KRYVYY RIH

Russian Krivoy Rog, also spelled Krivoi Rog, or Krivoj Rog, city, Dnipropetrovsk oblast (province), Ukraine, situated at the confluence of the Inhulets and Saksahan rivers. Founded as a village by Zaporozhian Cossacks in the 17th century, it had only 2,184 inhabitants in 1781. In 1881 a French company began to work the local iron-ore deposits, and a railway was constructed to the Donets Basin coalfield in 1884. After that date Kryvyy Rih became a significant iron-mining city. Kryvyy Rih, with its suburbs, stretches for more than 18 miles (29 km) in a long, narrow belt along the iron-ore deposits. The local high-grade hematite ores are for the most part worked out except at great depth, but there are vast reserves that have a lower iron content. In and around the city are several ore-enriching and pelletizing plants to support the still-expanding ironworks and steelworks. Terny, which was annexed to Kryvyy Rih in 1969, has a major uranium mine. Other industry includes coking and machine building (especially for the mining industry); the production of diamond drills, cement, and foodstuffs; and timberworking. A canal brings additional water supplies from the Kakhovske Reservoir, on the Dnieper River. Kryvyy Rih has institutes for teacher training and for study in mining. Pop. (1993 est.) 737,000.