ALMATY PROVINCE

'Almaty' is a province of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Taldykorgan, which has a population of 98,000. The province itself has 860,000 people. It is Kazakhstan's fifth largest province.

Contents

Geography

History

Sights

External link

Geography

Almaty Province is the province which surrounds the city of Almaty, which is the largest city in Central Asia with more than 2 million residents. The province borders Kyrgyzstan and the Xinjiang (East Turkestan) region of the People's Republic of China. The province also touches three other Kazakh provinces: Zhambyl Province, to the West; Qaraghandy Province, to the Northeast; and East Kazakhstan Province (Shyghys Qazaqstan) to the north. Almaty Province has an area of 224,000 square kilometers. Lake Balkhash (Balqash Koli in Kazakh) takes up part of the northwest of the province. Also, the Tian Shan Mountains extend from China and Kyrgyzstan into Almaty.
Charyn Canyon, Ili river, Bartogai and Kapchagai lakes, Kaindy and Kolsai lakes, Lake Issyk are located in the province.

History

Alma-Ata Oblast (province), the predecessor of today's Almaty Province, was created from the historical region of Semirechye on March 10, 1932. Its capital was Alma-Ata (Almaty). Several times during the Soviet period, the north-eastern part of the oblast, centered on Taldykorgan, was separated from Alma-Ata Oblast, forming a separate Taldy-Kurgan Oblast, only to be merged into Alma-Ata Oblast again several years later.
In April 2001 the administrative center of the Almaty Province was transferred from Almaty to Taldykorgan. Thus Taldykorgan has become a provincial capital again - this time without splitting an oblast.

Sights

★ Tamgaly - a World Heritage Site (petroglyphs)

★ Talgar - a region where the Issyk kurgan is located

★ Medeo - one of the most famous ice rinks in the world

★ Dostyk - a point of entry from China to Kazakhstan

External link

★ Official regional website