Atyrau
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Atyrau (Kazakh: Атырау pronounced [ɑ tɾ ˈaw) is a city in Kazakhstan, and the capital of Atyrau Province. It is located 2700 kilometers west of Almaty and 350 kilometers east of the Russian city of Astrakhan. Other transliterations: Aterau, Atirau, Atyraw, Atırav, Atıraw.
Mayor - Bergey Ryskaly (from 1st February 2006)
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[edit] Demography
It has 142,500 inhabitants (1999 census), almost 80% ethnic Kazakh. (The rest being mostly Russians and other ethnic groups: Korean, Bulgar, etc)
[edit] History
The city was founded as Nizhny Yaitzky gorodok (Russian: Нижний Яицкий Городок) in 1645, and later was named Guriev, after the Russian trader Mikhaylo Guryev. The city bore this name from 1708 until 1992. It was a Russian military outpost due to its strategic location.
[edit] Geography
Atyrau is Kazakhstan's main harbour city on the Caspian Sea at the delta of the Ural River. Atyrau city is approximately 20 meters below sea level. The city is considered by locals to be located both in Asia and Europe, as it is divided by the Ural River (considered the border between Asia and Europe by local tradition; by international sources the border between Asia and Europe is the Emba river).
[edit] Industry
Atyrau is famous for its oil and fish industries.
[edit] See also
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