East Kazakhstan Region (Kazakh: Шығыс Қазақстан облысы, romanized: Şyğys Qazaqstan oblysy; Russian: Восточно-Казахстанская область, romanized: Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya oblast) is a region of Kazakhstan. It occupies the easternmost part of Kazakhstan, and includes parts of the Irtysh River, Lake Markakol, and Lake Zaysan.[5] Its administrative center is Öskemen (also known as Ust'-Kamenogorsk).[5] The region borders Altai Krai and Altai republic in Russia in the north and northeast and the People's Republic of China, via Xinjiang, in the south and southeast. The easternmost point of the Oblast is within about 50 kilometres of the westernmost tip of Mongolia;[citation needed] however, Kazakhstan and Mongolia do not share a common border, the two countries being separated by a small part of Russia and China.
The region was created by the merger of two Soviet-era Kazakhstan oblasts: the old Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya (East Kazakhstan) Oblast and Semipalatinsk Oblast. On 17 March 2022, it was announced that East Kazakhstan region would be divided, creating the Abai Region. This came into force on 8 June 2022, with eight districts of East Kazakhstan Region being transferred to the new region. The new border dividing Abai Region and East Kazakhstan region roughly corresponds to the border that existed between the two Soviet-era Oblasts.
The region occupies a very diverse range of geographic and climatic regions with the Altai Mountains in the east and the eastern margins of the Kazakh Steppe in the west of the region.[citation needed]
Demographics
As of 2020, the East Kazakhstan Region has a population of 1,369,597.[2]
₸619.4 billion was invested in the regional economy, an increase of 23.0%.[citation needed][when?] A significant increase in investment was observed in industry (30.6%), transport and warehousing (36.2%), agriculture (13.8%), and construction (7.2%).[citation needed][when?] Investments in fixed assets increased by 5.4% to ₸59.7 billion.[citation needed][when?]
Since 2010, 74 investment projects have been implemented, at a value of ₸1.3 trillion, creating 17,600 jobs, including 3 projects of national significance.[citation needed]
For the period from 2010 to 2019, 50 projects were commissioned for a total of ₸731.4 billion, creating 8,600 jobs, including 4 projects in 2019 for a total of ₸24.1 billion, creating 164 jobs.[citation needed]
In 2020, the region plans to implement 5 projects totaling ₸16.0 billion, creating 610 jobs.[citation needed]
From 2021 to 2025, the region plans to implement 19 projects with a total investment of ₸555.0 billion and the creation of 8.4 thousand new jobs.[citation needed]
Significant industrial projects planned by the region include the construction of an automobile plant and industrial park for the production of automotive components in Öskemen under the joint-stock company "Asia Auto Kazakhstan" in 2021,[citation needed] and the expansion of processing capacities of Aktogay GOK by duplicating the existing sulfide factory run by KAZ Minerals Aktogay LLP in 2021.[citation needed]
In January–February 2020, ₸59.7 billion was invested in the regional economy, with an increase of 105.4%.[citation needed]
Agriculture
During the first half of 2020, the region's agricultural output totaled ₸157.1 billion, of which, ₸155.9 billion came from cattle breeding, and ₸1.1 billion came from crop growing.[10] Investments in agricultural fixed assets in the first half of 2020 totaled to ₸14.7 billion.[10]
In the first half of 2020, 1.371. million hectares of crops were sown.[10] During that time, the region recorded 1.2777 million heads of cattle, 477.4 thousand heads of horses, and 2.1759 million heads of sheep and goats.[10]
Industry
In the first half of 2020, the region's industrial output totaled ₸1.0973 trillion.[11] During this period, the region's mining industry accounted for ₸286.7 billion in output, the metallurgy industry accounted for ₸489.5 billion, the machine-building industry accounted for ₸120.4 billion, the chemicals industry accounted for ₸10.9 billion, woodworking accounted for ₸2.5 billion, light industry accounted for ₸2.3 billion, and another ₸185 billion came from other industries.[11]
The bulk of the region's metallurgical products are exported.[11]
The region's machine-building industry mostly produces mining equipment, equipment for mineral processing, oil and gas production, industrial capacitors, cables and wires, and vehicles.[11]
Education
As of 2019, the region has 312 libraries, 10 museums, and 1 "institution for the protection of historical and cultural heritage".[12]
Culture
As of 2019, the region has 301 culture clubs, 2 theaters, a zoo, 9 "houses of friendship", 6 cinemas, and 3 parks.[12]
^ abcdСельское хозяйство [Agriculture] (in Russian). Akimat of the East Kazakhstan Region. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
^ abcdПромышленность и бизнес [Industry and Business]. Akimat of the East Kazakhstan Region. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
^ abcКультура [Culture] (in Russian). Akimat of the East Kazakhstan Region. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.
^ ab"Alakol". UNESCO. July 2013. Archived from the original on 2020-08-14. Retrieved 2020-08-14.