Astrakhan online camera. Krasnoarmeyskaya Street, railway crossing
The city of Astrakhan is the administrative center of Astrakhan Oblast,
It is located 1,534 kilometers southeast of Moscow. It is located on the Caspian Depression, on the Volga River, in the upper part of its delta. The climate is severely continental and arid. Average temperature is -10°C in January and 25°C in July. Rainfall is 230 mm a year. Volga-Caspian basin river and sea ports, transport junction of railway lines (to Saratov, Kizlyar, Guryev) and automobile roads (to Volgograd, Stavropol, etc.), international airport work here.
The city is located on eleven islands, occupies an area of 20869 hectares, is divided into four districts (Kirovsky, Leninsky, Soviet, Trusovsky); the population of the city as of 1.01.2015 is 532.7 thousand people. Representatives of more than 100 nationalities live in Astrakhan.
Astrakhan is the oldest city in the Lower Volga region, and is among 115 cities of the Russian Federation recognized as historically valuable.
In the area where Astrakhan is located, there have long been urban settlements, through which the trade routes of Persians and Arabs ran. For several centuries, Khazar, Polovtsov, and Tatar-Mongol cities have constantly emerged here, in spite of the devastation. The city of Astrakhan was first mentioned by historians, scientists and travelers in the 13th century.
The old city was part of the Golden Horde. It was located 12 kilometers above modern Astrakhan on the right bank of the Volga. At different times it had different names - Astarkhan, Ashtarhan, Haji-Tarkhan. Haji-Tarkhan played an important role in trade with Europe. Trade caravans transported here silk, spices and other goods from the East.
