East Kazakhstan Region

East Kazakhstan Region borders Abai Region to the west, Russia's Altai Krai and Altai Republic to the north and China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region to the south and east. The region occupies a very diverse range of geographic and climatic regions with the Altai Mountains in the east and the eastern margins of the Kazakh Steppe in the west of the region. ==Demographics==

As of 2026, the East Kazakhstan Region has a population of 718,995. Ethnic Groups Ethnic composition of the region at the beginning of 2026: ==Administrative divisions==

The region is administratively divided into eleven districts and the cities of Öskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Ridder, and Altai. • Altai District, the town of Altai; • Glubokoye District, the settlement of Glubokoye; • Katonkaragay District, the village of Katonkaragay; • Kurshim District, the village of Kurshim; • Markakol, the village of Markakol; • Samar, the village of Samar; • Tarbagatay District, the village of Aksuat; • Ulan District, the settlement of Molodyozhny; • Shemonaikha District, the town of Shemonaikha; • Ulken Naryn, the settlement of Ulken Naryn; • Zaysan District, the town of Zaysan; • The following localities in East Kazakhstan Region have town status: Öskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk), Ayagoz, Shar, Ridder, Serebryansk, Shemonaikha, Zaysan, and Altai (Zyryan). ==Economy==

East Kazakhstan Region's economy is dominated by industry, particularly the metallurgy industry, although the region also has a significant energy industry, forestry industry, food industry, and various light industries. Investments in agricultural fixed assets in the first half of 2020 totaled to ₸14.7 billion. During this period, the region's mining industry accounted for ₸286.7 billion in output, the metallurgy industry accounted for ₸489.5 billion, the machine-building industry accounted for ₸120.4 billion, the chemicals industry accounted for ₸10.9 billion, woodworking accounted for ₸2.5 billion, light industry accounted for ₸2.3 billion, and another ₸185 billion came from other industries. The bulk of the region's metallurgical products are exported. The region's machine-building industry mostly produces mining equipment, equipment for mineral processing, oil and gas production, industrial capacitors, cables and wires, and vehicles. == Education ==

As of 2019, the region has 312 libraries, 10 museums, and 1 "institution for the protection of historical and cultural heritage". ==Culture==

As of 2019, the region has 301 culture clubs, 2 theaters, a zoo, 9 "houses of friendship", 6 cinemas, and 3 parks. In 2018, the Kazakhstan Ministry of Culture funded archaeological excavations into the and other nearby sites in the region to uncover cultural artifacts. ==Tourism==

The East Kazakhstan Region and neighboring Almaty Region share Lake Alakol, a major domestic tourist site. In 2013, UNESCO established the Alakol Biosphere Reserve, stating that the lake and its surroundings are an important part of the Central Asian Flyway. Birds native to the lake include the Dalmatian Pelican, the Eurasian Spoonbill, the Greater Flamingo, and the Ferruginous Duck. The and the Katon-Karagay National Park are both located in the Katonkaragay District in the northeastern part of the region. ==Sport==

The region sent a bandy team to the Spartakiade 2009 and finished third. ==See also==