View source for Mangystau Region

{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Mangystau Region
| native_name             = Маңғыстау облысы<br />Мангистауская область <br />ماڭعىستاۋ وبلىسى
| settlement_type         = Region
| image_skyline           = Sherqala.jpg
| imagesize               = 
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = [[Sherkala]]
| image_shield            = Маңғыстау_логотибі.jpg
| shield_size             = 
| shield_alt              = 
| image_map               = Mangystau in Kazakhstan.svg
| mapsize                 =  
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Map of Kazakhstan, location of Mangystau Province highlighted
| coordinates             = {{coord|43|52|N|052|00|E|type:adm1st_region:KZ-MAN|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type        = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_name        = {{flag|Kazakhstan}}
| subdivision_type1       = 
| subdivision_name1       = 
| blank_name_sec1         = [[Districts of Kazakhstan|Districts]]
| blank_info_sec1         = 5
| blank1_name_sec1        = [[List of cities in Kazakhstan|Cities]]
| blank1_info_sec1        = 3
| blank2_name_sec1        = [[Township]]s
| blank2_info_sec1        = 6
| blank3_name_sec1        = [[Village]]s
| blank3_info_sec1        = 30
| seat                    = [[Aktau]]
| seat_type               = [[Capital (political)|Capital]]
| leader_party            =
| leader_title            = [[Akim]]
| leader_name             = [[Alik Aidarbayev]]
| area_footnotes          = <ref>[http://www.mangystau.kz/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=9 Official site – Climate and Geography]</ref>
| area_total_km2          = 165642
| elevation_max_m         = 556
| elevation_min_m         = -132
| timezone1               = West
| utc_offset1             = +5
| timezone1_DST           = not observed
| utc_offset1_DST         = +5
| postal_code_type        = [[Postal codes]] 
| postal_code             = 130000
| area_code_type          = [[Area codes]]
| area_code               = +7 (729)
| population_footnotes    = <ref>Agency of statistics of the Republic of Kazakhstan: [http://www.stat.kz/digital/naselsenie/2012/2013/%D0%BC%D0%B0%D1%80%D1%82/01_2012_%D0%AD-14-05-%D0%9C.xls Численность населения Республики Казахстан по областям с началa 2013 года до 1 февраля 2013 года] (russisch; Excel-Datei; 55&nbsp;kB).</ref>
| population_total        = 596706
| population_as_of        = 2013-02-01
| population_density_km2  = auto
| iso_code                = KZ-MAN
| registration_plate      = 12, R 
| website                 = {{URL|http://mangystau.gov.kz}}
| footnotes               = 
}}
'''Mangystau Region''' ({{lang-kk|Маңғыстау облысы, ''Mañğıstaw oblısı'', ماڭعىستاۋ وبلىسى}}) is a [[Regions of Kazakhstan|region]] of [[Kazakhstan]]. Its capital is [[Aktau]] (a seaport), which has a population of 154,500 (2004 census); the entire Mangystau Region has a population of 373,400.

==Geography==
The region is located in the southwest of the country, and includes [[Mangyshlak Peninsula]]. It has much of Kazakhstan's [[Caspian Sea|Caspian Shore]]. It also borders neighboring countries [[Turkmenistan]] and [[Uzbekistan]]. Mangystau also borders two other Kazakh regions (counter-clockwise), [[Aktobe Region]] and [[Atyrau Region]]. The area of the region is 165,600 square kilometers. Engineers discovered petroleum in the area in the days of the [[Soviet Union]], drilling commenced, and much of the area was built up around the industry.

The territory of Mangystau includes lots of different landscapes and desert lands: Caspian lowland, plateaus (Usturt, Mangyshlak, Kendirli-Kayasan), mountains (Aktau, Karatau), cavities, desert, mountains and mountain ridges. That kind of landscape forms an original multigraded labyrinth, painted with green, yellow, pink and red sediment of loam. The highest point is Otpan mountain at {{convert|556|m}}. The lowest point is the [[Caspian Depression|bottom of Karagie cavity]], {{convert|132|m}} below sea level.

== Climate ==
Due to its vast territory, the region has a wide variety of climate conditions. The climate of north Mangystau is cold in winter due to its settlement in [[Ustyurt Plateau]], the location of the plateau is mainly above sea level. On the whole, the climate is continental with cold winters and mild summers. The average temperature {{convert|-3|°C}} in January and {{convert|+26|°C}} in July. The average annual rainfall is {{convert|150|mm}}.

== History ==
The first written sources on Mangystau Region date back to the 9th century AD.{{citation needed|date=July 2012}} According to Arabic geographers, it was uninhabited until the tenth century when groups opposing the Turkmen Oghuz settled and found sources of water and grassland. The mountain called Binkishlah (unidentified) would have marked the border between [[Khwarezm]] and the Khanate of the [[Khazars]]. These Turkmen were vassals of the Khazars, at the beginning of the thirteenth century when Yaqut al-Hamawi and Ibn al-Athir mention{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}  the name of Mankashlagh. Ibn al-Athir tells of a Turkish principality with a medina with the same name as the territory that existed from the late eleventh century. In 1097 a struggle between Kutb al-Din Muhammad, Khwarezm governor of Seljuks and Tugrul Tehghin occurred. In 1127, [[Atsiz]] occupied the whole peninsula. During [[Khwarazmian dynasty|Khwarezmshah]] rule, it was part of firstly [[Gorgan]] province, later [[Mazandaran Province]].

