Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan located in Akmola Oblast. This city (former known as Tselinograd and Akmolinsk) lies along the Ishim River at the junction of the Trans-Kazakhstan and South Siberian railways.
In 2019, Astana was renamed Nur-Sultan - in honor of Nursultan Nazarbayev, the first president of Kazakhstan. In 2022, the name Astana was returned to the city.
The population of Astana is about 1,328,000 (2021).