Atyrau

• Aty­rau Ka­zakh­stan po­pula­ti­on — 333,200 (2007 est.);
• Aty­rau Ka­zakh­stan pho­ne co­de — +7–7122.

Aty­rau for­merly (un­til 1992) Gu­ry­ev, is a ci­ty and ad­mi­nist­ra­tive cent­re of Aty­rau re­gi­on (ob­last) of Ka­zakh­stan.

Aty­rau is a port on the Ural Ri­ver ne­ar its mo­uth on the Cas­pi­an Sea. Aty­rau ci­ty was fo­un­ded as a fi­shing sett­le­ment in the mid-17th cen­tu­ry by the fi­shing ent­rep­re­ne­ur Mik­ha­il Gu­ry­ev. The sett­le­ment was na­med Gu­ry­ev and so­on be­came a fort on the Ural for­ti­fi­ed li­ne man­ned by the Ural Cos­sacks.

In 1810 the fort­ress of Gu­ry­ev was abo­lis­hed and ra­zed to the gro­und. Oc­to­ber 4th 1991 Gu­ry­ev ci­ty ad­mi­nist­ra­ti­on de­cided to re­name it in­to Aty­rau. From Ka­zakh lan­gu­age word «aty­rau» me­ans the pla­ce whe­re ri­ver flows in­to sea.