Omsk

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Omsk (Омск in Russian), a city in the extreme southwest of Siberian Federal District of Russia, capital of the Omsk Oblast. Population rose from 31,000 in 1881 and 53,050 in 1900 to 1,140,200 in 2003. The distance from Omsk to Moscow is 2,555 km.

It was the seat of administration of the Siberian Cossacks, and the see of the bishop of Omsk and Tara .

Situated on the right bank of the Irtysh, at its confluence with the Om River, at an altitude of 285 ft., and on the Trans-Siberian railway, 1862 m. via Chelyabinsk from Moscow, and 586 m. WSW of Tomsk, it is the meeting-place of the highways to middle Russia, Orenburg and Turkestan. Steamers ply down the Irtysh and the Ob, and up the former to the Altai towns and Lake Zaisan.

The climate is dry and relatively temperate, but marked by violent snow-storms and sand-storms. The average temperatures are, for the year, 31�F (-1�C) for January, and for July, 68�F (20�C); the annual rainfall is 12~4 in.

The industry in Omsk includes oil industry, chemical industry, machine-building, food and metal-working industries. The industry suffered a sharp decline after 1991, and the total output in 1994 hardly surpassed 50% of its 1991 level. The city hosts Omsk State University (http://www.univer.omsk.su), Omsk State Technical University, Omsk State Pedagogical University, Omsk State Medical Academy and Omsk State Agricultural University.

The fort of Omsk was erected in 1716 to protect the blockhouses on the Russian frontier, along the Ishim and the Irtysh. In consequence of the frequent incursions of the Kirghiz about the end of the 18th century, stronger earthworks were erected on the right bank of the Om; but these have now almost entirely disappeared. Omsk was the capital of the province of Akmolinsk, capital of western Siberia from 1839 to 1882, and before World War I the capital of the general-governorship of the Steppes.

Based on an article from 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.