Olaine | |
|---|---|
City | |
) Railway station in Olaine | |
) Flag ) Coat of arms | |
)  Olaine Location in Latvia | |
| Coordinates: 56°47′N 23°56′E / 56.783°N 23.933°E | |
| Country |  Latvia |
| District | Olaine Municipality |
| Town rights | 1967 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Andris Bergs (LSDSP) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 6.824 km2 (2.635 sq mi) |
| Population (2020)[1] | |
| • Total | 10,668 |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | LV-2114 |
| Calling code | +371 67 |
| Number of city council members | 11 |
Olaine (; German: Olai) is a city in Latvia that gained town rights in 1967. The name comes from the Saint Olai Church, built by the Misa river under Swedish rule in the 17th century. An old cemetery remains at this site. After 1868, a railway stop "Olai" was built on the Riga-Mitau line. After Latvian independence, in 1919 "Olai" was renamed to "Olaine", in line with the Latvianisation of topological names all over Latvia. The population in 2020 was 10,668.[1]
The history of Olaine is closely connected to a nearby peat bog first taken into use in 1940. Thereafter, more production facilities were built, increasing numbers of workers needed accommodation, and the first dwellings were built in what is currently known as Olaine. Previously, Olaine was the name of a village just two kilometers away. This village now has the name of Jaunolaine (New Olaine).
Olaine is home of Olainfarm, the second largest pharmaceutical company in Latvia.
Twin towns — sister cities
Olaine is twinned with:[2]
Karlskoga, Sweden
Nowa Sarzyna, Poland- Ödeshög, Sweden
Riihimäki, Finland- Vadstena, Sweden
Notable people
- Gunta Baško - Latvian basketball player
- Rustams Begovs - Latvian hockey player
- Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grende - Latvian politician
- Dmitrijs Miļkevičs - Latvian athlete
- Jānis Kuzmins - World champion in slalom skateboarding
Literature
- Vilīte, Valda: Olaines pagasts (2008)
See also
References
- ^ a b "ISG020. Population number and its change by statistical region, city, town, 21 development centres and county". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. 2020-01-01. Retrieved 2021-02-12.
- ^ "Olaines novada – Attīstības programma 2014. – 2020. gadam" (PDF). olaine.lv (in Latvian). Olaine. p. 63. Retrieved 2019-08-31.