Naurzum State Nature Reserve

To preserve the flora and fauna of Northern Kazakhstan in its natural form, the Naurzum State Nature Reserve was opened in 1931.

Its territory covers 191,381 hectares and consists of three separate plots. Each of them has its own name and characteristics.

Naurzum (139,714 hectares), a site located in the central part of the reserve, includes the Naurzum-Karagai boron, steppe areas and lakes.

Tersek (12,947 hectares) - stretched in the north-west of the reserve, the Tersek-Karagay boron and parts of the steppe zone are its decoration n

Sypsyn (38,720 hectares) is a western plot with a forest zone and steppe areas.

Dark chestnut soils and their steppe varieties are characteristic of this region. The rich nature of steppe areas is represented by six groups of vegetation: swamp, shrubbery, steppe, meadow, desert and forest. There are all conditions for the growth of these plants.

In addition to the diverse flora, there are 44 species of mammals and 282 species of birds. In lakes and swamps live more than 10 species of fish and 6 species of amphibians. Twenty species living here are threatened with extinction. They were included in the Red Book of the USSR.

In 2008, the Naurzum State Reserve was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. These natural areas are recognized as unique.

This inspired the Ministry of Environmental Protection of Kazakhstan to develop a Comprehensive Program aimed at preserving natural territories “Sary-Arka – steppes and lakes of Northern Kazakhstan”. From now on, these territories will be protected by the state.