Almaty is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation’s largest city, with a population of 1,348,500 (as of September 1, 2008).[3] This represents approximately 9% of the population of the country.

Almaty was the capital of the Kazakh SSR and its successor Kazakhstan from 1929 to 1997. Despite losing its status as the capital to Astana in 1997, Almaty remains the major commercial center of Kazakhstan. The city is located in a mountainous area of southern Kazakhstan, near the border with Kyrgyzstan.

Almaty generates approximately 20 per cent of Kazakhstan’s GDP(or $36 billion in 2010); Almaty is a key financial centre in Central Asia and it’s considered to be a Gamma Global City at a similar level to Detroit, Manchester, Edinburgh, San Salvador, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Port Louis, San Diego, Birmingham, Doha, Calgary, Columbus.

One of the largest industries in Almaty is finance, and its financial exports make it a large contributor to the Kazakhstan’s balance of payments. Almaty is home to the BTA Bank, which is the largest bank in Central Asia, Kaz Kom Bank and other major banks. The Kazakhstan Stock Exchange is based in Almaty.

Almaty is also developing as the regional financial and business centre — RFCA.[citation needed].

Currently under construction is ‘Almaty Financial District and Esentai Park’. This was designed by T.J. Gottesdiener, who designed 7 World Trade Center in New York City, Time Warner Center in New York City and Tokyo Midtown. Its publicised aim is to become the largest business centre in Central Asia. Esentai Tower, a building in the park, is the tallest mixed-use building in Kazakhstan.

Along with professional services, media companies are concentrated in Almaty as well. The media distribution industry has been growing rapidly since 2006. Major broadcasting channels KTK and NTK are based in Almaty, as are several national newspapers.