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Shymkent

geography Maturity 11-13 Next article →

Shymkent is a major city in southern Kazakhstan. It sits near the border with Uzbekistan. The city is very important to its country. It is one of only three cities with a special status called republican significance. This status is also held by Almaty and Astana. Shymkent is a large place with many people. By June 2018, it had about 1,002,291 residents.

Mosque in Shymkent
Mosque in Shymkent

The city has a very long and busy history. Its roots go back to ancient times. Some experts believe people lived there as far back as the 5th or 6th centuries. In the 12th century, it was a place to protect trade towns on the Silk Road. The Silk Road was a famous path for moving goods and ideas. The name Shymkent may come from two old words. These words mean "the city in the grass."

Tulpar-Talgo-in-Train-Station-Shymkent-Kazakhstan
Tulpar-Talgo-in-Train-Station-Shymkent-Kazakhstan

Shymkent has seen many different groups of people over the years. Many different cultures have lived there. Today, the population is very diverse. Most people are Kazakh. There are also many Uzbek and Russian people living in the city. This mix of people shows how the city has always been a crossroads. It is a place where different traditions meet and live together.

Traveling through Shymkent is easy because it is a big hub. The city has an international airport for planes. It also has a large railway station.

Tulpar-Talgo-in-Train-Station-Shymkent-Kazakhstan
Tulpar-Talgo-in-Train-Station-Shymkent-Kazakhstan

Many trains connect the city to other parts of Kazakhstan and nearby countries. There is also a large system of buses and roads. This helps people move around the city and to the areas nearby.

The city is a very important center for work and industry. It has about 70 different factories and plants. These places make many things like metal, clothes, and medicine. Some factories make food items like oil, dairy, and beer. The weather in Shymkent changes with the seasons. The summers are hot and dry. The winters are cold and often bring snow. Many different kinds of trees and fruit grow there. You can find grapes, melons, peaches, and even many types of apples.

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File:Mosque in Shymkent.jpg
Mosque in Shymkent.jpg
File:Tulpar-Talgo-in-Train-Station-Shymkent-Kazakhstan.jpg
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