# Regions of Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions (Kazakh: облыстар, romanized: oblystar; sg. облыс, oblys; Russian: области, romanized: oblasti; sg. область, oblast) and 4 cities. The regions are further subdivided into districts (Kazakh: аудандар, romanized: audandar; sg. аудан, audan; Russian: районы, romanized: rayony; sg. район, rayon). The four cities, Almaty, Baikonur, Shymkent, and the capital city Astana, do not belong to their surrounding regions.
Initially there were 14 regions. On 16 March 2022, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced that three new regions would be created. Abai Region was created from East Kazakhstan Region with its capital in Semey. Ulytau Region was created from Karaganda Region with its capital in Jezkazgan. Jetisu Region was created from Almaty Region with its capital in Taldykorgan; Almaty Region's capital was moved from Taldykorgan to Qonayev.

## Regions

| Full English name | Type | Capital | Full Kazakh name | Full Russian name |
| Abai Region | region | Semey | Абай облысы Abai oblysy | Абайская область Abaiskaya Oblast′ |
| Akmola Region | region | Kokshetau | Ақмола облысы Aqmola oblysy | Акмолинская область Akmolinskaya Oblast′ |
| Aktobe Region | region | Aktobe | Ақтөбе облысы Aqtöbe oblysy | Актюбинская область Aktyubinskaya Oblast′ |
| Almaty | city | city | Алматы қаласы Almaty qalasy | город Алматы gorod Almaty |
| Almaty Region | region | Qonaev | Алматы облысы Almaty oblysy | Алматинская область Almatinskaya Oblast′ |
| Astana | city | city | Астана қаласы Astana qalasy | город Астана gorod Astana |
| Atyrau Region | region | Atyrau | Атырау облысы Atyrau oblysy | Атырауская область Atyrauskaya Oblast′ |
| Baikonur | city | city | Байқоңыр қаласы Baiqoñyr qalasy | город Байконур gorod Baykonur |
| East Kazakhstan Region | region | Oskemen | Шығыс Қазақстан облысы Şyğys Qazaqstan oblysy | Восточно-Казахстанская область Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′ |
| Jambyl Region | region | Taraz | Жамбыл облысы Jambyl oblysy | Жамбылская область Zhambylskaya Oblast′ |
| Jetisu Region | region | Taldykorgan | Жетісу облысы Jetısu oblysy | Жетысуская область Zhetysuskaya Oblast′ |
| Karaganda Region | region | Karaganda | Қарағанды облысы Qarağandy oblysy | Карагандинская область Karagandinskaya Oblast′ |
| Kostanay Region | region | Kostanay | Қостанай облысы Qostanai oblysy | Костанайская область Kostanayskaya Oblast′ |
| Kyzylorda Region | region | Kyzylorda | Қызылорда облысы Qyzylorda oblysy | Кызылординская область Kyzylordinskaya Oblast′ |
| Mangystau Region | region | Aktau | Маңғыстау облысы Mañğystau oblysy | Мангыстауская область Mangystauskaya Oblast′ |
| North Kazakhstan Region | region | Petropavl | Солтүстік Қазақстан облысы Soltüstık Qazaqstan oblysy | Северо-Казахстанская область Severo-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′ |
| Pavlodar Region | region | Pavlodar | Павлодар облысы Pavlodar oblysy | Павлодарская область Pavlodarskaya Oblast′ |
| Shymkent | city | city | Шымкент қаласы Şymkent qalasy | город Шымкент gorod Shymkent |
| Turkistan Region (formerly South Kazakhstan) | region | Turkistan | Түркістан облысы Türkıstan oblysy | Туркестанская область Turkestanskaya Oblast′ |
| Ulytau Region | region | Jezkazgan | Ұлытау облысы Ūlytau oblysy | Улытауская область Ulytauskaya Oblast′ |
| West Kazakhstan Region | region | Oral | Батыс Қазақстан облысы Batys Qazaqstan oblysy | Западно-Казахстанская область Zapadno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast′ |

## Demographic statistics

In 2022, three new regions were created - Abai (from part of East Kazakhstan), Jetisu (from part of Almaty Region) and Ulytau (from part of Karaganda Region). In the following table, the 2009 population totals have been amended to reflect the population in the new or altered regions.
| Entity | Capital | Area (km$^2$) | Population (2009) | Population (2022) | Density (2022) | ISO 3166-2 |
| Abai Region | Semey | 185,500 | 654,423 | 610,183 | 3.29 | KZ- |
| Aqmola Region | Kokshetau | 146,219 | 737,495 | 786,012 | 5.38 | KZ-AKM |
| Aqtobe Region | Aqtobe | 300,629 | 757,768 | 924,845 | 3.08 | KZ-AKT |
| Almaty | Almaty | 682 | 1,449,696 | 2,147,113 | 3,148.26 | KZ-ALA |
| Almaty Region | Qonaev | 105,100 | 1,103,237 | 1,497,025 | 14.24 | KZ-ALM |
| Astana | Astana | 797 | 613,006 | 1,340,782 | 1,682.29 | KZ-AST |
| Atyrau Region | Atyrau | 118,631 | 510,377 | 689,674 | 5.81 | KZ-ATY |
| Baikonur | Baikonur | 57 | 36,175 | 34,544 | 606.04 | KZ-BAY* |
| East Kazakhstan Region | Oskemen | 97,700 | 742,170 | 730,818 | 7.48 | KZ-VOS |
| Jambyl Region | Taraz | 144,264 | 1,022,129 | 1,215,482 | 8.43 | KZ-ZHA |
| Jetisu Region | Taldyqorgan | 118,500 | 620,593 | 698,952 | 5.90 | KZ- |
| Karaganda Region | Karaganda | 239,100 | 1,118,036 | 1,134,146 | 4.74 | KZ-KAR |
| Kostanay Region | Kostanay | 196,001 | 885,570 | 832,445 | 4.25 | KZ-KUS |
| Kyzylorda Region | Kyzylorda | 226,019 | 678,794 | 830,901 | 3.68 | KZ-KZY |
| Mangystau Region | Aktau | 165,642 | 485,392 | 761,401 | 4.60 | KZ-MAN |
| North Kazakhstan Region | Petropavl | 97,993 | 596,535 | 534,966 | 5.46 | KZ-SEV |
| Pavlodar Region | Pavlodar | 124,800 | 742,475 | 754,829 | 6.05 | KZ-PAV |
| Shymkent | Shymkent | 1,163 | 730,873 | 1,184,113 | 1,018.15 | KZ- |
| Turkistan Region | Turkistan | 116,100 | 1,738,484 | 2,110,502 | 18.18 | KZ-TUR |
| West Kazakhstan Region | Oral | 151,339 | 598,880 | 686,655 | 4.54 | KZ-ZAP |
| Ulytau Region | Jezqazgan | 188,900 | 223,664 | 221,014 | 1.17 | KZ- |

## Former administrative boundaries

Over the last 60 years, both the distribution and names of regions of Kazakhstan have changed considerably. Major changes were several fusions and splits between Guryev and Mangystau, Karaganda and Dzhezkazgan, Almaty and Taldy-Kurgan, East Kazakhstan and Semipalatinsk and Kostanay, Turgay and Tselinograd, respectively. Changes in region names were often in line with the renaming of cities, such as in the case of Alma-Ata/Almaty. After the administrative reform in 1997, the last change happened since then took place in 1999, when parts of North Kazakhstan that originally belonged to Kokshetau region became part of Akmola. The 1990s merges were in order to dilute the Russian population in the resulting region and to avoid having regions where Russians form a majority.