Encyclopedia > Astana

  Article Content

Astana

Astana, estimated population 287,000 (1993), is the capital of Kazakhstan. The city is located in central Kazakhstan on the Ishim River. Leather-tanning is Astana's major industry.

The city was founded as a fortress called Akmolinsk in 1824. In 1961, it was renamed Tselinograd and made capital of the Soviet Virgin Lands Territory (Tselinny Kray). After Kazakhstan gained its independence, the city and the region were renamed Aqmola ("White Grave", 1991), and in 1994, designated as the future capital of the newly-independent country. After the capital was moved there in 1997, the city was again renamed.

"Astana" means "the Capital".



All Wikipedia text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License

 
  Search Encyclopedia

Search over one million articles, find something about almost anything!
 
 
  
  Featured Article
List of closed London Underground stations

... of London) are now closed and, for the most part, abandoned. Aldwych tube station Blake Hall tube station[?] British Museum tube station[?] Brompton Road tube ...

 
 
 
This page was created in 38.3 ms