Kazakhstan is divided into 17 regions. The regions are further subdivided into districts. Three cities, Almaty, Shymkent, and the capital city Astana, do not belong to their surrounding regions.

Shymkent is a city in Kazakhstan, near the border with Uzbekistan. It is one of three Kazakh cities that have the status of a city of republican significance that of a region. It is the third-most populous city in Kazakhstan, behind Almaty and Astana, with an estimated population of 1,002,291 as of 1 June 2018. According to regional and city officials, the millionth resident of Shymkent was born on 17 May 2018. It is a regional cultural centre. Shymkent is situated 690 kilometres (430 mi) west of Almaty and 1,483 kilometres (920 mi) south of Astana. It is also 120 kilometres (75 mi) to the north of Tashkent, Uzbekistan.