Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan. (It was renamed several times, and until 1997 it was called Tselinograd, then Akmola, and in 1998 was renamed into Astana.) It stands on the river Ishim. It is а big and modern city. The population of the city is over 1 mln. people. Astana became the capital of our country and the residence of the President of the country. Now it is a city of the future, the city of dreams. One can see amazing skyscrapers, modern parks , stunningly beautiful fountains and monuments there. Today Astana is the centre of business and tourism. There are so many interesting sights in the city! A lot of people visit Astana for sightseeing. Baiterek is the symbol of the city, and from it you can see the whole capital. There are also a lot of theatres, cinemas and stores in the city. There is an ocenarium, Nazarbayev museum, a large modern exhibition EXPO - 2017 and much more. Astana is a young city, but it's a fast developing city... Astana has a continental climate with cold winters and warm summers. January is the coldest month. July is the hottest one.