Burabay Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2022, in Kazakhstan. Located in the most elevated part of the Central Kazakh Uplands, Burabay is best known for its many lakes. Fourteen of these cover a combined surface area of more than 100 km², and there are numerous smaller lakes. It is highly representative of the biodiversity of the forest–steppe Eurasian ecotone. In addition to agriculture and mining, the area has been a popular tourist destination since the establishment of the Shchuchinsk–Borovoye Resort Zone in 2005, owing to its proximity to densely populated regions in Kazakhstan and the Russian Federation and to good air, rail and road links.