Vostochno-Kazakhstanskaya Oblast.
Kazakhstan Oblasts and Regions

The nature of East Kazakhstan is amazing. Steppe and semi-desert zones of Asia meet with mountainous taiga of Siberia giving birth to unique landscape spectrum: deserts, steppes, taiga, mountains with eternal sparkling glaciers, numerous rivers and lakes.

Eastern Kazakhstan oblast is home for one of the most unique corners of eastern Kazakhstan - the Markakol National Pre serve. The pearl of this area by right is Lake Markakol set in a hollow that is confined in the north by the Kuchum range (over 3,000 m above sea level) and in the south - by the Azu tau range (2,385 m). The lake is 38 km long, 19 km wide and 27 m deep. 27 rivers and streams feed into the lake and only one, the Kaljir river, flows out of it. The Markakol lake water is fresh and very soft, but its main wealth is fish of the salmon family - uskuch. Lake Markakol is the only habitat for this fish in Kazakhstan.

Scenic rocky shelves of the mountains are covered here and there with mostly larch and sometimes silver fir for ests. Sub-alpine meadows are rich in flowers and ran herbs (golden root and maral root, Hedysarum, thick- leaved bergenia and others.) Very diversified is the fauna of the preserve. The woods and forests are inhabited with brown bear, elk, fox, lynx, maral (Siberian deer), glutton, sable, ermine, fal con, heath-cock, very rare red wolf, ular, black stork, fish-hawk, silver seagull and erne.

Mountain taiga ranges spread further to the west as far as almost 500 km gradually changing for steppe of the Pre-Irtysh area. In the southeast is the huge deserted Zaisan Hollow. The ancient Zaisan lake is located at its bottom, abundant in fresh water fish.

In the south, the Zaisan Hollow is protected from hot winds of Xinjiang by the ranges of Manrak and Saur. The highest point of the Saur range - Mt. Muztau (Icy Mountain) is 3,819 m. At the foothills of the Saur range, in the Permian slates (260 million years old) you can find fossils of plants, invertebrates and ancient sea fish. Today, in this wild and severe area you can come across such unique animals as arkhar (wild sheep) and snow leopard.

Eastern Kazakhstan oblast accommodates the Katon-Karagai National Park containing a number of wonderful natural and historical attractions: the Berel burial ground, the Kokkol Water fall, the Rakhmanov's Springs, the Kokkol alpine mine and the Northern (Golden) Brunch of the Great Silk Road running across the picturesque Ukok Plateau.

Delightful and versatile is Eastern Kazakhstan oblast. Go hiking or horse back riding along its roads, smell the smoke of a camp-fire, float through its rivers and lakes, feel the heat of desert and the cool of gla ciers, and then you will get to know this land and fall in love with it.

Ust-Kamenogorsk (Oskemen) is the largest industrial and transport junction of the mining Altai. The city was founded in 1720 as the fortress Ust-Kamennaya at the place of Irtysh and Ulba confluence. It is the center of the Eastern-Kazakhstan oblast. After three-four decades it became the crossing and trade center. It was named as "the gates of the Mining Altai", because all expeditions for studying and settling the Mining and Southern Altai passed throughout of it. The trade ways to Mongolia and China also passed there.

By the XX century Ust-Kamenogorsk became the center of the gold extractive industry. During its history about 700 tons were extracted, also the nugget with a weight of 25,57kg. Up-to-date Ust-Kamenogorsk is one of the largest centers of metallurgy. Its lead-zinc-integrated plant produces a considerable part of lead and zinc making in the Mining Altai. The gold, silver, cadmium, gallium are also made there. The main sources of energy of the integrated plant are Ust-Kamenogorskaya and Bukhtarminskaya HESes. The titan-magnesian -integrated plant was built not far from the city. Besides non-ferrous metallurgy there are metal-working and machine-building enterprises, the food, light and timber industry have developed there. There are also clothing factories and the factory of silk.

There are God created places, where man can feel himself free and easy. One of such places is Altai. Altai, which is rich of forests, rives, fishes, honey, herbs, ores and has a unique beauty, from Mongolian translated as "The Golden Mountains". Situating on the borders of China, Mongolia and Russia it by virtue of geographical and political features remains as ecologically tested. In the territory of Eastern Kazakhstan there are different natural landscapes as deserts, steppes, taiga, mountain glaciers, rivers and lakes.

Semei (Semipalatinsk) is the second largest city of Eastern Kazakhstan oblast situated on both banks of the Irtysh River. The population is 334000 people. It was founded in 1718 as the fortress. At the beginning of the century Semei had a trade importance. The caravan ways from Mongolia to Russia and from Siberia to the Central Asia are passed there. In the mid of XIX century a quarter of the trade commodity of Siberia and the Central Asia passed through Semipalatinsk. At the end of XIX century the city became an important pier in Irtysh with the developing of navigation. The up-to-date Semei in contradistinction to Ust-Kamenogorsk is the city of light and food industry. As Shymkent and Almaty Semei is an important center in producing of consumer goods. The enterprises producing machine-tools, electric cable, fittings, equipment and tools enterprises of the food industry represent the metal-working industry.

Joint project of OrexCA.com and KTA & KAGIR. Information is taken from CD "All about tourism in Kazakhstan"