 Abakan is the capital of Republic of Khakasia, 4218 kms eastward from Moscow. It is situated at the confluence of the rivers Abakan and Yenisei, in the central part of the Minusinskaya hollow.
The climate is distinctly continental. Average temperatures of January vary from 15 to 21 degrees centigrade below zero, in July 17-20 degrees centigrade. Yearly precipitations - 300-600 mm.
Through railway lines the city of Abakan is connected to Achinsk, Novokuznetsk and Taishet. At the conjunction of the Yenisei with railway Novokuznetsk - Abakan - Taishet the large Abakan river port is built. There is the Usinsksky tract leading from Abakan to the Republic of Tyva.
In 1939 the city population was 37 thousand, in 1968 it was 80 thousand people, nowadays it is equal to 158, 2 thousand inhabitants.
In 1675 near the mouth of the river Abakan was constructed the Abakan burg (Abakansk) that initiated developing of the Minusinskaya hollow. In 1780s there was established a village Ust-Abakanskoye, which in 1931 was transformed into the city of Abakansk.
Modern Abakan is the industrial, cultural and scientific centre of Khakasia. There are "Abakanvagonmash" Production Association, light industry and wood and agricultural raw material processing enterprises: meat-packing plant, grinding-mill, wine and dairy factories, knitting mill, furniture and sewing factories. Besides the engineering plant for th e timber industry and shoe factory are there in Abakan. There are the Khakass scientific and research institute of history, language and literature; pedagogical institute, polytechnical school, agricultural technical school, medical, pedagogical and musical colleges in Abakan. Here you can find the Drama theatre, museum of local lore , TV center, arboretum, and zoo.
Abakan gardens, squares and boulevards occupy 1/3 of the city area. In its centre lies the old former village Ust-Abakanskoye, which later swallowed the station of Abakan (1925) and the settlement near it. Abakan of that period was built up by small wooden houses and multi-storey stone buildings (including hotels "Khakasia", "Abakan", "Kantegir", "Druzhba"). Since 1950 there have been built typical 4-5-storeyed brick and large-panel houses finished with white and red ceramic blocks, white marble crumb and special plaster. Since 1970 there have been 7-9-storeyed houses finished with local marble, granite and other stones.
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