Öskemen

Öskemen (ös'kimin") [key], formerly Ust-Kamenogorsk (oost"-kumyinugôrsk') [key], city (1989 pop. 324,478), NE Kazakhstan, on the Irtysh River and in the foothills of the W Altai Mts. It is a river port and an industrial center with zinc, lead, and titanium-magnesium smelters. There is a large hydroelectric station nearby. The city was founded in 1720 as the Russian military outpost of Ust-Kamennaya.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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