Kazakh regions and separately administered cities, found on the map
Find all seventeen regions and the separate cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent. Connect each with its capital, nearby waters and neighbouring regions. Zoom in for the small municipal areas.
20 to find, 8 a run.
3 rounds, 6 of 8 to pass each. Pass one and its places are yours.
⚔️ Challenge someone to Kazakh regions and separately administered cities
Every one on the map
Every place listed below can be asked in this game. Places you find in a passed round drop out of your remaining pool.
- Abay
- Akmola
- Aktobe
- Almaty City
- Almaty Region
- Astana
- Atyrau
- East Kazakhstan
- Karaganda
- Kostanay
- Kyzylorda
- Mangystau
- North Kazakhstan
- Pavlodar
- Shymkent
- Turkistan
- Ulytau
- West Kazakhstan
- Zhambyl
- Zhetysu
What the map tells you about each one
The paragraph the game shows when you find each one. Reading them first is not cheating.
- Abay
- Created in 2022 from western parts of East Kazakhstan. Semey is the capital, and the region takes its name from the poet Abai.
- Akmola
- Kokshetau is the regional capital. Astana lies within the surrounding landscape but is administered separately from Akmola.
- Aktobe
- Aktobe is the capital of a large western region that extends from the Russian frontier towards the Aral basin.
- Almaty Region
- Konaev is the capital. The region includes Charyn Canyon and the Kolsai lakes. Almaty city is a separate administrative area.
- Atyrau
- The Ural reaches the Caspian near Atyrau. The region includes the Tengiz oil field and low ground in the Caspian Depression.
- West Kazakhstan
- Oral is also known as Uralsk. The region borders Russia and lies on both sides of the Ural River.
- Zhambyl
- The capital Taraz developed along Silk Road routes. The Chu basin and the northern slopes of the Tian Shan shape the region.
- Zhetysu
- Created in 2022 from northeastern Almaty Region. Taldykorgan is the capital, and Alakol lies near the border with Abay.
- Karaganda
- Karaganda is a major industrial centre. Ulytau was separated from the region in 2022, while the city of Balkhash remains in Karaganda Region.
- Kostanay
- Kostanay is the regional capital. Grain-growing plains in the north give way to the Turgai landscape farther south.
- Kyzylorda
- The Syr Darya crosses this region. Baikonur has special leased status within its geographical setting, and the North Aral Sea lies at the region’s western end.
- Mangystau
- Aktau is the capital. Chalk escarpments, desert plateaus and underground mosques are distinctive features of Mangystau.
- Pavlodar
- The Irtysh crosses Pavlodar before entering Russia. Ekibastuz is an important coal and power-generation centre in the region.
- North Kazakhstan
- Petropavl is the capital. The Ishim flows north through this farming region and continues towards the Irtysh in Russia.
- Turkistan
- Turkistan became the regional capital in 2018. Shymkent became a separate city of republican significance and is not part of this region.
- Ulytau
- Created in 2022 from western Karaganda Region. Zhezkazgan is the capital, while the Ulytau hills contain important historical sites.
- East Kazakhstan
- Oskemen is the capital. The Altai rises in the northeast, and the Irtysh flows through the Zaysan basin before heading towards Semey in Abay.
- Astana
- The national capital is administered separately from Akmola Region. Zoom in to distinguish its municipal area from the surrounding region.
- Almaty City
- Almaty city is administered separately from Almaty Region. It was the national capital before the 1997 move north.
- Shymkent
- Shymkent has been a city of republican significance since 2018. Its municipal area is separate from the surrounding Turkistan Region.
How this one works
How many regions and separately administered cities are on the map?
20. Every one of them is on the map, and a run asks 8 of them. Pass a round and the places you found in it drop out of the pool, so the next run is what you have left.
What is a round?
A run of 8 questions, and 6 right passes it. 3 rounds cover the whole map, and the counter at the top of the Kazakhstan page counts the ones behind you. Passing is what banks a round's finds: miss the mark and nothing is taken off the map, so every place that round asked about is still there to be asked again. A round is always the places you have not found yet, and when fewer than five are left it is topped up with a few you have found as review, so the last round is never one or two questions. Three quarters of it passes it.
Can I start the map over?
Yes. "Reset this map" under the counter puts all 20 back in the pool and sets the rounds to zero the moment you press it, so the whole map is there to be found again from nothing. It clears this map only; the other maps of Kazakhstan keep their progress.
Do I need an account?
No. The game plays in the page, and a guest's progress is kept in their own browser. Signing in carries it between devices and earns XP for a run.
What happens when I get one wrong?
The map names what you actually hit, then lights up the right answer in green and tells you something about the place. Missing one is how most of this map gets learned.
The other maps of Kazakhstan
Armenia has the same map in Provinces and capital of Armenia. Azerbaijan has the same map in Economic regions of Azerbaijan. Bosnia and Herzegovina has the same map in Entities and Brčko District. Chile has the same map in Chilean regions. Colombia has the same map in Colombian departments and Bogotá. Czechia has the same map in Czech regions. Denmark has the same map in Danish regions. Ethiopia has the same map in Regions and reference areas of Ethiopia. Fiji has the same map in Fiji’s divisions and Rotuma. Finland has the same map in Finnish regions. France has the same map in French regions. Georgia has the same map in Regions of Georgia. Ghana has the same map in Ghanaian regions. Greece has the same map in Greek regions. Guyana has the same map in Guyanese regions. Iceland has the same map in Icelandic regions. Italy has the same map in Italian regions. Madagascar has the same map in Madagascar’s regions. Moldova has the same map in Moldovan districts and territories. Morocco has the same map in Morocco’s regional map. Myanmar has the same map in Myanmar’s states, regions and union territory. Namibia has the same map in Namibian regions. New Zealand has the same map in New Zealand regions. Nicaragua has the same map in Nicaraguan departments and autonomous regions. North Korea has the same map in North Korean regions. Pakistan has the same map in Pakistan’s provinces and territories. Peru has the same map in Peruvian departments and Callao. Philippines has the same map in Philippine regions. Poland has the same map in Polish voivodeships. Russia has the same map in Russian federal subjects. Saudi Arabia has the same map in Saudi regions. Senegal has the same map in Senegalese regions. Spain has the same map in Spanish regions. Taiwan has the same map in Taiwanese municipalities, counties and cities. Tajikistan has the same map in Administrative areas of Tajikistan. Tanzania has the same map in Tanzanian regions. Turkmenistan has the same map in Provinces of Turkmenistan: 2007 reference. Ukraine has the same map in Ukrainian regions. United Kingdom has the same map in UK regions. Uzbekistan has the same map in Regions of Uzbekistan. Venezuela has the same map in Venezuelan states, district and islands. All three together on the Kazakhstan atlas page, the country itself on the Kazakhstan guide, and the other two hundred on the world map.