Aktobe

Aktobe (Kazakh: Ақтөбе/Aqtöbe) is the capital of Aktobe Province, on the northwestern part of Kazakhstan. It was formerly known in Russian as Актюбинск (Aktyubinsk) until 1991. The city of 278,000 people (2012 estimate) is located on the Ilek River.

Aktobe traces its history to 1869, when the Russian Empire built a fort here, at the confluence of the Kargala and Ilek River. The site was chosen because it was also on the Orenburg-Kazalinsk caravan route.

During the Soviet era, Aktobe was developed with heavy industries, many of which were relocated from the Ukraine and Moscow during the Second World War. These heavy industries went into decline when Kazakhstan attained its independence in 1991. Since then, the city has shifted its focus to the petroleum industry. However, the industry has widened the gap between the rich and the poor, resulting in instability to the oil-rich region.


Aktobe, Kazakhstan

Sights & Attractions to visit in Aktobe

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