West Kazakhstan region is located in the western part of the Republic of Kazakhstan and plays the role of the gate to the central and southern regions of the country and the countries of Central Asia.
The territory of the region is 151.1 thousand km2.
Borders with five regions of Russian Federation: Astrakhan, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Orenburg and 2 regions of Kazakhstan: Aktobe and Atyrau, connected with them by railways, motorways, water and air transports.
The relief of the territory is flat. There are branched ridges of Syrt and Ural platos in the northern and north-eastern parts of the region. There are Narynkum dune masses: Kokuzenkum, Akkum, Karagandykum and others within the Precaspian basin in the southern part. The climate is humid continental.
The Zhaiyk River (Ural) runs through the territory of the region, which is the major water supplement of the region. There are other large rivers like Saryozen, Karaozen, Kaldygaity, Olenty, Buldyrty, Shyngyrlau. The large lakesin the territory of the region are Shalqar, Aralsor, Botkol, Zhartykol, Sulukol.
The soil has different colours and types: dark brown, brown, light brown clay and salts. The majority of the vegetations are grassland steppe-type, grass-wormwood type, and sagebrush-type.
The region is rich for the mineral resources. Production of oil and gas is the major energy resource, Karachaganak oilfield is world’s one of the largest fields.
The center of the region is located in Uralsk.
According to the results of 2024, the permanent population of the region was 695 301 people, of which 367 199 people live in urban areas and 328 102 people live in rural areas.
The average population density in the region (per 1 sq. km of territory) is 4.36 people.
Uralsk is the administrative, industrial, historical and cultural center of the West Kazakhstan region.
The city was founded in 1613 and is located in the northern part of the Caspian lowland, in a picturesque steppe plain. It is located on the right bank of the middle course of the Ural River, which is 1,082 km long within the Republic of Kazakhstan, and on the left bank of the lower course of the Chagan River.
The territory of the city with its suburbs is 731.33 km2.
The population of Uralsk is 367,199 people.
There are 4 rural districts on the territory of the city: Zhelaevsky, Zachagansky, Krugloozernovsky and the village of Derkul with a total population of 101,758 people.
The distance from Uralsk to Nur-Sultan is 1747 km.
The administrative-territorial structure of the region includes 12 districts:
Akzhaik district - Chapaev village
Bokeyorda district - Sayhin village
Burlinsky district - Aksai city
Zhangalinsky district - Zhangala village
Zhanibek district - Zhanibek village
Zelenovsky district - village Peremetnoe
Kaztalov district - village of Kaztalovka
Karatobin district - the village of Karatobe
Syrymsky district - the village Zhympity
Tuskalinsky district - village of Taskala
Terektinsky district - Fyodorovka village
Chingirlau district - Chingirlau village
Uniques are the image of Uralsk and, above all, its historical monuments of the 18th and 19th centuries: the house of E. Pugachev, the Old Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the house of the ataman, the house of Karev, the building of the regional akimat, the city park of culture and recreation. Modern it is made by new microdistricts and high – rise residential buildings, the buildings of the air and railway stations, the monuments of Abay, S. Datov, M. Mametova, V. I. Chapaev, A. S. Pushkin, the Victory Memorial with the eternal fire of glory and others.
Standard of living
The average per capita nominal monetary income of the population in the 2nd quarter of 2024 amounted to 202,356 tenge.
The nominal wage index for the corresponding quarter of 2023 was 112.7%, while the real wage index was 104.3%.
