Facts About Almaty
- Largest city in Kazakhstan with a population of around 1.5 million people.
- Located in the southeast of the country, near the border with Kyrgyzstan.
- Former capital of Kazakhstan until 1997, when the capital moved to Astana.
- The name “Almaty” comes from the Kazakh word for apple, meaning “rich with apples.”
- The region is famous for its wild apple forests, believed to be the origin of the modern apple.
- The Hotel Kazakhstan, the city’s first high-rise building, remains a symbol of Almaty and an architectural landmark.
- Almaty is the cultural, educational, and economic heart of Kazakhstan.
- It is also a major financial and transport hub for Central Asia.
- A new international highway completed in 2017 connects China to Europe through Almaty — a modern route inspired by the ancient Silk Road.