Emba, Kazakhstan

Living in Emba, Kazakhstan is no picnic. The Emba River, which flows 712 kilometers across the region, is fed by snowmelt and freezes over for four months of the year. The surrounding Ust-Urt plateau is dotted with oil fields and salt domes, not quaint villages. Bureaucracy is a persistent headache, as evidenced by the failed 1919-1921 Algemba railway project that resulted in "substantial loss of life."

On the plus side, the Emba has a drainage basin of 40,400 square kilometers, providing ample natural resources. But the remote, inhospitable landscape makes this a tough sell for all but the most adventurous expats. Emba is best left to oil workers and hardy locals content to brave its extreme winters.