In 1221, the Mongols occupied it. It was later passed to successively [[Golden Horde]], [[Nogai Horde]], [[Uzbek Khanate (disambiguation)|Uzbek Khanate]] and [[Kazakh Khanate]], but its population was decreased after gradual drying of the steppe and [[Kalmyk people|Kalmyk]] raids began in 1620. Some Salur and Ersari Turkmens left the region and migrated to Russia.

In 1670, Anusha Khan who was khan of Khiva asked the Russian government to build a fortress to protect the peninsula for securing trade between Russia and Khwarezm. Puntsuk Monchak and Ayuka (1670-1724) deported most of Cawdor and Igdir groups of Turkmen to the Volga basin. For protecting trade, Anusha Khan annexed it to his territories in 1676 and build a fort at the port of Karagan in 1687.

The Russians under Peter the Great sent an expedition led by the unfortunate [[Alexander Bekovich-Cherkassky|Bekovich-Cherkassky]], who established three forts on the coast of the Caspian Sea, but  they were abandoned after one year. Then there were several Russian scientific expeditions. In 1834 they founded on the south coast of the Bay of Mertviy Kultuk a permanent garrison at Novo-Petrovskoye. This caused a conflict with the Khan of Khiva and an abortive military campaign between 1839 and 1840. During this period, the Bayuli tribe of Kazakhs settled and remaining Turkmens left it 1840 except a group of families of the Cawdor tribe.

The peninsula was subject to conflict between Khiva and Russia, each party wanted to have the Kazakhs. In 1846, the Russians built a fort in Karagan named Novo-Petrovskoye that in 1859 was renamed Fort Alexandrovskiy. Russian domination of it began with the occupation of [[Krasnovodsk]], located in the southern part of it in 1869. At the same time, Russians established Mangyshlak district which was subordinated to the Viceroyality of Caucasus. Khanate of Khiva renounced possession of this peninsula in favor of the Russians in 1873. It was attached to Russia as an uyezd of [[Transcaspian Oblast]] in 1881.

The fate of the government following the 1917 revolution was in the hands of the Mensheviks. After the [[October Revolution]] the Bolsheviks prevailed but were eliminated by British intervention in June 1918. In July 12, 1918 an Interim Executive Committee, which sought to restore [[Alexander Kerensky]], was established in [[Ashgabat]]. Bolsheviks took the region in February 1920. On August 26, 1920 the peninsula was included in the Kyrgyz Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic within the Russian Soviet Socialist Federative Republic. On June 15, 1925 it was renamed the Kazakh Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, all within the Russian RFSS. On December 5, 1936 it was elevated to Kazakh SSR. But a narrow strip of the southern coastal bay fronting Kara Boghaz was ceded to [[Turkmen SSR]] at the same time.

In 1937, this peninsula became  part of  [[West Kazakhstan Region]] with Kazakh part of [[Ustyurt Plateau]], and a new department{{what|date=March 2017}} was formed with its capital Fort-Shevchenko.{{fact|date=March 2017}} Its current capital was founded as Shevchenko in 1964.{{fact|date=March 2017}} After the independence of Kazakhstan, the region and its capital were renamed.

==Administrative divisions==
The region is administratively divided into five districts and two cities of region significance, [[Aktau]] and [[Zhanaozen]]. The districts are<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mangystau.kz/data.php?n_id=2984&l=ru|script-title=ru:Список телефонов акимов городов и районов Мангистауской области и их заместителей|publisher=Акимат Мангистауской области|language=Russian|accessdate=3 June 2012}}</ref>
# [[Beyneu District]], with the administrative center in the [[Village#Central Asia|auyl]] of [[Beyneu]];
# [[Karakiya District]], the auyl of [[Kuryk]];
# [[Mangystau District]], the auyl of [[Shetpe]];
# [[Munaily District]], the auyl of [[Mangistau]];
# [[Tupkaragan District]], the town of [[Fort-Shevchenko]].
Three localities in the region - Aktau, Fort-Shevchenko, and Zhanaozen - have town status.

== Demographics ==
[[File:Horses in Mangystau Province, Kazakhstan.jpg|thumb|right|300px|Mangystau Region in winter time]]
According to the 1999 Census, 50.9% of the population are Kazakhs, while ethnic Russians are 32.9%.<ref>[[:ru:Мангистауская область]]</ref>

*Population (2009): 416,500 people (2.6%, 14 place)
*Density: 2.5 people / km<sup>2</sup> (13 place)
*National structure: Kazakhs – 70.9%; RussianS — 22.9%
*Area: 165,600&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> (6.1%, 7 place)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
{{commonscat-inline|Mangystau Province}}
*[http://mangystau.gov.kz Official website]

{{Geographic location
|Centre    = Mangystau Region
|North     = [[Atyrau Region]]
|Northeast = [[Aktobe Region]]
|East      = {{flag|Karakalpakstan}}, {{flag|Uzbekistan}}
|Southeast = 
|South     = [[Balkan Region]], {{flag|Turkmenistan}}
|Southwest = ''[[Caspian Sea]]''<br>[[Baku]], [[Khachmaz District|Khachmaz]], [[Khizi District|Khizi]], [[Shabran District|Shabran]], [[Siazan District|Siazan]] and [[Sumqayit]], {{flag|Azerbaijan}} 
|West      = ''[[Caspian Sea]]''<br>{{flag|Dagestan}} and {{flag|Kalmykia}}, {{flag|Russia}}
|Northwest = ''[[Caspian Sea]]''<br>{{flag|Astrakhan Oblast}}, {{flag|Russia}}
}}

{{Mangystau Region}}
{{Provinces of Kazakhstan}}

[[Category:Mangystau Region| ]]
[[Category:Regions of Kazakhstan]]