Abstract
The article studies the main stages of formation and development of urban agglomerations in Kazakhstan. The general scientific dialectical method of cognition allowed to determine the stages of formation of urban agglomerations in general and the factors affecting their economic development. The system approach allowed to consider urban agglomerations as a set of interconnected and interdependent territories with a certain centre, i.e. as systems. The comparative approach enabled identifying common components of urban agglomerations’ development stages. Studies have shown that urban agglomerations are a product of human activity. Urban agglomeration development varies according to the stage of development of a state, territory, national characteristics and other factors. It is a complex process influenced by a variety of factors, including economic, political, social, technological, innovative, cultural, environmental and other factors. Three stages of urban agglomeration development can be distinguished in Kazakhstan. These stages reflect the various regulatory and economic transformations that Kazakhstan’s urban agglomerations have undergone. Keywords: urban agglomeration, specific territory, core, districts, formation, development, urbanization.