Zhezkazgan

Zhezkazgan is a city in central Kazakhstan and administrative centre of Ulytau Region, created in 1938 to exploit the area's large copper deposits. Its 2009 census population was 86,227, and it remains a single-industry city built on copper mining and processing, serving as headquarters of the Kazakhmys copper conglomerate, which also trades on the London Stock Exchange. The city is historically notable as a landing site for returning Soviet cosmonauts, commemorated by a tradition of tree planting.