Aktau

Aktau formerly known as Shevchenko (Russian: , 19641991), is a city in Kazakhstan's Mangyshlak Peninsula and country's only seaport on the Caspian Sea. It is the capital of Mangystau Province in western Kazakhstan. Aktau literally means "white mountain" in Kazakh, so named after the cliffs overlooking the sea.

Aktau has a block address systemthe streets of the city have no names, and all addresses in Aktau consist of three numbers: the microdistrict (block) number, the building number and the apartment number. This is because the town was settled first to be the camp of the workers of oil industry from other parts of the country.Aktau was once the site of a nuclear power station.Aktau has an international airport, a railway station, and a developed seaport. Buses and taxis are the principal means of public transport within the city.

Aktau has both rocky hills and sandy beaches along the seashore. There are several modern resorts on the coast to the south of the city. The beaches of the Caspian shore are popular in the summer, due to the hot climate of the season. Tourists come mainly from other parts of Kazakhstan.