Astana marks 15^th anniversary

    Astana officially became Kazakhstan’s capital city 15 years ago.
    On December 10th, 1997 a corresponding decree was issued by President Nursultan Nazarbayev stipulating the move of the administrative capital from Almaty to Akmola.
    At that time, only a few people believed this city in the northern part of Kazakhstan would turn into a rapidly developing capital.
    Official data says there are 750 thousand people living in Astana now, and the city has increased in size by almost threefold since its establishment.
    During its history, the young capital city has had its name changed a number of times. Previously, it was called Akmolinsk, Tselinograd and Akmola.
    Astana is a symbol of the economic, cultural and social achievements of Kazakhstan, officials state.
    In 1999, UNESCO awarded Astana the City for Peace Prize. In 2017, Astana will be staging the Expo 2017 exhibition, Caspionet said.