Solikamsk, Russia

Capital City

With a population of just 87,745, Solikamsk is a small Ural town that serves as a hub for the region's massive salt production. More than 11,000 people work in the industry, both above and below ground, churning out potassium chloride for fertilizer. But the town's reliance on this heavy industry comes with a cost - the Bolsheviks converted a local monastery into a brutal gulag prison camp in the 20th century, and just a few years ago, a mining-related sinkhole opened up near the city. The bureaucracy and infrastructure challenges of living in this isolated, industrial outpost make it a tough sell for all but the most hardy Russians.