Almaty << ahl mah TIH >> (pop. 1,129,400), also spelled Alma-Ata, is the largest city and the economic and cultural center of Kazakhstan. It lies in the southeastern part of the country, in an irrigated valley at the foot of the Tian Shan mountain range.
Almaty has many treelined boulevards and large parks. It is the home of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and a number of specialized institutes of higher learning. The Medeo ice rink hosts international sports competitions. Industries in Almaty produce food products, metal products, printed material, and textiles.
Almaty was founded in 1854. It was originally called Verny. In 1921, it was renamed Almaty. This name, which means father of apples, refers to nearby apple orchards. In 1929, Almaty became the capital of Kazakhstan, which was then an autonomous (self-governing) republic of the Soviet Union. It remained the capital after Kazakhstan became an independent nation in 1991. In 1997, Akmola (now called Astana) replaced Almaty as the capital.
