The Akorda Presidential Palace, center, stands beyond the golden twin towers of the House of Ministries in Astana, Kazakhstan. (Andrey Rudakov/Bloomberg News)Kazakhstan's parliament has unanimously voted to rename its capital, Astana, for autocratic President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has led the country since 1989. In 2012, CNN dubbed it “the world's weirdest capital city.”The back of the new 10,000 tenge (about $30) bank note, which depicts Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and skyscrapers built in the capital Astana. (National Bank of Kazakhstan via Reuters)Even the name “Kazakhstan” isn't totally safe. Both Nazarbayev and Nursultan were put forward as potential names.

Source: Washington Post November 23, 2016 17:44 UTC