Kokshetau

Kokshetau Көкшетау
City
Seal
Kokshetau Location in Kazakhstan
Coordinates: 53°17′N 69°23′E / 53.283°N 69.383°ECoordinates: 53°17′N 69°23′E / 53.283°N 69.383°E
Country	Kazakhstan
Region	Akmola
Founded	1824
City status	1862
Government
• Akim (mayor)	Zharkyn Zhumagulov
Area
• Total	400 km^2 (200 sq mi)
Population (2013-07-01)[1]
• Total	153,057
• Density	380/km^2 (990/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC +6 (UTC+6)
Postal code	020000
Area code(s)	+7 7162
Vehicle registration	C, 03

Kokshetau (Kazakh: Көкшетау / Kökşetaw/كٶكشەتاۋ), formerly known as Kokchetav (Russian: Кокчетав, until 1993) is the administrative center of Akmola Region, northern Kazakhstan. Population: 135,106 (2009 Census results);^[2]123,389 (1999 Census results).^[2]

Geography

Kokshetau is some 300km (185 miles) north-west of the national capital of Astana. Kokshetau area is famous for its National Parks and resort places Burabay and Kokshatau. The city of Kokshetau is located next to Lake Kopa shore.

Climate

Kokshetau lies in the extreme continental climate zone]] (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with long, cold winters and hot summers. The average temperature in January is −15.3 °C (4.5 °F). In July the temperature averages 20.2 °C (68.4 °F). Yearly precipitation amounts to 313 mm (12.3 in).

Climate data for Kokshetau
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Daily mean °C (°F)	−15.3 (4.5)	−15.1 (4.8)	−7.4 (18.7)	4.0 (39.2)	12.2 (54)	18.4 (65.1)	20.2 (68.4)	16.8 (62.2)	11.3 (52.3)	2.5 (36.5)	−6.1 (21)	−11.8 (10.8)	2.47 (36.46)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	12.8 (0.504)	11.3 (0.445)	10.5 (0.413)	17.9 (0.705)	32.7 (1.287)	40.2 (1.583)	68.5 (2.697)	43.6 (1.717)	24.8 (0.976)	22.8 (0.898)	15.7 (0.618)	11.7 (0.461)	312.5 (12.304)
Average rainy days	3.7	3.4	3.0	4.2	6.5	6.5	8.5	7.3	5.5	6.2	4.3	3.3	62.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours	89.0	127.0	196.0	227.0	277.0	306.0	313.0	250.0	190.0	118.0	88.0	75.0	2,256
Source: NOAA (1961-1990)[3]

History

Kokshetau was founded in 1824 by Russian military as an outpost. The name of the city is of Kazakh origin literally meaning "a smoky-blue mountain". In 1868 it became a district center of Omskaya gubernia in the Russian Empire. In 1944 Kokchetav became the administrative center of the newly created Kokchetavskaya Oblast. In 1997 Kokshetau Oblast region was liquidated. In 1999 due to an administrative changes in the structure of Akmola and North Kazakhstan regions Kokshetau became the center of Akmola Oblast.

In late 1930s as a result of the Polish operation of the NKVD - USSR citizens of Polish nationality, related national operations, also against Kazakh SSR Germans, since 1939 many residents of the Poland's kresy wschodnie were forcibly settled in this region, and Kokchetav became the center of the Polish community in Kazakhstan.^[4]

Industry

After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 most plants and factories in the city stopped their production for ever. At the moments city has a number of grain mills and some dairy production. There is a gold mining operation north of the city.

Transport

Kokshetau has a renovated international airport. As of June 2016 it had domestic only. The city is lucky to have a railroad going in all directions. There is a tollway to Astana. The trip normally takes 3 hours.

Sister cities

• Waukesha (United States) since 1989

References

1. http://www.akmola.stat.kz/oblasti/koksh.htm
2. "Население Республики Казахстан" (in Russian). Департамент социальной и демографической статистики. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
3. "Kokshetay Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
4. Kate Brown, A Biography of No Place: From Ethnic Borderland to Soviet Heartland (Harvard University Press, 2004: ISBN 0-674-01168-6), pp. 173-74.

External links

• www.akmo.kz
• Kokshetau travel guide from Wikivoyage

Photos and videos

• 360° QTVR fullscreen panoramas of the Kokshetau