Baïkonour

Baïkonour (Kazakh: Байқоңыр; Russian: Байконур), in the past Leninsk , is a city of the Kazakhstan managed by the Russia by a bilateral agreement until 2050. It developed around the Cosmodrome de Baïkonour and was officially renamed Baïkonour by the president of Kazakhstan the December 20th 1995.

The name Baïkonour means into Kazakh " rich person ( baï ) Brown ( qongyr ) " , i.e. " fertile ground full with herbages".

The true town of Baïkonour is in fact a mining city located at a few hundred kilometers in north east of the Baïkonour news. The new city was called thus to create confusion and to make it possible to keep secret the real place of the cosmodrome.

The mayor of Baïkonour is appointed jointly by the Russian and Kazakh president. Although the city is under the Russian jurisdiction, including out of tax matter, the Kazakh laws must be also respected there. The customs (which manage the airports) and the police force concern however on the Kazakh side.

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