Karaganda Region

Karaganda Region, also spelled Qaraghandy Region, is a region of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Karaganda. On 17 March 2022 it was announced that Karaganda would be divided, with the formation of the Ulytau Region. This officially came into force on 8 June 2022. History The region was the site of intense coal mining during the days of the Soviet Union and also the site of several Gulag forced labor camps. Following World War II, Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, had many ethnic Germans deported to the area. There have been constant border changes within the region's history. The first took place in 1954 when it was ceded parts of Kustanay Oblast and parts of Taldy-Kurgan Oblast. In 1973, Dzhezkazgan Oblast was split off from Karaganda Oblast making it a fraction of the size it once was. In 1986, Karaganda Oblast was given the southern part of Tselinograd Oblast as part of another set of border reforms taking place in the Kazakh S.S.R. When Kazakhstan gained independence in 1991, Karaganda Oblast retained its post-1988 boundaries. The last change the region saw was in 1998 when Jezkazgan (Dzhezkazgan) Oblast was liquidated and re-merged with Karaganda oblast, thus making it the largest region of Kazakhstan in terms of area once again.