Astana

Astana like a flower has been grown and bloomed in the middle of the scorching prairie. A small town of 90's just in ten years has become an ultramodern capital of young independent Kazakhstan.

Location of the city

The city is located in the north of the Kazakh upland Saryarka. There is flows the river Ishim and several small right tributaries on the territory of the city. In late 70s on the river in the 70 km from the city was built Viacheslavskoye (now the Astana) reservoir that is now the main source of water supply of the capital. There are a lot of small freshwater and saline lakes rich in fish in the areas adjacent to the city.

The idea of creating a new, modern capital of Kazakhstan belongs to President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The decision to move the capital from Almaty to Akmola was accepted by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Kazakhstan July 6, 1994. The official transfer of the capital took place in December 10, 1997. Akmola was renamed to Astana with Presidential Decree of May 6, 1998. International presentation of the new capital was held June 10, 1998.

Now the territory of Astana is more than 700 square kilometers with a population of 1 June 2012 - more than 750 thousand. The city consists of three districts - "Almaty", "Saryarka" and "Yesil".

Heraldry

Emblem of the capital of the Republic of Kazakhstan Astana is a circle with the image of two symbols "Bayterek" and "Shanyrak" - the color of gold on a blue background. Bayterek - the world tree, is the personification of the universe. Shanyrak understood as a transition point vastness of the universe to native home. At the bottom of Bayterek laid ornament "kyskanaty" - bird's wings, that goes back to the stylized image of the mythical bird "Samruk".

The entire space of the emblem is divided into two rings with the figurative explanation. Red external ring dates back to the cleansing power of fire. Color "azure" - is the color of the national flag, emphasizing the central idea of independence in national ideology.

The flag of the city - also blue. In the center of the emblem of Astana from which all sides diverge yellow rays of the sun.

Climate

Astana is located in the zone of sharply continental climate. Winters are cold, sometimes severe, snow falls slightly. In summer the bright sunshine, the air warms up to +20 - +30 C. Winter is long, lasts 4-5 months, and summer is short, it lasts a little more than three months.

City population: 688 thousand. Man

Dialing code: area code in Astana - (+7) - 7172,

International - (+7) 

Postcode: 010000