Barnaul is the administrative center of Altai Territory (since 1937). It is located in the south of West Siberia at the inflow of River Barnaulka into Ob.

It is a large railway and highway junction and a river port. Barnaul is a large industrial, cultural and educational center of Siberia with 9 state universities, 5 theaters, museums, and monuments of architecture of the 18th-20th centuries.

The climate is continental, with the average temperature of -19 in January and+19 in July and precipitation of 250 mm per year.

The city with the area of 939 sq km has the population of 621 669 people (as of 2012).