Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Akmolinsk, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The town acquired its present name on March 23, 2019, following a unanimous vote in Kazakhstan’s parliament. It was named after Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan, from 1990 to 2019.

The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, though administered as a city with special status separately from the rest of the region. A 2020 official estimate reported a population of 1,136,008 within the city limits, making it the second-largest city in the country after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997. Since then, it has grown and developed economically into one of the most modern cities in Central Asia. In 2021, the government selected Nur-Sultan as one of the 10 priority destinations for tourist development.

Almaty, home to approximately 2 million people, is the capital of Kazakhstan. It was Kazakhstan’s capital from 1929 to 1997. In 1997, the government moved the capital to Akmola.

Almaty remains Kazakhstan’s largest commercial and cultural hub. It is also the country’s most populous and cosmopolitan capital. It is situated in the mountains of southern Kazakhstan, near Kyrgyzstan’s border. The city can be found at an elevation of 700-900m (2300-3,000ft). This is where the Large Almatinka and Small Almatinka rivers enter the plain.

Shymkent is a city in Kazakhstan. It is near the border with Uzbekistan. It is one of three Kazakh cities with a status equal to that of a region (the city of republican significance). It is the third-most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty and Nur-Sultan, with an estimated population of 1,002,291 as of 1 June 2018. According to regional and city officials, the millionth resident of Shymkent was born on 17 May 2018. It is a regional cultural center.

Shymkent is situated 690 kilometers (430 mi) west of Almaty and 1,483 kilometers (920 mi) south of Nur-Sultan. It is also 120 kilometers (75 mi) north of Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

Aktobe, located in Kazakhstan on the Ilek River, is a city. It is the administrative center of the Aktobe Region. It had 500,757 inhabitants in 2020.

Aktobe can be found in the west part of Kazakhstan. It covers an area of approximately 428,469km2. Two water reservoirs are located in the city: Aktobe and Sandy.

According to the number of inhabitants, Aktobe is fourth in Kazakhstan and the largest city in western Kazakhstan. The city has a diverse population, 79% of its inhabitants being Kazakhs and 14% Russians. Islam and Christianity are the most popular religions. Aktobe, which includes nearby settlements, is expected to increase in population to 1.3million.

Taraz, a city in Kazakhstan and the administrative center of the Jambyl Region, is located near the border with Kyrgyzstan on the Talas River (Taraz). The 1999 census recorded a population of 333,000, an increase of 9% over 1989. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Kazakhstan, following Turkistan and Nur-Sultan.