Aktau which literally means ‘white mountain’ is a city in the Mangyshlak Peninsula of Kazakhstan and is the only seaport on the Caspian Sea. It is the capital of the province of Mangystau in west Kazakhstan and is named after the cliffs which overlook the sea. There are no street names in Aktau and all the addresses consist of three numbers which are the micro district block number, the building number and the apartment number. This is due to the fact that the town had been planned to be where camp workers of the oil industry coming to this town from other parts of the country would settle.

Beaches of the Caspian Sea shore are filled with locals in the summer due to its fantastic hot climate. Being a relatively young city, Aktau has a mix of modern glass buildings and typical Soviet block apartments. City sights include Yntymak Square, the Regional Studies and History Museum, the WWII Eternal Flame Memorial and the Drama Theatre.