Abai Region is a region of Kazakhstan. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced on 16 March 2022 that the region would be created. The area split off from East Kazakhstan Region when Tokayev's bill came into force on 8 June 2022. The administrative center of the region is Semey, until 2007 known as "Semipalatinsk". Its borders roughly correspond to the old Semipalatinsk Region which was abolished in 1997 and merged with East Kazakhstan Region.

Geography The city of Semey is the administrative center of the region of Abai. The Region of Abai borders East Kazakhstan Region and Xinjiang to the east, Pavlodar Region and Altai Krai to the north, Karaganda Region to the west and Jetisu Region to the south.

Demographics +Population of the Abay region2022202320252026611 888610 158600 800595 720

Ethnic composition

Region total + Ethnic composition of the population (as of early 2026): Ethnicity Population % Total 595,720 100.00% Kazakhs 471,846 79.21% Russians 93,294 15.66% Tatars 10,837 1.82% Germans 8,277 1.39% Ukrainians 3,037 0.51% Uyghurs 1,069 0.18% Belarusians 870 0.15% Uzbeks 754 0.13% Chechens 611 0.10% Azerbaijanis 530 0.09% Koreans 504 0.08% Tajiks 357 0.06% Others 2,735 0.46%

By districts and cities of regional significance + Ethnic composition by districts and city administrations (as of early 2026) District / City Total Kazakhs % Russians % Tatars % Germans % Ukrainians % Belarusians % Chechens % Koreans % Azerb. % Uzbeks % Abai Region total 595,720 471,846 79.21% 93,294 15.66% 10,837 1.82% 8,277 1.39% 3,037 0.51% 870 0.15% 611 0.10% 504 0.08% 530 0.09% 754 0.13% Semey C.A. 315,314 234,485 74.37% 62,337 19.77% 8,536 2.71% 3,373 1.07% 1,816 0.58% 486 0.15% 216 0.07% 310 0.10% 357 0.11% 486 0.15% Kurchatov C.A. 9,849 5,907 59.98% 3,267 33.17% 131 1.33% 179 1.82% 125 1.27% 46 0.47% 5 0.05% 9 0.09% 14 0.14% 15 0.15% Abai District 13,142 12,947 98.52% 52 0.40% 26 0.20% 10 0.08% 3 0.02% 1 0.01% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 6 0.05% 2 0.02% Aksuat District 18,097 18,002 99.48% 15 0.08% 11 0.06% 36 0.20% 0 0.00% 2 0.01% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% 0 0.00% Ayagoz District 61,871 59,723 96.53% 1,108 1.79% 319 0.52% 106 0.17% 59 0.10% 18 0.03% 20 0.03% 19 0.03% 40 0.06% 87 0.14% Beskaragay District 16,685 11,891 71.27% 3,552 21.29% 334 2.00% 506 3.03% 183 1.10% 34 0.20% 4 0.02% 10 0.06% 13 0.08% 12 0.07% Borodulikha District 31,482 13,383 42.51% 13,499 42.88% 619 1.97% 2,764 8.78% 400 1.27% 171 0.54% 146 0.46% 77 0.24% 53 0.17% 35 0.11% Zhanasemey District 19,269 15,250 79.14% 3,112 16.15% 181 0.94% 327 1.70% 167 0.87% 45 0.23% 8 0.04% 25 0.13% 1 0.01% 6 0.03% Zharma District 32,749 29,994 91.59% 1,703 5.20% 161 0.49% 309 0.94% 186 0.57% 28 0.09% 122 0.37% 2 0.01% 25 0.08% 36 0.11% Kokpekty District 12,635 10,608 83.96% 1,217 9.63% 328 2.59% 313 2.48% 34 0.27% 18 0.14% 12 0.10% 3 0.02% 2 0.02% 16 0.13% Makanshi District 24,771 24,008 96.92% 462 1.87% 47 0.19% 28 0.11% 16 0.06% 4 0.02% 3 0.01% 2 0.01% 1 0.00% 17 0.07% Urzhar District 39,856 35,648 89.44% 2,970 7.45% 144 0.36% 326 0.82% 48 0.12% 17 0.04% 75 0.19% 47 0.12% 18 0.05% 42 0.11% Districts

The region consists of the cities of Kurchatov and Semey, as well as the following 10 districts:Handbook on the history of the administrative-territorial structure of the Semipalatinsk Region. - Semipalatinsk, 2006.Правовые акты Указы - О некоторых вопросах административно-территориального устройства Республики Казахстан Abai District, with the administrative center in the selo of Karauyl; Aksuat District, the village of Aksuat; Ayagoz District, the town of Ayagoz; Beskaragay District, the village of Beskaragay; Borodulikha District, the village of Borodulikha; Zharma District, the village of Kalbatau; Kokpekti District, the village of Kokpekti; Urzhar District, the village of Urzhar; Makanshi District, the village of Makanshi; Zhanasemey District, the city of Semey.

Etymology

The region was named after the Kazakh aqyn Abai Qunanbaiuly, who was born in what is now the Abai Region.

Notes

References

External links

Bronze Age Monument Dedicated to Horse Cult found (near Toktamys, 676 km southeast of Astana)