Astana is the capital of which Central Asian country?

Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan.

Astana sits on the Ishim River in the northern part of Kazakhstan and serves as the country's political centre. Kazakhstan moved its capital from Almaty to the then-named Akmola in December 1997, citing factors including its central location, transport links, available land and development potential. The city was renamed Astana in 1998; the name means “capital” in Kazakh.

The city briefly became Nur-Sultan in 2019 in honour of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev. Kazakhstan restored the name Astana in September 2022. This recent renaming explains why some older quizzes, maps and articles may show a different answer for the city’s name, but not for its country.

Astana is known for planned, futuristic architecture, including the Baiterek monument, the Khan Shatyr entertainment centre and the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation. A common mix-up is confusing it with Almaty, Kazakhstan’s largest city and former capital. Almaty remained an important cultural and economic centre after the capital moved.