Kazakhstan

Almaty is the most populous city in Kazakhstan, with more than two million residents.

Astana is the capital city of Kazakhstan. With a population of 1,622,245 within the city limits, it is the second-largest in the country after Almaty, the national capital until 1997. The city lies on the banks of the Ishim river in the north of Kazakhstan and is located within the Akmola Region but is self-administering.

Shymkent is a city in southern Kazakhstan, close to the border with Uzbekistan. For administration, it is one of three cities of republican significance in Kazakhstan, the others being Almaty and Astana.

Aktobe is a major city in western Kazakhstan, located on the Ilek. It serves as the administrative center of the Aktobe Region and is an important cultural, economic, and industrial hub in the region. As of 2023, the city had a population of 560,820, making it the fourth-largest city in Kazakhstan, and the largest in the western part of the country.

Karaganda or Karagandy is a major city in central Kazakhstan and the capital of the Karaganda Region. It is the fifth-most populous city in the country, with a population of 497,777 as of the 2020 Census, marking an increase from 459,778 in 2009 and 436,864 in 1999. Karaganda is located approximately 230 kilometers southeast of Kazakhstan's capital city, Astana.

Taraz is a city and the administrative center of Jambyl Region in Kazakhstan, located on the Talas (Taraz) River in the south of the country near the border with Kyrgyzstan. It had a population of 330,100 as of the 1999 census, up 9% from 1989, making it one of the fastest-growing cities in the country, after Astana and Turkistan. The current population of Taraz is 428,000.

Atyrau, known until 1991 as Guryev, is a city in Kazakhstan and the capital of Atyrau Region. Atyrau is a transcontinental city, at the mouth of the Ural River on the Caspian Sea, between Europe and Asia, 2,700 kilometres west of Almaty and 351 kilometres east of the Russian city of Astrakhan.

Pavlodar is a city in northeastern Kazakhstan and the capital of Pavlodar Region. It is located 450 kilometres (280 mi) northeast of the national capital Astana and 405 kilometres (252 mi) southeast of the Russian city of Omsk along the Irtysh River. In 2010, the city had a population of 331,710. The city is served by Pavlodar Airport.

Öskemen or Ust-Kamenogorsk is the largest city in eastern Kazakhstan and the administrative center of the East Kazakhstan Region.

Semey, formerly known as Semipalatinsk until 2007 and as Alash-Qala from 1917 to 1920, is a city in north-eastern Kazakhstan, in the Kazakh part of Siberia. When Abai Region was created in 2022, Semey became its administrative centre.