Astana ( , ; Kazakh: Astana ] ) is the capital city of Kazakhstan. It is located on the banks of Ishim River in the north portion of Kazakhstan, within the Akmola Region, though administrated separately from the region as a city with special status. The 2017 census reported a population of 1,006,574 within the city limits, making it the second-largest city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty.
Kazakhstan's largest city has more than one million people in it.