Astana
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Astana, estimated population 500,000 (2003, the city is very fast-growing), has been the capital of Kazakhstan since 1997. "Astana," the name it has had since that date, means "the Capital". This name has been chosen because it is easily pronounced in many languages.
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Geography
The city is located in central Kazakhstan on the Ishim River it is located in the very flat, semi-desert region that makes up the majority of the nation.
Economy
Politics is Astana's major industry. Astana forms a Special Economic Zone.
History
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). The city was at the centre of the Virgin Lands Campaign.
After Kazakhstan gained its independence, the city and the region were renamed Aqmola ("White Grave", 1991), and in 1994, it was designated as the future capital of the newly-independent country. After the capital was moved there from Almaty in 1997, the city was again renamed.
Reasons for the switch of capitals vary, particularly given the isolated location of the new capital in the centre of the Kazakh Steppe. Some suggest that it was a move to impose more control over the Russian-dominated north of the country - and to prevent secession to Russia. Others say that the new city project is a strategic move to position the capital further from national boundaries - as Almaty is located 60km away from the most populous nation on earth (China). There is also a range of symbolic meanings for the new capital - ranging from the Ankara-style symbol of Kazakhstan's new statehood to an Ataturk-like legacy of a nation's founder (President Nazarbayev). Some spectators are waiting for the day when the (deliberately?) non-emotive name Astana ('capital') is replaced with a closer reminder of Nazabayev himself.
Since the move it has seen one of the world's greatest building projects as oil money has been spent on ministerial buildings, a massive home for the president, and numerous parks and monuments. The project, engineered by President Nursaltan Nazarbayev is designed not just to make the town the centre of Kazakhstan, but of all Central Asia.
Sightseeing
Today there are many construction works under way, such as embassy buildings, representative riversides along Ishim River, infrastructure for transportation and communication etc.. Worth a visit are:
- the modern governmental quarter
- the Ishim banks
- the "Oceanarium"
- the Islamic center
- the "Intercontinental Hotel"
- the Roman Catholic cathedral
- the market hall
bg:Астана cs:Astana da:Astana de:Astana et:Astana es:Astana eo:Astano fr:Astana nl:Astana ja:アスタナ pl:Astana pt:Astana ru:Астана sk:Astana sv:Astana
