Baikonur
Baikonur
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An aerial view of Baikonur | |
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| Coordinates: 45°37′0″N 63°19′0″E / 45.61667°N 63.31667°E | |
| Country | Kazakhstan Russia (administered) |
| Founded | 1955 |
| Incorporated (city) | 1966 |
| Government | |
| • Administrator | Konstantin Dmitrievich Busygin |
| Area | |
• Total | 57 km2 (22 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 100 m (300 ft) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 39,341 |
| • Density | 690/km2 (1,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+05:00 |
| Postal code | 710501 |
| Area code | +7 73622 |
| Vehicle registration | N, 11 (Kazakhstan), 94 (Russia) |
| Climate | BWk |
| Website | www |
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Baikonur (Russian: Байконур [bəjkɐˈnur]; Kazakh: Байқоңыр, romanized: Baiqoñyr [bɑjqoˈŋɤr]) is a city in Kazakhstan on the northern bank of the Syr Darya river. It is currently leased and administered by the Russian Federation as an enclave until 2050. It was constructed to serve the Baikonur Cosmodrome with administrative offices and employee housing. During the Soviet period, the town was known as Leninsk, and was sometimes referred to as Zvezdograd (Russian: Звездоград, lit. 'Star City'). It was officially renamed Baikonur by Russian president Boris Yeltsin on December 20, 1995.
The Russian controlled area is an ellipse measuring 90 kilometres (56 mi) east to west by 85 km (53 mi) north to south, with the cosmodrome situated at the area's centre.
Foreign visitors and tourists can visit the cosmodrome and city but need to obtain a specific permit from Roscosmos.