The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Shymkent
(shmknt´) (KEY) or Chimkent (chmkynt´) (KEY) , city (1993 est. pop. 404,000), S Kazakhstan, on the Turkistan-Siberia RR. It has large zinc and lead smelters and machine, chemical, and food-processing industries. Founded in the 12th cent., Shymkent was a Kokand fortress before it was taken by Russia in 1864.