Nalchik, Capital city in Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia.
This city in the North Caucasus sits at the foot of a semicircular mountain range about 500 meters above sea level. Wide streets run through residential districts with Soviet-era architecture that cluster around a central area of administrative buildings and green spaces.
The Russian Empire built a fortified outpost here in 1818 as part of frontier defense in the Caucasus region. In the early 1920s the settlement became the capital of an autonomous region within the newly formed Soviet Union.
The city takes its name from the Kabardian word for horseshoe, referring to the shape of the surrounding mountain range. Residents gather in the many parks where fountains and tree-lined paths create meeting places for walks and conversation.
Temperatures in winter hover around or just below freezing, while summer brings readings around 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit). Many health facilities spread across the city use mineral springs for different types of therapy.
A few plants in the city process rare metals such as molybdenum and tungsten, which are mainly used in technical applications. This production dates back to Soviet industrial projects that found access to natural resources here.
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