Orenburg is the capital of the Orenburg Region.
• Founded: April 30, 1743
• Area: 917 sq km
• Population (end of 2007): 540,400; approximately 50% of the population is economically active
• Main water routes: the Ural and Sakmara rivers
• Orenburg's Tsentralny Airport (Central Airport) has international status
• Located 1,478 kilometres from Moscow
• Time zone: 2 hours ahead of Moscow Time
Mayor of Orenburg - Yury Mishcheryakov.
Orenburg was founded on April 30, 1743. In 1744, the city became the capital of the Orenburg Gubernia (province). Initially, it was built as one in the series of strongholds constructed along the rivers Yaik, Samara and Sakmara to guard Russia's south-eastern border. At the same time, the town served as an economic centre for trade with eastern nations.
From October 5, 1773 to March 23, 1774, Orenburg was besieged by rebels led by Yemelyan Pugachev. Following Pugachev's defeat, Empress Catherine the Great changed the name of the town Yaitsky to Uralsk and the river Yaik to Ural to wipe away the memory of the fact that local Cossacks had supported the insurgent movement.
Between 1850 and 1881, Orenburg was the capital of the Governorate General of Orenburg. On August 26, 1920, the Bolshevik Government approved the decree on creation of the Kyrgyz Soviet Autonomous Socialist Republic as part of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic), with Orenburg as the republic's capital, signed by Mikhail Kalinin and Vladimir Lenin. In 1925 Kzyl-Orda became the capital of Kazakhstan instead of Orenburg, while Orenburg and its surrounding territory were incorporated into the RSFSR.
In December 1934, Orenburg became the capital of the Orenburg Region. Between 1938 and 1957, the city bore the name Chkalov in honour of the famous Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov.
During World War II, Orenburg remained from the theatre of operations. Forty-four major production facilities were evacuated here from the country's western parts.
The city's further growth was thanks to the development of the gas condensate deposit. Production, transportation and procession facilities were built around the city.
Today, Orenburg is a major industrial centre. Industrial facilities and small businesses form the majority of the city's economy. Orenburg has over 15,000 premises and organisations, more than 83% of which are privately owned. There are over 70 major and medium-sized businesses of various specialisations.
The city's main industries are power generation and distribution, gas production and distribution, as well as water distribution.
Extractive industries operate steadily. Processing industries show an outstripping growth rate.
Orenburg has a well-developed economy with engineering and construction industries, electrical engineering and petrochemical industries, gas production and processing, as well as food and light industries.