West Kazakhstan Region, Administrative region in western Kazakhstan.
West Kazakhstan Region is an administrative area in western Kazakhstan that spreads across wide steppe landscapes and gentle hills. The northern border runs along Russia, while many lakes and rivers cross the flat terrain.
The area formed in March 1932 as part of the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Several border changes and administrative reforms followed until its present shape after Kazakhstan gained independence.
The Ural River divides the region into two geographic worlds and has shaped daily life for centuries. Local traditions reflect the ways of nomadic herders still visible in rural areas today.
Roads and rail lines connect the capital Oral with other parts of Kazakhstan and neighboring Russian areas. Travelers exploring the region should expect long distances between settlements.
The Ural forms the boundary between Europe and Asia here, one of the few places worldwide where two continents are separated by a river. Visitors can symbolically cross between both landmasses at certain riverside points.
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