What is the current capital of Kazakhstan?

Astana is the current capital of Kazakhstan. The city became the national capital in 1997, when the government moved the capital from Almaty to the north-central city then known as Aqmola.

The capital was renamed Astana in 1998, a name meaning “capital” in Kazakh. It was renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 in honor of former president Nursultan Nazarbayev, then restored to Astana in September 2022. These changes explain why older maps, quizzes, and news reports may use different names.

Astana is known for planned modern architecture, including the Bayterek monument and the Khan Shatyr entertainment center. It lies on the Ishim River in the Eurasian steppe and has an intensely continental climate, with very cold winters and warm summers. Almaty remains Kazakhstan’s largest city and an important cultural and financial center, but it is not the national capital.