What is "zhetysu"

Zhetysu (, pronounced meaning "seven rivers"; also transcribed Zhetisu, Jetisuw, Jetysu, Jeti-su, Jity-su, Жетысу, Джетысу etc. and Yedi-su in Turkish) is a historical name of a part of Central Asia, corresponding to the South-Eastern part of modern Kazakhstan. It owes its name, meaning "seven rivers" (literally "seven waters") in Kazakh, to the rivers which flow from the south-east into Lake Balkhash.

When the region was incorporated into the Russian Empire in the 19th century, it became known in Russian (and, to an extent, in European languages) as Semirechye , which is a Russian calque of the Kazakh "Zhetysu". The name has also been transcribed as Semiryechye, Semirech'e, Semirechiye, Semirechie, Semirechensk or Semireche.

Zhetysu falls into today's Almaty Province, which is part of Kazakhstan. However, the Semirechye Oblast, as an administrative unit of the Russian Empire, included not only Zhetysu proper but also lands that now constitute parts of northern Kyrgyzstan and adjacent provinces of Kazakhstan as well.

Zhetysu is a Kazakh airline, based at Taldykorgan Airport. The airline operates only one daily route from Taldykorgan to Astana. The airline also operated a route from Taldykorgan to Almaty, but due to unprofitability, the management decided to close the route. As of December 11, 2013 the Taldykorgan-Almaty route was reopened, due to reconstruction of the highway.