Olaine
City
Railway station in Olaine
Railway station in Olaine
Flag of Olaine
Flag
Coat of arms of Olaine
Coat of arms
Olaine is located in Latvia
Olaine
Olaine
Location in Latvia
Coordinates: 56°47′N 23°56′E / 56.783°N 23.933°E / 56.783; 23.933
Country Latvia
MunicipalityOlaine Municipality
Town rights1967
Government
 • MayorAndris Bergs (LSDSP)
Area
[1]
 • Total6.84 km2 (2.64 sq mi)
 • Land6.70 km2 (2.59 sq mi)
 • Water0.14 km2 (0.05 sq mi)
Population
 (2023)[2]
 • Total10,062
 • Density1,500/km2 (3,800/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
LV-2114
Calling code+371 67
Number of city council members11
Websitehttp://www.olaine.lv

Olaine (pronunciationⓘ; German: Olai) is a city in Olaine Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. Olaine gained town rights in 1967. The population in 2020 was 10,668.[3]

History

The name comes from the Saint Olaf Church [lv] (Swedish: Sankt Olai kyrka), built by the Olainīte [lv] stream, a Misa river tributary, under Swedish rule in the 17th century, at a place which is within the village now known as Jaunolaine [lv] ("New Olaine") some two kilometers away from the modern Olaine. An old cemetery remains at this site. After 1868, a railway stop "Olai" (now the Jaunolaine Station) was built here on the Riga-Mitau line. After Latvian independence, in 1919 "Olai" was renamed to "Olaine", in line with the Latvianisation of place names all over Latvia.

The history of modern Olaine is associated with the works at nearby peat bogs, taken into use on an industrial scale in 1939. 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 in 1940. As of 2023 local peat processing is handled by the "Olaines kūdra" Ltd. ("Olaine Peat" Ltd.), a private company centrally managed together with 4 other Latvian peat companies by the German company “Kudras Substrates – Peat Moss”. [4][5]

Olaine is home of Olainfarm, the second largest pharmaceutical company in Latvia.

Twin towns — sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Latvia

Olaine is twinned with:[6]

Notable people

Literature

See also

References

  1. ^ "Reģionu, novadu, pilsētu un pagastu kopējā un sauszemes platība gada sākumā". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 18 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Iedzīvotāju skaits pēc tautības reģionos, pilsētās, novados, pagastos, apkaimēs un blīvi apdzīvotās teritorijās gada sākumā (pēc administratīvi teritoriālās reformas 2021. gadā) 2021 - 2022". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 3 October 2023.
  3. ^ "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.
  4. ^ Olaines kūdras fabrika. Būvniecības izstrādājumu ražošana
  5. ^ Management, “Kudras Substrates – Peat Moss”
  6. ^ "Olaines novada – Attīstības programma 2014. – 2020. gadam" (PDF). olaine.lv (in Latvian). Olaine. p. 63. Retrieved 2019-08-31.
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