Pavlodar

A regional capital in northeastern Kazakhstan on the Irtysh River, Pavlodar has a layered history stretching from a medieval settlement during the Kimak Khanate through a Russian-era fortified outpost to a city formally established in 1861. Its mixed Kazakh, Russian, Ukrainian, German, and Tatar population gives it an ethnically diverse character unusual for a city of its size in the region.

• Population329,002
• Nearest water2.7 km