Abai Region (, ) is a

region of Kazakhstan In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as areas, zones, lands or territories, are portions of the Earth's surface that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and ...

. President

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly Tokayev (born 17 May 1953) is a Kazakhstani politician and diplomat who has served as the second president of Kazakhstan since 2019. He previously served as Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Prime Minister from 1999 to 2002 ...

announced on 16 March 2022 that the region would be created. The area split off from

East Kazakhstan Region East Kazakhstan Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. It occupies the easternmost part of Kazakhstan, and includes parts of the Irtysh River, Lake Markakol, and Lake Zaysan. Its administrative center is Öskemen (also known as Ust'-Kamenogorsk ...

when Tokayev's bill came into force on 8 June 2022. The administrative center of the region is

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

, until 2007 known as

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

. Its borders roughly correspond to the old Semipalatinsk Region which was liquidated in 1997 and merged with East Kazakhstan Region.

Geography

The city of Semey is the administrative center of the region of Abai. The Region of Abai borders

and

Xinjiang Xinjiang,; , SASM/GNC romanization, SASM/GNC: Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Sinkiang, officially the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (XUAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the China, People' ...

to the east,

Pavlodar Region Pavlodar Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. The population of the region was and The latest official estimate (as at the start of 2022) was 756,511. Its capital is the city of Pavlodar, which had a population of 360,014 at the start of 201 ...

and

Altai Krai Altai Krai (, ) is a federal subject of Russia (a krai). It borders, clockwise from the west, Kazakhstan ( East Kazakhstan Region, Abai Region and Pavlodar Region), Novosibirsk and Kemerovo, and the Altai Republic. The krai's administrative ce ...

to the north,

Karaganda Region Karaganda Region (; ) is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Karaganda. The region borders Akmola and Pavlodar Region to the north, Abai Region to the east, Jetisu, Almaty, and Zhambyl Regions to the south, and Kostanay and Ulytau regio ...

to the west and

Jetisu Region Jetisu Region (, ; ), formerly spelled Zhetysu Region, is one of the Regions of Kazakhstan. Its administrative center is Taldykorgan. Total area of the region is 118,500 km². Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev Kassym-Jomart Kemeluly ...

to the south.

Districts

The region consists of the cities of Kurchatov and

, as well as the following 10 districts:''Handbook on the history of the administrative-territorial structure of the Semipalatinsk Region.'' -

, 2006.Правовые акты Указы - ''О некоторых вопросах административно-территориального устройства Республики Казахстан''
/ref> #

Abai District Abai (, , اباي اۋدانى) is a district of Abai Region, eastern Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Euro ...

, with the administrative center in the selo of Karauyl; #

Aksuat District Aksuat District (; ) is a district of Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan. The administrative center of the district is the village of Aksuat. Population: 44,831 (1989 Census results). History The district was first established in 1935 at the time ...

, the village of Aksuat; #

Ayagoz District Ayagoz (, ; اياكٶز اۋدانى) is a district of Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan. The administrative center of the district is the town of Ayagoz Ayagoz or Ayakoz (, ''Aiagöz''), formerly Sergiopol (), is a city of regional significance ...

, the town of

Ayagoz Ayagoz or Ayakoz (, ''Aiagöz''), formerly Sergiopol (), is a city of regional significance in Kazakhstan, the administrative centre of Ayagoz district of Abai Region. Population: Geography It is located at the southeastern end of the Chingizt ...

; #

Beskaragay District Beskaragay (; ) is a district of Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders ...

, the village of

Beskaragay Beskaragay (; ), known as ''Bolshaya Vladimirovka'' until 2007, is a settlement in Abai Region, Kazakhstan. It is the capital of Beskaragay District and the administrative center of the Beskaragay Rural District (KATO code — 633630100). Populatio ...

; #

Borodulikha District Borodulikha (, ) is a district of Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders ...

, the village of Borodulikha; #

Zharma District Zharma (, ) is a district of Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a landlocked country primarily in Central Asia, with a European Kazakhstan, small portion in Eastern Europe. It borders Russi ...

, the village of Kalbatau; #

Kokpekti District Kokpekti () is a district of the Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan. The administrative center of the district is the village of Kokpekti. History Through a Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Samar District of East Kazakhstan ...

, the village of Kokpekti; #

Urzhar District Uerzhar (, , ٷرجار اۋدانى) is a district of Abai Region in the eastern part of Kazakhstan, which borders with China. The administrative center of the district is the selo of Úrjar. Population: History Ancient History A stone s ...

, the village of

Urzhar Ürjar (, ''Ürjar'') is a village in the Ürjar river valley and the administrative center of Ürjar District in the Abai Region of Kazakhstan. Population: Climate Ürjar has a humid continental climate (Köppen: ''Dfa''), characterized by v ...

; # Makanshi District, the village of Makanshi; #

Zhanasemey District Zhanasemey District (, ) is a district of Abai Region in eastern Kazakhstan. The administrative center is Semey city, although it is not part of the district. History The Zhanasemey District was first established in 1928, at the time of the Kazak ...

, the city of

Etymology

The region was named after the Kazakh

aqyn Aqyn or akyn (, , ; both transcribed as ''aqın'' or ''اقىن''), is an improvisational poet, singer, and oral repository within the Kazakh and Kyrgyz cultures. Aqyns differ from the zhyraus or manaschys, who are instead song performers or ep ...

Abai Qunanbaiuly Abai Qūnanbaiūly () was a Kazakh poet, composer and Hanafi Maturidi theologian philosopher. He was also a cultural reformer toward European and Russian cultures on the basis of enlightened Islam. Early life and education Abai was born in K ...

, who was born in what is now the Abai Region.

References

External links

*
Bronze Age Monument Dedicated to Horse Cult found
(near Toktamys, 676 km southeast of Astana) {{Abai Region 2022 establishments in Kazakhstan States and territories established in 2022