Astana was originally founded as a fortress in 1824 and named Akmolinsk. In 1862, the settlement acquired the status of a town. The city became an administrative centre in 1868. It was the capital of the former Akmolinsk region until 1961, when it was renamed Tselinograd (Russian for Virgin City).

Historians state that in the 19^th century Akmola was a large commercial and economic centre of the steppe. This land was always famous for its plenty, including a wide assortment of dairy products, such as kumis, shubat and ayran.

Kazakhstan's capital was a tiny mining town until the 1950s, when Krushchev announced his Virgin Lands scheme to turn 250,000 sq km (155,000 sq mi) of Kazakhstan steppe into wheat fields. Astana became the project's capital, was renamed Tselinograd (Virgin Lands City), and became the centre of an important grain-growing region. The city's importance was greatly enhanced during this period. There were many new constructions and the establishment of various research and higher educational institutions (teacher training, agriculture, medicine, and engineering and construction).

The city's name was changed to Aqmola ("White Grave") in 1992 following Kazakhstan's independence. In 1994 the Kazak government resolved to transfer the national capital from Almaty to Aqmola, a process completed in 1997, and the city's name was changed to Astana (literally "Capital") the following year.

Agricultural machinery and consumer goods are manufactured; there are also leather-tanning, food-processing, clothing and footwear, and building-material industries.