Atyrau Region


Atyrau Region formerly known as Gur'yev, is one of the regions of Kazakhstan, situated in the west of the country around the northeast of the Caspian Sea. Its capital is the town of Atyrau, with a population of 142,500 people; the region itself has 480,000 people. Kazakhs make up more than 80% of the population.

History

The Turan lowlands of Atyrau Region were the central homeland for the Malkar "Hun" dynasties of late antiquity.

Geography

With an area of 118,600 square kilometers, it is the second-smallest region in Kazakhstan. It borders Russia to the west, as well as the fellow Kazakh regions Aktobe to the east, Mangystau to the south, and the West Kazakhstan Region to the north. The Ural River is the border between Asia and Europe and flows from Russia to the Caspian Sea through the region, meaning western Atyrau Region lies in Europe.
A large part of the region is situated in the oil-rich Caspian Depression. Many oil wells have been drilled in the Tengiz Field and Kashagan Field areas. An oil pipeline runs from Atyrau to Samara, Russia, where it joins the Russian pipeline system. A separate oil pipeline runs from the Tengiz field to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk.
Atyrau is traversed by the northeasterly line of equal latitude and longitude.

Administrative divisions

The region is divided into seven districts and the city of Atyrau. The districts are:
  1. Inder District, with the administrative center in the urban-type settlement of Inderbor;
  2. Isatay District, the selo of Akkystau;
  3. Kurmangazy District, the selo of Ganyushkino;
  4. Kyzylkoga District, the selo of Miyaly;
  5. Makat District, the urban-type settlement of Makat;
  6. Makhambet District, the selo of Makhambet;
  7. Zhylyoi District, the town of Kulsary.
* Two localities in Atyrau Region have town status. These are Atyrau and Kulsary. Isatay and Kurmangazy districts are in Europe, Makat, Kyzylkoga and Zhylyoi in Asia, while Inder and Makhambet straddle the Ural River which marks the boundary.

Investment potential

Atyrau region is one of the most dynamically developing regions of Kazakhstan, and successfully cooperates with more than 50 countries of the world.  Over 1,000 joint and foreign enterprises have been created and are successfully operating here.  Among them are such large enterprises of the oil and gas sector as: «Tengizchevroil» LLP, «North Caspian Operating Company» LLP, «Fluor Kazakhstan Inc.» LLP  and others.
The main directions of economic development in the Atyrau region are the petrochemical industry, oil and gas engineering, the construction industry, the agro-industrial complex and the fishing industry.
The region is rich in reserves of such natural resources as deposits of borates, boron, salt ores, table and potassium salts, building materials. In the region, work is being carried out on a systematic basis to improve the investment climate and attract direct and foreign investments in the region’s economy.
The region, which has huge investment potential, is visited annually by delegations from far and near abroad, which allows for the establishment or bilateral international relations.
In order to provide high-quality and prompt assistance, information-analytical and service support to domestic and foreign investors in the region, there are such organizations as JSC «NC Kazakh Invest», SEC «Atyrau» and «Atyrau Innovations» LLP.
In the Atyrau region, an oil and gas exhibition «Global Oil&Gas Atyrau» is held annually, in which more than 150 countries of the world take part.
In addition, today in the region there are a number of foreign visa centers.