About the region

West Kazakhstan region

The West Kazakhstan region is located in the western part of the Republic of Kazakhstan and is the gateway to the central and southern regions of the republic and to the states of Central Asia. The favorable geographical location of the city still plays an important role in the development of the city's economy, and also opens up great prospects for its residents in the future in connection with the operation of the Customs Union and the further development of integration processes in the region.

The territory of the region is 151.3 thousand km2 or 5.6% of the territory of the republic. The population as of May 1, 2022 - 666.9 thousand people. The center of the region is located in the city of Uralsk. It borders on five regions of the Russian Federation: Astrakhan, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Orenburg and two regions of Kazakhstan: Aktobe and Atyrau, and is connected to them by rail, road, water and air transport.

Amazing nature

The terrain of the territory is flat. In the north and north-east of the region there are spurs of the General Syrt and the Preduralsky plateau. In the south, within the Caspian lowland, there are the Naryn Kum sand massifs: Kokuzenkum, Akkum, Karagandykum and others. The climate is sharply continental.

Water resources of the West Kazakhstan region

The Zhaiyk River (Ural), which is the main waterway of the region, flows through the territory of the region. Other major rivers: Saryozen, Karaozen, Kaldygayty, Olenty, Buldurty, Shyngyrlau. Large lakes: Shalkar, Aralsor, Botkol, Zhaltyrkol, Sulukol and others.

Karachaganak field

The Urals region is rich in minerals, the priority of which are oil and gas, and the Karachaganak field is one of the richest in the world. The region is home to one of the world's largest oil and gas fields: the Karachaganak oil and gas condensate field with a total investment of over $ 28,3 billion. Experts estimate the field's reserves at 9 billion barrels of condensate and 48 trillion cubic feet of gas.

400 year history of Uralsk

The first mention of the existence of the city on the site of modern Uralsk dates back to the early Middle Ages. However, the confirmation of the information from written and cartographic sources by the results of archaeological excavations occurred only in 2001, when a settlement dating from the XIII – XV centuries was discovered 12 kilometers from the city. The medieval city was conventionally named "Zhaiyk" by archaeologists in honor of the native Kazakh name of the river.

The habitation and compliance of the area with the requirements of providing protection led to the choice of this place by the Cossacks, who were looking for shelter and a place of permanent residence on the banks of the Urals. Since the XVI century, a small military settlement has emerged, which by the middle of the XIX century became one of the major cities in the Urals. The development and formation of the city at this stage is associated with the Yaitsky, Ural Cossacks, which itself was formed and developed together with the Yaitsky town.

Now this area of the city is called "Kureny", from the word kuren-Cossack dwelling. In 1773-1775, the Yaitsk Cossacks became the core of the peasant war under the leadership of Emelyan Pugachev. The tsarist government brutally suppressed the uprising led by E. Pugachev. In order to erase the episodes of the peasant revolt in the memory of the people, by the order of Catherine II, the Yaik River was renamed the Urals, and the Yaitsky town was named Uralsk.

The formation of Uralsk as a city begins with the administrative and territorial reforms of 1868, when the Ural Province was formed. Since that time, the city has become the administrative, economic and cultural center of the entire West Kazakhstan region. And Uralsk itself becomes the book of ra Kazakhstan proper city – with paved streets, solid, beautiful stone houses, with a developed retail network, with industrial and transport infrastructure, with many institutions of culture, education, and medicine.

Qualitative changes in the formation of Uralsk as a modern multi-storey city occurred in the 70-80-ies of the twentieth century. The construction of new industrial plants, the development of natural resources, the influx of new residents and rapid demographic growth have dramatically changed the city.

Cultural values

Uralsk city has always attracted creative personalities. Here in October 1833 lived A. S. Pushkin, who collected materials on the history of the Pugachev uprising. The town in the Urals was visited by V. I. Dal, V. A. Zhukovsky, L. N. Tolstoy, V. G. Korolenko, M. A. Sholokhov.

The Urals region is the birthplace of great composers: Kurmangazy, Dauletkerey, Mukhit, Dina, outstanding artists Hadisha Bukeeva, Roza Jamanova, Garifulla Kurmangaliyev, poets and writers Hamza Yesenzhanov, Tair Zharokov, Kadyr Myrzaliyev, Sagingali Seitov, Zhuban Moldagaliyev and many other outstanding personalities.