Tarbagatay (Kazakh: Тарбағатай ауданы, Tarbağatai audany) is a district of East Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan. The administrative center of the district is the village of Akzhar. The population is: 44,147 (2013 estimate);[2] 47,125 (2009 Census results);[3] 65,589 (1999 Census results).[3]
The administrative center of Tarbagatay District of East Kazakhstan Region was Aksuat until 2022, when the Aksuat District of Abai Region was established.[4]
The climate in Tarbagatay is very continental. Winters are cold (in January average temperature −22 °С, −30 °С) and summers are hot (in July average temperature +25 °С, +35 °С). Precipitation is low (200–300 mm/year) and occurs mostly in winter.[5]
The name Tarbagatay is derived from Mongolian and literally means "having marmots" (specifically the Tarbagan marmot). However, tagh ~ taw ~ tay may be misinterpreted as meaning "mountain" by speakers of Turkic languages, such as the Kazakh language.
Tarbagatay District has 17 rural districts and 65 villages.[6]
Ethnic groups (2009):[7]
Tarbagatay's economy is agricultural, centered around the production of meat, fish, flour, and bread. The district's GDP is 503.9 million tenge, or roughly $3.4 million USD (2008).[7]