Astana

Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan, situated on the banks of the Ishim river in the northern part of the country. Serving as the nation's political center, the self-administering city is located within the Akmola Region and stands as the second-largest municipality nationwide following Almaty.

A major historical turning point arrived in December 1997, when the municipality officially replaced Almaty as the capital of Kazakhstan. This transition initiated a period of rapid development and urban expansion, guided by Kisho Kurokawa, which transformed the settlement into a modern and planned metropolis. Over the course of its modern history, the city has experienced multiple designations. Founded originally as Aqmoly in 1830, it held names including Akmolinsk and Tselinograd before returning to Aqmoly upon national independence. Following its elevation to the national capital, it adopted the name Astana in 1998. It was subsequently renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 in honor of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, before a constitutional amendment restored the name Astana in 2022.

Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. Situated on the banks of the Ishim River in the northern portion of the country, the municipality functions as a self-administering entity within the Akmola Region.

A major historical turning point for the settlement occurred in December 1997, when it officially replaced Almaty as the national capital. This administrative relocation triggered rapid urban expansion, transforming the locality into a planned modern center guided by Kisho Kurokawa. Over the course of its modern history, the city has undergone multiple designations, including Akmoly, Akmolinsk, Tselinograd, and later Nur-Sultan from 2019 until its reversion to Astana in 2022.

Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan, lying on the banks of the Ishim river in the north of the country. It functions as the nation's second-largest city and serves as an important center for culture, education, and commerce in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

The culinary landscape and food culture of Astana evolved significantly alongside a massive historical turning point: the shift of the capital from Almaty to Astana in December 1997. This relocation transformed the settlement from a regional center into a rapidly growing planned metropolis. As the city expanded and attracted investments, its industrial production expanded to include the manufacturing of foodstuffs. Furthermore, the economic development and urbanization tied to its new status as the capital led to practical shifts in local infrastructure, including plans within the Astana – New City special economic zone to commission a fast food complex in Industrial Park No. 1 by 2015.

Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan, situated on the banks of the Ishim river in the northern part of the country. Located within the Akmola Region as a self-administering entity, it functions as the second-largest city nationwide with a population of 1,544,142.

A major historical turning point arrived in December 1997 when the settlement replaced Almaty as the national capital. This administrative transformation initiated rapid development and growth under the guidance of Kisho Kurokawa, turning the locality into a planned, modern urban center and a vital hub for commerce, education, and culture across Kazakhstan and Central Asia.

Before achieving its current status, the settlement experienced a long sequence of designations and restructuring. Originally established as Aqmoly on June 18, 1830, by Fyodor Shubin, it received town status in 1832 and was renamed Akmolinsk. During the Soviet era, Nikita Khrushchev associated the region with the Virgin Lands Campaign, leading to its 1961 renaming as Tselinograd, meaning City of Virgin Lands. Following Kazakhstan's independence, the name returned to Akmola before the city became the capital and was renamed Astana in May 1998. In March 2019, the capital was designated Nur-Sultan in honor of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, but a constitutional amendment signed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reverted the designation back to Astana in September 2022. These successive redesignations earned the capital the Guinness World Record for the city with the most name changes in modern times.

The capital shift provided a powerful boost to economic development, driving massive investment growth, industrial output, and gross regional product expansion. To foster further industry and attract investors, the Astana – New City special economic zone was established in 2001, complemented later by the opening of the Astana International Financial Centre in July 2018. Demographic patterns shifted significantly alongside these administrative and economic changes, with ethnic Kazakhs rising from 17% of the population at independence to 83%, alongside minority populations including Russians, Ukrainians, Tatars, and Uzbeks.