Aktau

Aktau (Kazakh: Ақтау, Qazaq Latin Script: Aqtaw - White Mountain) was known as Shevchenko (Russian: Шевченко) from 1964 to 1991. Its current name means "white mountain" in Kazakh, which may be due to its cliffs that overlook the Caspian. Its former name was given due to the eponymous Ukrainian poet's period of exile in the area. It is the second largest city in western Kazakhstan and the country's main seaport on the Caspian Sea. It is located on the Mangyshlak Peninsula and is the capital of Mangystau Region. Population: 166,962 (2009 Census results);143,396 (1999 Census results).

Aktau is known for its unique block address system. Almost all streets inside the city have no names, and addresses in Aktau generally consist of three numbers: the district number (also known as micro-region/micro-district/block), the building number, and the apartment number. This is because Aktau was originally planned as a camp for the workers of the oil industry.

History

The territory of what now is Aktau was once inhabited by ancient tribes of Scythians. Archeological finds in the area include old settlements and utensils. The current territory of Mangystau hosted a spur route of the northern silk road, which resulted in the founding of several Sufi shrines in Aktau's vicinity. However, the area had very little population prior to Soviet times and no cities of any relevancy, almost certainly due to the scarcity of fresh water.