Entry
East Kazakhstan region is located in the eastern part of Kazakhstan on the border with Russia and China. Itwasfoundedin 1932.
East Kazakhstan occupies a territory of 283.23 thousand sq m which is more than 10% of the territory of Kazakhstan. The share of the region’s population in the total number of people of the country is the same 10%. The density of the population is almost equal to the average density in the country – 5 people per 1 sq m.
The most populated areas are the town of Kurchatov (5200 people per 1 sq km) and Ust-Kamenogorsk (553 people per 1 sq km).
The population exceeds 1.5 mln people. 58% of them are urban population.
The administrative center is Ust-Kamenogorsk.
Geography
The biggest part of the region’s territory is located in the Altai mountains. The maximum height is over 4000 m. the average temperature in January is -17 to -26°С, in July – 19-23°С. The volume of precipitation is from 120 to 1000-1500 mm (in the mountains) per year. ThemainriverisIrtysh. ThemainlakesareMarkakol, Zaisan.
East Kazakhstan region is located in the eastern part of Kazakhstan on the border with the Russian Federation and China. In 1997, the territory of the former Semipalatinsk region was included into the territory of East Kazakhstan region. The region borders with Altai Territory and Republic of Altai in the north, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China in the east, with Almaty region of Kazakhstan in the south, Karaganda region in the west, Pavlodar region in the north-east.
Three Hydro Power Plants – Bukhtarma, Shulbinskaya and Ust-Kamenogorsk Plants are located on the main river Irtysh.
Economy
East Kazakhstan region is one of the industrial regions of Kazakhstan. The basic sector of its economy is nonferrous metal industry. Engineering and metalworking, energy, forestry and wood processing industries, light industry and food industry are well developed as well.
The region has essential reserves of mineral resources and the main wealth – polymetallic ores consisting of zinc, lead, copper, rare and precious metals. There are deposits of coal in Semey and Zaisan districts. The region also has essential deposits of gold, rare and precious metals, raw materials for production of concrete, lass slag, etc.
Nonferrous metallurgy is well-developed on the basis of deposits of polymetals in Rudny Altai. The main directions of the economy of the region are engineering and metalworking, wood processing industries, light industry and food industry, production of construction materials. Rainfedagricultureisprevalentintheregionalagriculture. Shipping is well-developed on IrtyshRiver.
Nonferrous metallurgy enterprises produce more than a half of the total volume of industrial products in the region. East Kazakhstan is one of the main producers of lead, zinc, copper, fine gold and silver and the only region producing titanium, magnesium, fuel for nuclear power stations in the country. The biggest enterprises of the region are LLP Kazzinc, Ust-Kamenogorsk Titanium Magnesium Plant, Ulba Metallurgy Plant, “Vostokkazmed” association.
The engineering sector of the region is represented by such enterprises as CJSC Asia-Auto, JSC VostokMashZavod, JSC Ust-Kamenogorsk Valve Plant, JSC Ust-Kamenogorsk Condenser Plant, JSC Semey Mashzavod, etc. These enterprises manufacture “Niva”, Skoda cars, ore mining, processing equipment, oil and gas fittings, household electro motors and pumps of different modifications, condensers and other electric technical and cable products.
The regional wood processing industry is represented by such enterprises as LLP Irtyshtransoil, JSC Zhanazemeyshaplzavody, JSC Ust-Kamenogorsk Furniture Plant. The major part of the enterprises is small business entities specializing in production of timber, crude products, rounded logs for housing construction, door and window blocks, furniture.
The light industry is represented by LLP “Leather and Fur Factory”, JSC KAZRUNO, LLP SKMK, LLP NIMEKS-Textile, LLP “Rauan”, etc.
There are several major enterprises representing the construction industry in the region such as JSC Bukhtarma Cement Plant, LLP Silikat and LLP Semey Concrete Plant.
Three major power plant including LLP Ust-Kamenogorsk Hydro Power Plant, Shulbinskaya HPP, Bukhtarma Hydro Power Complex of JSC Kazzinc produce electric energy in the region. Besides, Leningradskaya HHP of JSC “LC HPP Company” produces electricity as well.
Electricity and heat are also produced by LLP Ust-Kamenogorsk Thermal Power Plant, Sogrinskaya Thermal Power Plant, Ridder Thermal Power Plant, LLP Teplocommunenergo. Currently, 7.8 bln kWh of electricity and 10.8 mln Gkal of heat are produced in the region.
