www.akimvko.gov.kz | Region's map

1.1. History of region. The East Kazakhstan region was founded in 1932, in 1997 Semipalatinsk region was attached to the territory of the region. Administrative centre is Ust-Kamenogorsk city that was founded in 1720, it is located on a place where the rivers Irtysh and Ulba meet.
In the region there are 15 districts, 10 cities and towns, 872 settlements and villages, 254 rural and aul areas. As of January 1, 2011 the population of the region made up 1396,700 people. The population density on average on the region made up 4,9 inhabitants per 1 sq.km. As of January 1, 2010 the ethnic composition of the region is the following: the Kazakhs - 54,5 %, the Russians - 40,5 %, other nationalities - 5,0 %.
1.2. Geographical position. For today the territory of the region makes up 283,300 sq.km. (10,2 % of the territory of Kazakhstan). Ust-Kamenogorsk city is 1038 km distant from Astana city and 1068 km from Almaty city. The East Kazakhstan region is situated in the north-eastern part of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The region borders the Pavlodar, Karagandy and Almaty regions, Altai Territory and Altai Republic of the Russian Federation, Chinese People's Republic.
1.3. Environmental and climatic conditions. East Kazakhstan region is a unique region in regard to the environmental and climatic conditions, having steppe, deserted as well as mountain and taiga landscapes. The north and east sides of the territory of the region are situated in the foothills and mountain ranges of the Western, Central and Southern Altai which contain in their interior the richest stocks of nonferrous, precious and rare earth metals. To the south of the Altay Mountains there is Arid Zaisan hollow, bordered on Saur-Tarbagatai ridge in the south. The southwest and western sides of the region are presented by Kazakh small hills. Hilly plains of the Kalbin Mountains prevail in the central part. The forestry occupies 11,9 % of the territory of the region. Basically forest areas are located on spurs of ranges of the Altay Mountains. The dark coniferous forest spreads here. Deciduous and mixed forests occur in the bottom belt of the forest area. Belt pine forests in the northwest of the region are of special sight. In all, flora of Rudny Altay numbers more than 1000 species, and that of fauna – 300 species of different kinds of birds, about 100 species of mammals. In the forestry and steppes there are an elk, a mountain goat, an argali, a kabarga, a roe, a wolf, a bear, a lynx, an ermine, a weasel, a sable, a polecat, a kolinsky, a fox, a hare. A maral (a red deer) is in the upriver of Bukhtarma. There is a wild boar in the foothills, on the banks of the rivers and lakes.
1.4. Minerals. In the territory of the East Kazakhstan region there is a plenty of the explored deposits such as minerals with the stocks providing needs of the region in the mineral resources: nonferrous metals (Ridder-Sokolnoe, Tishinskoe, Maleyevskoe, Nikolayevskoe, Artemyevskoe, Orlovskoe, etc.), gold (Bakyrchikskoe, Suzdalskoe, Mizek, deposits of the Kurchum river, etc.), rare metals (Bakennoe, Belaya Gora (White Mountain), Yubileinoe (Anniversary), Akhmetkino), coal and coal slates (Karazhira, Kendyrlykskoe, Bobrovsko-Belokamenskoe), nonmetallic feed (refractory raw material, expanded clay and aqua-gel, limestones, brick and cement loams, glass raw material and building materials); as well as underground mineral and potable water (Ust-Kamenogorsk, Leninogorsk, Bogatyrevskoe, Kulujunskoe).
27 % of lead reserves, 47,7 % of zinc reserves, 47,9 % of copper reserves from the average republican stocks are concentrated in the territory of the region. The share of undiscovered potential resources of lead makes up 24,8 %, zinc - 56,7 %, copper - 29,3 % from the general resources of the Republic.
In the territory of the region there are 50 gold deposits which reserves are considered by the state balance, including 27 primary and 23 placer ones.
Now licenses are issued to domestic and foreign investors and contracts are concluded on carrying out of geological exploration and exploitation on the most part of deposits of minerals. Deposits Ridder-Sokolnoe, Tishinskoe, Maleyevskoe and Grekhovskoe are worked by the mining enterprises of “Kazzinc” Ltd. Deposits Orlovsky, Nikolayev, Shemonaikhinskoe, Artemyevsky, Yubileino –Snegirikhinsky, Aktogay - the enterprises of “Kazakhmys” Corporation.
