Solikamsk

Town in the Perm oblast (region) of the west-central Russian Federation, on the River Kama 175 km/109 mi north of the city of Perm; population (1996 est) 107,000. Situated in the foothills of the western Urals, it has a large chemical and fertilizer industry, based on the plentiful potash deposits discovered in the region in 1925. Paper and cellulose are also produced here.

Solikamsk is thought to be the first permanent Russian settlement in the Urals. From the 16th to 18th centuries the salt-works here was the largest in Russia. In the 17th century it was a major centre on the trade route to Siberia. Chemical production started in Solikamsk in 1933.