Novosibirsk is Russia’s third-largest city, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,700 (2010 Census preliminary results). It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District. Rapid growth and industrialization were the reasons behind Novosibirsk’s nickname: the “Chicago of Siberia”. The city is located in the southwestern portion of the federal district and occupies an area of 477.2 square kilometres (184.2 sq mi). The city stands on the banks of the Ob River in the West Siberian Plain. To the south of the city lies the Ukok Plateau, which forms part of the Golden Mountains of Altai UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the 1950s, the Soviet Government directed that a center for scientific research be built in Novosibirsk; consequently, the multi-facility scientific research complex of Akademgorodok was constructed about 30 kilometers (19 mi) south of the city center in 1957. The Siberian Branch of the Academy of Sciences has its headquarters in Akademgorodok, and the town hosts a total of fourteen research institutions and universities. Although it possess a fully autonomous infrastructure, Akademgorodok is administratively a part of Novosibirsk.
Novosibirsk is a large industrial center. The industrial complex consists of 214 large and average industrial enterprises. These produce more than two thirds of all industrial output of the Novosibirsk region. Leading industries are the electric power industry, gas supply, water supply, metallurgy, metal working, and mechanical engineering.
The climate is humid continental (Koppen Dfb), with warm summers and severely cold winters. Snow is frequent, falling on almost half of winter days, but individual snowfalls are usually light. Average temperatures range in summer is from 15 °C (59 °F) to 26 °C (79 °F), in winter from ?20 °C (?4 °F) to ?12 °C (10 °F). However, winter temperatures can go as low as ?30 °C (?22 °F) to ?35 °C (?31 °F), and summer temperatures can go as high as 30 °C (86 °F) to 35 °C (95 °F). The difference between the record highest and the record lowest temperatures is 88 °C (158 °F). Most days the weather is sunny, with an average of 2,880 hours of sunshine per year, but heavy rain is possible in summer.
