Norilsk

City in the Russian Federation, situated in the Krasnoyarsk region of northern Siberia, 80 km/50 mi east of the port of Dudinka on the upper Yenisey River; population (2002) 134,800. The world's northernmost industrial city, it was built by Gulag forced labour in 1935 to exploit the region's large mineral reserves. These include nickel, cobalt, platinum, selenium, tellurium, gold, and silver.

Norilsk lies at latitude 69°N, and is reckoned to be the coldest city in the world; the permafrost layer is 300 m/1,000 ft deep, and the winter temperature can reach −55°C/−67°F. It is also the most polluted city in Russia, emitting more than 2.3 million tonnes of toxins into the air every year, mostly from nickel mining and smelting. These cause extensive acid rain throughout the region. A railway line links Norilsk to Dudinka.