Miass

Miass is a city in the Chelyabinsk oblast region, in west-central Russia, on the Miass River. The city was established in 1773 as a copper factory and later, an iron smelting center. Miass is known for the production of commercial vehicles, as well as for gold mining in the vicinity. Established in 1920, and located on Miass' northern outskirts, is the Ilmen Mineralogical Nature Reserve.

The city is located ninety-six kilometers (sixty miles) west of Chelyabinsk, right on the eastern slope of the Southern Urals, and on the banks of the Miass River. The name, Miass, is culled from the Bashkirs (Bashkir: Meys), which are the indigenous inhabitants of these places.

In the nineteenth century, the city's development was driven when gold deposits were discovered in the Urals. The average annual gold production coming from the Miass area totaled about 640 kg (1,410 lb). Around the middle of the nineteenth century, gold production reduced and the development of the city also declined. In 1923, the city status was granted to Miass, and in 1941, an automobile plant was created, which operates as UralAZ).