Abai Region

Abai Region (Абай облысы, ) is a region of Kazakhstan. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced on 16 March 2022 that the region would be created. The area split off from East Kazakhstan Region when Tokayev's bill came into force on 8 June 2022. The administrative center of the region is Semey, until 2007 known as Semipalatinsk. Its borders roughly correspond to the old Semipalatinsk Region which was liquidated in 1997 and merged with East Kazakhstan Region.

Geography
The city of Semey is the administrative center of the region of Abai. The Region of Abai borders East Kazakhstan Region and Xinjiang to the east, Pavlodar Region and Altai Krai to the north, Karaganda Region to the west and Jetisu Region to the south.

Districts
The region consists of the cities of Kurchatov and Semey, as well as the following 10 districts:
 * 1) Abai District, with the administrative center in the selo of Karauyl;
 * 2) Aksuat District, the village of Aksuat;
 * 3) Ayagoz District, the town of Ayagoz;
 * 4) Beskaragay District, the village of Beskaragai;
 * 5) Borodulikha District, the village of Borodulikha;
 * 6) Zharma District, the village of Kalbatau;
 * 7) Kokpekti District, the village of Kokpekti;
 * 8) Urzhar District, the village of Urzhar;
 * 9) Makanshi District, the village of Makanshi;
 * 10) Zhanasemey District, the city of Semey.

Etymology
The region was named after the Kazakh aqyn Abai Qunanbaiuly, who was born in what is now the Abai Region.