Aktau, Kazakhstan

Capital City

Life here runs on oil money and seawater. This isolated Caspian port city of 167,460 people survives entirely on desalinated water, with frequent blackouts reminding residents of their precarious infrastructure since the shutdown of its Soviet-era nuclear plant in 1999.

Sitting below sea level in southwestern Kazakhstan, Aktau's economy revolves almost exclusively around hydrocarbon production, hosting major bases for global oil giants like Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes. The port expansion planned for 2025 aims to boost capacity by 500%, capitalizing on companies seeking routes to bypass Russia after its invasion of Ukraine. Despite its strategic location, the harsh desert climate (Köppen BWk) delivers scorching summers and cold winters, with most tourism limited to a brief beach season from May to August when Caspian waters hit a tolerable 64°F.