Beyneu

Beyneu (Kazakh: Бейнеу and other spelling Beiney) is a selo and the administrative center of Beyneu District in Mangystau Province in western Kazakhstan. Population: 32,452 (2009 Census results); 14,299 (1999 Census results).

Beyneu first began to expand in the 1970s from a village to a city with the discovery of oil in the area. There is a railway station, and further up north in Kasura, there is a Chevron oil plant. The gas pipeline metering station at Beyneu on the border with Uzbekistan. There is also an airport of local flights in the city.

Beyneu phone code - +7 72932; postal code - 130100.

Facts

The building of Beyneu is thin, preferably 2-storeyed. Streets are 25-30 m broad, with little greenery. Water supply is carried out through 2 water pipelines. Close to the settlement there is the gas pipeline “Middle Asia-Center”.

The surface is mostly lowland. There are no permanent water reservoirs. The plants are of desert type, rather rare. The climate is of sharp continental type extremely droughty.

Driving to/from Beyneu

Beyneu is a good place to stock up on everything, though finding artesian water is difficult (you can buy it of course). The road from Aktau to Beyneu is terrible, the road from Atyrau to Beyneu is perfect. From Beyneu to the border is rough dirt tracks. The size of your car's engine is irrelevant, but if it's a real old beater you may lose a few pieces, but should be fine. Uzbeks making their way to Russia as migrant workers frequently use this route using low Daewoo 2WDs.

On the Uzbekistani side of the border, the road is asphalted and pretty decent, though not so smooth. It's damn hot in summer. At present they're resurfacing the road in sections between Nukus and Kungrad, so you can expect some rough patches. From Nukus to Bukhara is also being reconstructed, but haven't driven the full length of this since 2007. You can take an alternative route through Uchquduq and Zerafshan to Navoiy, where there are no roadworks, and you can pass through the heart of the Kyzyl Kum desert.