Barnaul

Barnaul bərnəo͞olˈ [key], city, capital of Altai Territory, SW Siberian Russia, on the Ob River. A port and major railway junction, Barnaul is in the heart of the Kulunda steppe, an agricultural area where wheat, corn, and sugar beets are grown. The city's chief industries produce cotton textiles, chemicals, artificial fibers, and machinery. Altai State Univ. is there. Barnaul was founded in 1771 as a silver-smelting center.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

See more Encyclopedia articles on: CIS and Baltic Political Geography