Geography of Almaty
Almaty, or Alma Ata, Kazakhstan, the nation's largest city. It lies in the southeastern part of the country in the foothills of the Tien Shan. Almaty is a major rail hub and industrial center, with textile, food-processing, engineering, and printing industries. The Kazakh Academy of Sciences, the Kazakh State University, the National Library, the Central State Museum, and several performing-arts organizations are here.
The city was founded as a Russian military post in 1854. It was known as Verny until 1921, when it acquired its present name. In 1929, Almaty became the capital of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic, a part of the Soviet Union. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 it became the capital of Kazakhstan until 1997, when the government moved to the city of Aqmola (now Astana).
Population: 1,129,400