Almaty region
Natural regions of Kazakhstan. Almaty region
The nature of the region is unique. During one day a traveler, without wasting much time and effort, may cross practically all landscape zones - from desert to eternal snow.
In the foothills and mountains many kinds of arboreal and herbaceous plants grow, and hundreds of kinds of wildlife live, among which is the handsome snow leopard. Among the lower outcrops of the mountains, up to 600 meters elevation, the attentive traveler will meet green foliage, above he will notice a steppe eagle, and in the river valleys - apple and aspen woods intermingled with bird cherry trees and hawthorns.
The fauna of the land is diverse. Here it is possible to spot hares, marmots, hamsters, badgers and even brown bears. On the high mountains it is quite probable you will come across mountain goats, archers, and gray ground squirrels. Birds have taken a fancy to these virgin forests: a pecker, a cedarbird, an owl, a kinglet, mountainous jackdaws, mountain partridges, and pheasants.
The best time to be in Prybalkashie is the middle of May. Spring is the time of poppies' blooming, and the steppe is red in color - it is an astonishing sight. Curious hares and ground squirrels sprint across the road, cranes soar in the sky, pheasants wander through the brush, musquash float in the lakes... And it is difficult to believe that the oppressive heat awaits, and in one month this place will be scorching steppe.
It does not matter which village of the Raiymbek area you visit, you will everywhere witness the inexpressible beauty of the mountains. It is beautiful here in the winter and wonderful in the summer. Eagles freely soar above the land, remarkable birds take flight...
Have you ever seen the magic smooth surface of a grand miracle of nature - the Alakol Lakes, where the great Kabanbay Batyr watered his horses, on the shores of which his fearless warriors rested before a decisive battle? If not, you are missing out on a great treasure. Immediately go and visit Lake Alakol, which is located in the area of the same name and in translation from Kazakh language, means "motley lake".
The legendary exploits of Rajymbek Batyr have a special place in the memory of the people; he struggled against the Dzhungarian conquerors. People erected a monument to him in Kasensaj in 1997. The area has received its name in honor of this famous warrior.
The history of our land is astonishing. The historical roots of Zhetysu go back centuries; this area is considered to be the heart of the cultural life of Kazakhstan. Our land possesses rich traditions, and was named "the world of songs and poetry" in ancient times. It is possible to endlessly list well-known singers, founders of kujs, akyn - improvisors, whose invaluable musical compositions have brought a considerable might to the culture of our republic. The burial place of the man in the "golden clothing" is Issyk barrow, and a most remarkable complex of artifacts in gold-encrusted style was found in Kargaly gorge near Almaty, with the date of burial determined to be 2nd-3rd centuries B.C.
One unique creation of nature is the Singing Dunes, which tower on the right bank of the Ili river. In the summer, the winds on the Dunes increase and begin to emit a powerful continuous buzz. It is interesting that the dunes do not blow away on the plains, and have remained in their place for millennia.
The Kerbulak area, which is near the Altyn - Emel pass, is famous for the fact that an eminent explorer of Central Asia found here his final home. He was the great educator, ethnographer, scientist, and orientalist, Shokan Ualihanov. In memory of the son of the Kazakh people an architectural memorial complex was constructed in the area.
One of the favorite places for residents of Almaty, Taldykorgan and the local regions to visit is the Kapchagai water basin, our man-made sea. A unique water sports complex, "Aquapark", was opened in 1993, which was constructed according to an Italian design. Adventurers who want to have a thrill ride a 10 meter tower, the waterslide mountain "Shivoli" or a waterslide in the children's lagoon, on the unusual attraction "Tarzan". Up to 5000 thousand guests per day visit the aquapark in the summer.
On the territory of Almaty region there are rich mineral deposits, which will only be exploited in the future. These include the huge stores of coal in Nizhne - Ily, Kolzhat, and Ojkaragai. The Nizhne - Ily station "Podzemhaz" can produce gas from coal, which costs much less than natural gas imported from Uzbekistan.
There is an opportunity to revive the gold mining industry, which prospered in the region during the epoch of the copper and bronze ages. The Asian Scythians made marvelous treasures from the gold extracted here. Herodotus wrote about these very articles in the 5th century B.C.: "... everything that is required for spears, arrows and poleaxes they make out of copper, they decorate their headdresses, girdles and cross-belts with gold".
The potential of placer gold in the Almaty region is estimated by geologists to be several hundreds tons. There are manganese ores, schungites, platinoids and so on in the Almaty region also.
One of the main components of economic complex of Almaty region is agriculture. In fact only in the settlements officially related to countryside there are more than 70 % of the population. According to the majority of indicators the region strongly holds leading place among agrarian regions of the country.
On our territory of mountains and the rivers everyone can find something pleasant to themselves. The Zhetysu land hides within itself many attractive features for those who enjoy wandering and aspire to see the world; it will not leave even the most exacting traveler unimpressed.
Vacations in our land are always worthwhile and satisfying, tours are fascinating, and the impressions are unforgettable.