Nur-Sultan (Astana)

Nur-Sultan (; Kazakh pronunciation: [nʊɾ sʊltɑn]; Kazakh: Нұр-Сұлтан, romanized: Nūr-Sūltan), previously known as Astana (Kazakh pronunciation: [ɑstɑnɑ] (listen), Kazakh: Астана), is the capital city of Kazakhstan. The city acquired its present name on 23 March 2019, following a unanimous vote in Kazakhstan's parliament. It was named after Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of Kazakhstan from 1990 to 2019.The city lies on the banks of the Ishim River in the north-central part of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, though administered as a city with special status separately from the rest of the region. A 2020 official estimate reported a population of 1,136,008 within the city limits, making it the second-largest city in the country, after Almaty, which had been the capital until 1997. The city became the capital of Kazakhstan in 1997; since then it has grown and developed economically into one of the most modern cities in Central Asia. In 2021, the government selected Nur-Sultan as one of the 10 priority destinations for tourist development.Modern Nur-Sultan is a planned city, following the process of other planned capitals. After it became the capital of Kazakhstan, the city dramatically changed its shape. The city's master-plan was designed by Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa. As the seat of the government of Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan is the site of the Parliament House, the Supreme Court, the Ak Orda Presidential Palace and numerous government departments and agencies. It is home to a range of futuristic buildings, including many skyscrapers.

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