Back أكتاو Arabic اكتاو ARZ Aktau Azerbaijani آکتاو، روسیه AZB Аҡтау (ҡала) Bashkir Aktau BAT-SMG Актау Byelorussian Актаў BE-X-OLD Актау Bulgarian Akhtau Catalan
Aktau
Aqtau / Ақтау (Kazakh) | |
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    From top left to down right: Skyline of Aktau, the Rocky shore of the Caspian Sea, The Lighthouse, Main Street leading to the Port with the Caspian Sea in the background | |
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  Aktau Location in Kazakhstan  Aktau Aktau (Asia) | |
| Coordinates: 43°39′09″N 51°09′27″E / 43.65250°N 51.15750°E | |
| Country | Kazakhstan |
| Region | Mangystau Region |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Government | |
| • Akim (mayor) | Abilkair Baipakov[1] |
| Area | |
• Total | 77 km2 (30 sq mi) |
| Elevation | −8 m (−26 ft) |
| Population (2023)[2] | |
• Total | 270,886 |
| • Density | 3,500/km2 (9,100/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+5 (UTC+5) |
| Postal code | 130000 |
| Area code | +7 7292 |
| Vehicle registration | 12, R |
| HDI (2019) | 0.804[3] high · 4 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2022 |
| • Total |  $9,6 billion(KZT 4 401 192,9 million)[4] |
| • Per capita | $12,799 (KZT 5 817,8 thousand) |
| Website | aktau |
Aktau (/ˌɑːkˈtaʊ/; Kazakh: Aqtau / Ақтау [ɑqˈtɑw] ⓘ) is a city in south-west Kazakhstan, on the eastern shore of the Caspian Sea. Its name, 'white mountain' in Kazakh, may be due to its cliffs that overlook the Caspian. From 1964 to 1991, the city was named Shevchenko, after the Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko who was exiled near in a settlement about 100 km to the northwest.[5] Aktau is on the Mangyshlak Peninsula in the Mangystau Region.
Known for its strategic location on the Caspian Sea, Aktau is a port, playing a key role in the region's maritime trade, particularly oil and gas exports. The city’s economic growth is largely driven by the oil and energy sectors, being one of Kazakhstan's primary sources of oil. This economic focus has shaped the city's development, with many of its inhabitants working in the energy industry.
Aktau is also known for its coastal beauty, with beaches and scenic views of the Caspian Sea providing opportunities for leisure and tourism.
- ^ "New mayor of Aktau named". inform.kz. July 16, 2024.
- ^ Об изменении численности населения Мангистауской области в разрезе городов и районов с 1 января 2023 года до 1 сентября 2023 года [On changes in the population of the Mangystau Region by city and district from January 1, 2023 to September 1, 2023] (in Russian). Committee on Statistics of Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Retrieved October 15, 2023.
- ^ "Sub-national HDI – Area Database – Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on September 23, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2021.
- ^ DOSM. "Department of Statistics Kazakhstan". stat.gov.kz. Archived from the original on January 2, 2024. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
- ^ "Aktau city, Kazakhstan facts, history, attractions, photos". About Kazakhstan. Retrieved December 29, 2015.