Salihorsk, Industrial center in Minsk Region, Belarus
Salihorsk sits in the district of the same name within Minsk Region and has grown as an industrial city focused on potash mining. The city covers an area of roughly nine square kilometers about 120 kilometers south of the capital at an elevation of 153 meters above sea level.
The discovery of large potassium deposits in the Starobin basin in 1949 led to the founding of the city in 1958 as a mining settlement. Within five years it gained city status in 1963 after the population had grown to 18,000.
The city takes its name from the underground salt deposits that shaped its entire development. Local sports clubs carry the name Shakhtyor, referring to the mining tradition and drawing supporters from across the region in both football and ice hockey.
The city is well connected by regional roads to Minsk and other centers in the surrounding area. A technical college on site offers training in chemical engineering and mining geared toward the local industry.
The surrounding Starobin basin contains an estimated 50 billion metric tons of potassium salts and ranks among the most important mineral resources in Belarus. These enormous reserves have made the city the center of national potash production.
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