Almaty

Almaty lies at the foot of the Ile Alatau; its name means "rich in apples" in Kazakh, and the region is considered the homeland of the wild apple. According to the Bureau of National Statistics, 2.35 million people lived there at the start of 2026.

Its landmarks include Kok-Tobe hill and its cable car, the wooden Zenkov (Ascension) Cathedral said to have been built without nails, Panfilov Park and the Green Bazaar. Nearby are the Medeu skating rink, the Shymbulak ski resort and Big Almaty Lake.

Almaty remains the country's economic, scientific and cultural centre and co-hosted the 2011 Asian Winter Games with Astana.