The Significance of Shifting Capital of Kazakstan from Almaty to Astana: An Evalution on the basis of Geopolitical and Demographic Developments

When Kazakhstan declared its independence on December 16, 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, most scientists were suspicious of the integrity and future of the country as the Kazakhs that were named after the country constituted only 41,3% of its population, which was already geographically non-proportional in a country, which was the ninth largest in the world with its 2,724,900 square kilometer surface area; the capital Almaty was geographically in close distance from China, which could pose a threat, in addition to a set of ethno political, ethno cultural and economic issues. Furthermore, the fact that the Kazakhs living in the north were actually estranged from their original identity and the self and finally have been Russified resulted in increasing the effect of sub-ethnic disintegration between the Kazakhs that were identified with certain geographical regions likely to constitute an impediment against national integrity. In 1997, the Kazak government resolved to move the capital from Almaty to Akmola, centre to Akmola administrative centre that was rich for agriculture and natural sources, also with a very significant geopolitical position. Next year, the name Akmola was changed for Astana, meaning the capital in Kazakh. At the time it was running as the capital, Astana was a small town, however in a short time it has become a modern and still-growing capital that united large ethnical groups under their Kazakh identity, a source of pride for the Kazakhs and one of the important centre of attraction not only for the Kazakhs but also for the entire Eurasia. This study intends to defend that the act of moving the capital to Astana has been one of the most significant reforms in rending the country as one of the most consistent and strong territories in terms of politics and economics in Eurasia, with a concentration that the aforesaid issues have been overcome especially during such reform; and this has been scrutinised on the basis of geology and demographics. Observations, analyses and interviews with many different social strata in Astana nearly for a year and also in Almaty, which is the cultural and commercial capital to the country where I am still living, have been influential in coming to a conclusion for this study.