Central Asia Kazakhstan The World Factbook Central
note Kazakhstan has two time zones etymology on 20 March 2019 Kazakhstan changed the name of its capital city from Astana to NurSultan in honor of its longserving recently retired president Nursultan NAZARBAYEV this was not the first time the city had its name changed founded in 1830 as Akmoly it became Akmolinsk in 1832 Tselinograd in 1961 Akmola Aqmola in 1992 and Astana in 1998