Öskemen

Öskemen (ösˈkĭmĭnˌ) [key], formerly Ust-Kamenogorsk ŏstˌ-kəmyĭnəgôrskˈ, 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 © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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