Kazakhstan has three new official administrative regions, Tengrinews writes citing news agency Khabar 24.
The decree of the President of Kazakhstan dated May 4 on the formation of new regions came into full force on June 8.
The Ulytau region is one of the largest territorially yet it consists of two districts, Zhanaarkinskiy and Ulytauskiy, and three cities - Zhezkazgan, Karazhal, and Satpayev. Zhezkazgan, the center of the copper industry, became the administrative center of the region. The population of the new region is estimated to be about 226,000 people.
The region of Abai was created from a part of the East Kazakhstan region. In Soviet times, the territory was known as the Semipalatinsk region. Now the Abai region includes eight districts: Aksuat, Abai, Ayagoz, Beskaragay, Borodulikha, Zharma, Kokpekty and Urjar, and two cities - Semey and Kurchatov. The population of the region should be about 640,000 people.
The Jetysu region, separated from the Almaty region, is now one of the regions with the highest population in the country. Its population is about 650,000 people. Its administrative center is located in the former center of the Almaty region, Taldykorgan. It includes eight districts - Aksu, Alakol, Yeskeldy, Karatal, Kerbulak, Koksu, Panfilov, and Sarkan - and the cities of Taldykorgan and Tekeli.
