Note: Sterlitamak is located in the Bashkirskaya Respublika on the Belaja River at its confluence with the Sterlya River. Originally a small town called Ashkadarskaya Landing, it became the city of Sterlitamak in 1781, but remained small and remote until the development of the Volga-Ural oilfield and local salt and limestone deposits in 1940. Other industries include rubber, chemicals, soda ash, and cement. The 2003 population was estimated at 267,800.