Railway
Astana is the capital of:
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Answer: Option A — Kazakhstan
Detailed Solution
Astana is the capital of Kazakhstan, the largest country in Central Asia.
About Astana:
- It is located on the banks of the Ishim (Esil) river in the northern-central part of Kazakhstan.
- It became the capital on 10 December 1997, replacing Almaty (formerly Alma-Ata), which is in the south-east near the borders with China and Kyrgyzstan.
- Reasons for the move included Almaty's limited space for expansion, its location in an earthquake zone, and the wish to develop the north and have a more central capital.
The city has been renamed several times: Akmolinsk (Russian period), Tselinograd (1961), Akmola (1992), Astana (1998, meaning "capital" in Kazakh), Nur-Sultan (2019, after the first President Nursultan Nazarbayev), and back to Astana (2022).
It is known for its futuristic architecture, much of it designed by famous international architects, such as the Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa (master plan).
Landmarks include the "Baiterek Tower" (symbolising a tree of life), the "Khan Shatyr" (a giant transparent tent-shaped shopping centre designed by Norman Foster) and the "Palace of Peace and Reconciliation" (a pyramid).
It hosted the "Expo 2017" and several SCO summits.
It is one of the coldest capital cities in the world.
About Kazakhstan:
- It is the largest landlocked country in the world and the ninth-largest country overall.
- It became independent from the Soviet Union on 16 December 1991; it was the last Soviet republic to declare independence.
- Its currency is the Tenge.
- Its official languages are Kazakh (state language) and Russian.
The "Baikonur Cosmodrome", the world's first and largest space launch facility, is in Kazakhstan (leased to Russia). Yuri Gagarin was launched from there in 1961.
It is rich in oil, gas and minerals.
The Aral Sea, which has shrunk greatly, lies partly in Kazakhstan.
Capitals of other Central Asian countries:
- Uzbekistan: Tashkent.
- Kyrgyzstan: Bishkek.
- Tajikistan: Dushanbe.
- Turkmenistan: Ashgabat.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Uzbekistan's capital is Tashkent.
- ✗Kyrgyzstan's capital is Bishkek.
- ✗Turkmenistan's capital is Ashgabat.
Quick tip
Remember: Kazakhstan = capital Astana (since 1997, replacing Almaty; named Nur-Sultan 2019-2022); currency Tenge; largest landlocked country; Baikonur Cosmodrome; Uzbekistan = Tashkent; Kyrgyzstan = Bishkek; Tajikistan = Dushanbe.
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World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of World GK: Countries, Capitals & Currencies, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers world GK: countries with their capitals, currencies and parliaments, national symbols, famous landmarks, the longest, largest and highest features of the world, and international boundary lines such as the Radcliffe, McMahon and Durand Lines. The most common questions match a country with its capital or currency, or a parliament with its name (such as the Knesset of Israel or the Diet of Japan). Revise countries continent by continent, giving extra attention to India's neighbours. Questions on boundary lines usually ask which two countries a line separates. Practise the world GK questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.