Oral (Kazakh: Орал, pronounced [ɔɾɑɫ] ), known in Russian as Uralsk (Russian: Уральск), is a city in northwestern Kazakhstan, at the confluence of the Ural and Chagan rivers close to the Russian border. As it is located on the western bank of the Ural river, it is considered geographically in Europe. It is the capital of the West Kazakhstan Region. The ethnic composition is dominated by Kazakhs (71%) and Russians (25%). Population: 271,900 (2009 Census results);[2] 194,905 (1999 Census results).[2]

Oral
Орал (Kazakh)
Уральск (Russian)
City
Official seal of Oral
Oral is located in Kazakhstan
Oral
Oral
Location in Kazakhstan
Oral is located in Europe
Oral
Oral
Location in Europe
Coordinates: 51°13′21″N 51°22′21″E / 51.22250°N 51.37250°E / 51.22250; 51.37250
CountryKazakhstan
RegionWest Kazakhstan Region
Founded1584
Incorporated (city)1613
Government
 • Akim (mayor)Mirzhan Satkanov
Area
 • City700 km2 (300 sq mi)
Elevation
35 m (115 ft)
Population
 (2019)
 • City330,000
 • Density470/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
 • Urban
234,184
Time zoneUTC+5 (UTC+5)
Postal code
090000 - 090013
Area code+7 7112 [1]
Vehicle registrationL, 07
Websiteuralsk.gov.kz/en/
Map

Geography edit

Climate edit

The climate of Oral is continental with long cold winters and warm, often hot summers. Under the Köppen climate classification, Oral has a cold semiarid climate (Köppen Bsk). Summers are extremely hot considering its position north of the 51st parallel, but winters are more reminiscent of continental climates further east than Europe.

Climate data for Oral (1991–2020, extremes 1839–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 6.6
(43.9)
6.9
(44.4)
22.1
(71.8)
31.1
(88.0)
37.8
(100.0)
41.8
(107.2)
42.0
(107.6)
42.3
(108.1)
38.8
(101.8)
28.0
(82.4)
18.0
(64.4)
8.2
(46.8)
42.3
(108.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −6.7
(19.9)
−5.9
(21.4)
1.2
(34.2)
14.7
(58.5)
23.2
(73.8)
28.1
(82.6)
30.2
(86.4)
29.0
(84.2)
21.9
(71.4)
12.5
(54.5)
2.1
(35.8)
−4.7
(23.5)
12.1
(53.8)
Daily mean °C (°F) −10.4
(13.3)
−10.3
(13.5)
−3.3
(26.1)
8.3
(46.9)
16.3
(61.3)
21.1
(70.0)
23.2
(73.8)
21.5
(70.7)
14.6
(58.3)
6.7
(44.1)
−1.6
(29.1)
−8.2
(17.2)
6.5
(43.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −14.1
(6.6)
−14.5
(5.9)
−7.4
(18.7)
2.6
(36.7)
9.3
(48.7)
13.9
(57.0)
16.0
(60.8)
14.2
(57.6)
8.3
(46.9)
2.1
(35.8)
−4.7
(23.5)
−11.6
(11.1)
1.2
(34.2)
Record low °C (°F) −43.1
(−45.6)
−40.5
(−40.9)
−35.2
(−31.4)
−24.3
(−11.7)
−6.8
(19.8)
−1.1
(30.0)
4.3
(39.7)
0.4
(32.7)
−7.6
(18.3)
−19.2
(−2.6)
−32.6
(−26.7)
−39.2
(−38.6)
−43.1
(−45.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 25
(1.0)
21
(0.8)
25
(1.0)
24
(0.9)
32
(1.3)
32
(1.3)
39
(1.5)
22
(0.9)
27
(1.1)
37
(1.5)
27
(1.1)
27
(1.1)
339
(13.3)
Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) 20
(7.9)
29
(11)
23
(9.1)
2
(0.8)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
0
(0)
3
(1.2)
10
(3.9)
29
(11)
Average rainy days 5 4 6 9 10 11 10 9 10 12 10 7 103
Average snowy days 20 16 10 2 0.2 0 0 0 0.1 3 11 18 80
Average relative humidity (%) 83 81 81 65 55 57 58 57 61 73 83 83 70
Mean monthly sunshine hours 84 120 165 227 314 304 324 293 220 136 64 65 2,316
Source 1: Pogoda.ru.net[3]
Source 2: NOAA (sun, 1961–1990)[4]

Sport edit

 
Petr Atoyan Stadium

FC Akzhayik are a Kazakhstani football club based in Petr Atoyan Stadium.

Bandy is the principal sport in the city. Akzhayik Sports Club, based in the Yunost Stadium, is the only professional team in the country and plays in the second highest division of Russia.[5] In September 2017, the Kazakhstan Bandy Federation bought the club.[6]

The city sent a team to the Spartakiade 2009 and the finished second.[7] All the players of the Under-23 national team in the 2013–14 season came from Oral.[8] After the Kazakhstan national bandy team took the gold medal at the 2011 Asian Winter Games, the team came back to Oral in triumph.[9]

References edit

  1. ^ "Алматы қаласыАлмалы ауданыӘкімінің аппараты". www.almaly.almaty.kz.
  2. ^ a b "Население Республики Казахстан" [Population of the Republic of Kazakhstan] (in Russian). Департамент социальной и демографической статистики. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
  3. ^ КЛИМАТ ОРЕНБУРГА (in Russian). Погода и климат. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Uralsk (Oral) Climate Normals 1961-1990". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
  5. ^ "Akzhayik / LiveTV". www.livetv.ru. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  6. ^ "Google Translate". translate.google.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  7. ^ [1][dead link]
  8. ^ "Google Translate". translate.google.com. Retrieved 16 April 2018.
  9. ^ Video from the triumphant homecoming Archived 2013-12-02 at the Wayback Machine

External links edit