Omsk << awmsk >> (pop. 1,125,695) is a major manufacturing center of Russia. It lies along the Irtysh River, about 1,360 miles (2,190 kilometers) east of Moscow, in Siberia. Omsk is one of the largest cities in Siberia.
Omsk manufactures farm machinery for the surrounding agricultural area. The city also has large aerospace, food-processing, oil-refining, and petrochemical industries.
Omsk was founded in 1716, during the Russian expansion into Siberia. The Trans-Siberian Railroad reached the city in 1894, and Omsk became a commercial center of western Siberia. During World War II (1939-1945), the government moved many factories from combat zones in the western part of Russia to safe areas in Siberia. Omsk developed rapidly as a result, and its industries have continued to expand.
