Karaganda

Karaganda, also known as Karagandy, is a major city in central Kazakhstan and capital of the Karaganda Region, the country's fifth most populous city with a population of 497,777 at the 2020 census, up from 459,778 in 2009 and 436,864 in 1999. Located about 230 kilometers southeast of the capital Astana, Karaganda has historically been a central hub for coal mining, which shaped its economy and saw significant growth during the Soviet era, and coal remains a key sector of its industrial base today. The city hosts several educational institutions, including Karaganda State University, supporting its role as an academic and research center in central Kazakhstan, and it played an important part in the industrial development of the Soviet Union.