Salekhard

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Salekhard Coat of Arms

Salekhard (Russian: Салеха́рд) is a town in and the administrative center of Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug, Russia. It is believed to be the only town in the world that is located right on the Polar circle. Its population as of the 2002 Census was 36,827. It is served by Salekhard Airport.

[edit] History

A settlement of Obdorsk (Обдорск) was founded in 1595 in the place of a khant settlement Polnovat-Vozh (Полноват-вож) by Russian settlers who followed the conquering of Siberia by Yermak Timofeyevich. It was situated by the Ob River, and its name supposedly derives from that.

The land around Obdorsk was referred to as Obdorsky krai, or Obdoriya in the full address of Russian tsars.

On December 10, 1930, it became the administrative center of the new Yamal (Nenets) National Okrug (Ямальский (Ненецкий) национальный округ).

It was renamed Salekhard in 1933 and granted a town status in 1938.

Salekhard is the northeast terminus of the west Russian railway system. From 1949 to 1953 the Salekhard-Igarka Railway project made an unsuccessful attempt to extend it to Igarka, claiming the lives of thousands of Gulag prisoners.

[edit] Economy

Yamalia is Russia's most important source of natural gas. The company Novatek, the country's second largest supplier of gas, is headquartered in the city.

[edit] External links

	Cities and towns in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug
	Administrative center: Salekhard Gubkinsky \| Labytnangi \| Muravlenko \| Nadym \| Novy Urengoy \| Noyabrsk \| Tarko-Sale