhstan. The city of Karakaralinsk and its surrounding territory is considered a resort area. The nature here is truly amazing - low mountains, pine forests and numerous lakes with clear water are of particular interest to tourists. Through Karkaralinsk  the Great Silk Road ran. Central Kazakhstan is a large industrial-agrarian region of the republic. The region has developed coal, chemical industries, ferrous metallurgy, agricultural engineering, agriculture, light and food industries. The Karaganda coal basin produces 37% of hard and 100% coking coal of the republic. Karaganda Metallurgical Plant is the largest enterprise in Kazakhstan. Agriculture is developed in the northern part of Central Kazakhstan. Mainly spring wheat is grown here, as well as barley, millet, sunflower, various vegetables and potatoes. They raise cattle and horses. In the south, most agricultural land is used only for sheep pasture. They are bred everywhere here. In Central Kazakhstan, railway transport plays a special role. Residents of Central Kazakhstan mainly travel by rail and highways.

Southern Kazakhstan.

Southern Kazakhstan includes Almaty, Zhambyl, South Kazakhstan and Kzylorda regions. This region occupies almost the entire southern half of the country. The nature of Southern Kazakhstan is diverse, this region stretches from the snow-capped Tien Shan ridges to the Aral Sea and the Aral Karakum Desert in the west, in the north the region surrounds Lake Balkhash. On the territory of Southern Kazakhstan is located one of the oldest nature reserves in Kazakhstan - the Aksu-Zhabagly Nature Reserve. On the western spurs of the Dzhungar Alatau ridge is the Altyn-Emel National Park, on the territory of which there are several historical monuments. The famous Tamgaly-Tas petroglyphs are located 170 kilometers from Almaty. And on the right bank of the river Or there is a miracle of nature - the singing dunes. In Southern Kazakhstan there is the unofficially recognized southern capital of the Republic of Almaty. Almaty is located in the foothills of the Trans-Ili Alatau. Numerous gorges of the Trans-Ili Alatau are of certain value for Southern Kazakhstan. For example, the Turgen Gorge is famous for hot springs and medicinal plants growing on the territory of the Turgen Gorge. The famous Turgen waterfalls are also located here; there are about seven of them, the largest of which is Medvezhiy, up to 30 meters high. In Southern Kazakhstan, 200 km away. To the east of Almaty is the Charyn Canyon, the beauty of which is comparable to the canyon in Colorado. The largest river in the region is the Ili River. There are many beautiful lakes in the region: Big Almaty Lake, Kalsay Lakes, Lake Kaindy. On the banks of the Keles River is the city of Sary-Agash, famous for its mineral springs and sanatoriums. In Southern Kazakhstan there are some of the most ancient cities of Kazakhstan: Turkestan, Otrar, Saur, Taraz.

The region has developed mechanical engineering, metalworking, woodworking, light and food industries, as well as printing industries. The largest enterprises in these industries are such enterprises as: JSC "AZTM", the plants "Porshen", "Electropribor", "Etalon", "Metallist" which are located in Almaty. In Zhambyl, Kyzylorda and South Kazakhstan regions. Non-ferrous metallurgy, chemical and oil refining industries, mechanical engineering, light and food industries are developed. It is the enterprises of these industries that determine the economic profile of the region. The region has developed transport links; the population uses all types of transport to get around.