Reserve deposits in Leninogorsk Ore Area are Novo-Leninogorskoe, Chekmar, Dolinnoe, Strezhanskoe, Obruchevskoe, etc. At the present time Priirtysh, Ridder and Ziryan districts practically do not conduct the geological exploration and the mineral base that has been created earlier by conducted works, is being depleted. The following gold deposits are mined now: Suzdalskoe, Central Mukur, Miyaly, etc. The following deposits are of special interest for investment of the exploration works and industrial development of the mineral wealth of the region: on polymetals - flanks of Orlovskoe (Eastern, Southern, Northeast sides), Nikolayevskoe (North-Nikolayevsky, Western, Eastern, New-Nikolayevsky sides) and Shemonaikhinskoe deposits; Prigonsky, Sugatovsky sides in the Priirtysh Ore Area; ore fields – Solonovsko -Vydrikhinskoe and Verh-Ubinskoe; a Solovyevsky site to the south of the Revnyushinsky anticline structure; on nickel - Maksut deposit; on gold –Malorossiysky side, Laily, Jumba, Baladjal deposits; on coal - Kendyrlyskoe, Manrakskoe deposits; on mineral waters – Jemeneiskoe, Arasan-Taldy, Shakelmes, Kara-Byuryuk deposits etc.; on potable water – Karabulakskoe, Chiliktinskoe, Kazakhstan deposits.
1.5. Water resources. The territory of the region is rich in water source, with more than 800 rivers over 10 thousand km. length. The main water-way is the Irtysh river with a great amount of inflows (4248 km in length, 1311 km. within the region) - mountain rivers such as the Ulba, Uba, Karakaba, Kaldzyr, Kurchum, Narym, Bukhtarma and other ones. In the region there are such big lakes as, Zaisan, Markakol, Alakol, Sasykkol. Besides, there are a lot of small lakes, reservoirs and the Bukhtarma is the largest one. In the rivers there are a pike, an orfe, and a sazan, in mountain lakes and rivers – a taimen, a grayling, a trout, a peled, in the Markakol lake – an uskuch, a bream.
East Kazakhstan region is famous for large stocks of underground waters. The total amount of natural resources of underground waters in mountains makes up 10 bln cubic meters.
Climate of the region is sharply continental, with the high amplitude of daily, seasonal and mid-annual variation of air temperature. The coldest months - January and February with monthly mean temperature from - 17 °С up to - 23,8 °С below zero in the north in the Ore Altai mountains both in high-mountainous hollows and from -14,1°С up to - 16,6°С below zero in mountains of the south side. The warmest month - July, its monthly mean temperature is from +14°С up to +16,6°С above zero, at heights of 1000-1500 m. above the sea level - 0°С, just above temperature is in the foothills and in the plain part. A unique and various natural environment of the region can promote active development of tourism at corresponding investments.
1.6. Infrastructure. The East Kazakhstan region has the developed industrial infrastructure which is presented by all basic types of transport: railway, aviation, water and automobile. Railway transport connects the regional center with such cities and towns as: Semey, Ziryan, Ridder, Ayagoz, Shemonaikha. The main railway branches leading beyond the region are – “Zashita-Lokot” (Russia), “Semey- Lokot'”, “Semey-Almaty”, “Aktogai-road Druzhba (Frendship) (China).
Two airports function in the region, located in Ust-Kamenogorsk and Semey cities. Two shipping companies are responsible for passenger and cargo transportation on navigational routes, two cargo ports function.
Automobile and railway transportations account for the greatest volume of transportations of cargoes and passengers. Highway transportation transports 89,9 % of cargoes, railway - 10 %. The volume of passenger transportations by motor transport makes up 97,2 %, railway - 2,5 %.
Highways of the general usage are of great importance in realization of domestic transportations, their condition and level of development influence on economic indicators of the region. Stretch of highways of the general usage makes up 11734 km, including roads of the republican value - 3420 km, local - 8416,5 km. The hard-surface roads make up 3351 km, unsurfaced roads - 69 km of the total length of the republican roads. Stretch of the hard-surface local roads makes up 7565,3 km, unsurfaced roads - 851,2 km.
1.7. Specialization of economy of the region. Today the nonferrous metallurgy is a leading branch in the industrial production which relative density in the general potential of the region makes up about 55 % and has been fully exported. Such branches as mechanical engineering and metal working, timber and woodworking industry, light and food industry, electric power industry, agriculture have also sufficient development.

* - estimation in 2010
** - operative data for January-December, 2010
*** - for 4 quarter 2010