Nur-Sultan, formerly known as Astana, is the capital city of Kazakhstan. It’s located in the north-central part of Kazakhstan. Nur-Sultan is among the youngest capitals in the world and one of the most rapidly developing. It is the country’s administrative, financial, and cultural centre. Since its establishment as the capital in 1997, Nur-Sultan has become a symbol of growth and modernization for Kazakhstan. It is famous for its stunning modern architecture and planned city layout. Some of the places that make it famous include the Baiterek Tower, Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, Khan Shatyr Entertainment Center, and the Hazrat Sultan Mosque.

Census in Kazakhstan is done after every 10 years and 2009 was the last time that it was conducted. The next census is scheduled for 2021 in Kazakhstan. According to the 2009 census, Nur-Sultan had a population of 613,006. Compared to other cities in Kazakhstan, Nur-Sultan is considered to be more diverse due to the influx of people from around the country and the world. According to the 2009 census, 65.2% of the population are Kazakhs, 23.8% are Russians, and the rest are other ethnic groups, such as Ukrainians, Tatars and Germans. When it comes to religious beliefs, Nur-Sultan is predominantly Muslim. According to the data collected during the 2009 census, 70.2% people in Nur-Sultan identified themselves as Muslim, 23.9% as Christian, and the rest as other religions or non-religious. The Baiterek Tower, a symbol of the city, is said to embody a Kazakh legend in which a mythical bird lays its egg in the crevice between two branches of a poplar tree.

Nur-Sultan is administratively divided into three districts: Almaty, Yessil and Saryarka. The city is governed by the Mayor of Nur-Sultan, who has executive powers, and the Maslikhat, the city assembly, who scrutinize the Mayor's decisions and can accept or reject his budget proposals each year. The Mayor is responsible for strategic planning, policing, most aspects of transport and economic development. The Maslikhat, on the other hand, is responsible for local services not overseen by the Mayor, such as local planning, schools, social services, local roads and refuse collection. The Maslikhat is made up from representatives from political parties and single issue organizations elected every five years by local residents.

Nur-Sultan has always been a symbol of Kazakhstan's economic growth and today enjoys the status of having one of the fastest growing economies among capital cities in the world. The city thrives in trade and commerce and has a vibrant culture seeped in commerce. It has a GDP of over $18 billion, which is about 9 percent of Kazakhstan's total GDP. The size of its economy is larger than that of several Asian nations. Nur-Sultan is also a hub for the logistics industry due to its strategic location in the centre of the Eurasian continent.

Nur-Sultan’s infrastructure development has been fast-paced since it became the capital. The city’s infrastructure plan includes new energy, water and sewerage infrastructure, to enhanced digital connectivity and new rail and road schemes. Some of the investment is provided by the private sector, through privatized utilities. This has generally worked well in Nur-Sultan, although there are concerns over the need for more investment in digital infrastructure. The take-up of high speed broadband by business is lower compared to other world cities; and there are areas that cannot access superfast broadband in the first place. Business sees these as priority areas for action by the Mayor.