Kazakhstan

Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. The government moved the capital from Almaty to the more central steppe city in 1997 to spur regional development, balance population across the vast country, and reduce seismic risk. The city was called Akmola, renamed Astana (“capital” in Kazakh), briefly Nur-Sultan (2019–2022), and then reverted to Astana. Almaty remains the largest city but is no longer the capital; Bishkek and Tashkent are the capitals of Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. Memory tip: Astana literally means “capital,” and its futuristic skyline—Bayterek Tower and the tent-like Khan Shatyr—signals its role as Kazakhstan’s administrative heart.