AKTUBINSK, formerly part of the Turgai region, now a province in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic. Area 45 7,4 7 9sq.km. The boundaries are, on the north, Orenburg and Kustanai; west, Adaev and Uralsk ; south, Adaev, the Aral sea and Syr-Daria; east, Akmolinsk. It is divided for administrative purposes into Aktubinsk, pop. 238,059 (urban 20,504) ; Temirsk, pop. 77,799, (urban 4,000) ; Turgai, pop. 94,304, (urban 1,836) ; Chelkarsk, pop. 90,376 (urban 6,716). South of the east to west stretch of the Ural river, the Ural mountains continue as a plateau, the southward termination of which (the Mugojar hills) is deeply dissected by the streams of the craggy south-eastern slopes, a former shore line of the Aral sea. Beneath these slopes the streams lose themselves in the saline steppes that fringe the Aral sea and extend far northeast as part of the Turgai steppe. The climatic conditions are increasingly dry (ay. rainfall 4 to 8in.), and the prevailing north-east winds bring sandstorms in summer and dry snow in winter, a season otherwise of cloudless skies and bitter cold, while the summer temperature averages 85° F. The numerous lakes are surrounded by reeds, the haunt of the wild boar, with grass patches in places; the stream shores are also grassy, especially in spring, and attract geese and cranes. The steppe includes black-earth areas carrying feather grass, clays bearing wormwood, salt clays with salsolaceae vegetation and bare shifting sand hills. Wild cherry and almond grow on the hill sides. The steppe fauna includes jerboa, marmot, steppe fox and saiga antelope. Famines are frequent for lack of irrigation and scientific crop rotation, though rye, wheat, oats, barley and potatoes are grown. Nomadic herding of sheep, horses, camels and cattle is the chief occupation, and there is change of ground between the spring and-summer grazing area of the Turgai steppe and the winter shelters in the Syr-Daria area. Cattle and hides are exported to Orenburg and camels are bred for the caravan transport between Bukhara, Khiva and Russian Turkistan. Sunflowerseed oil, flour and leather are produced for local use and salt is obtained from the lakes, while koustar (home) industries in felt products and carpets are widespread. The Emba river naphtha area ex tends into the south-west of the province and has its centre at Emba. In the north-west, near the Ulek river coal is mined. Aktubinsk, the chief town, is on the Orenburg-Tashkent railway.