KLAIPEDA INFO

Klaipėda is a city on the Baltic Sea coast of Lithuania. It is the country's third-largest city and the capital of its eponymous county. It is also Lithuania's only major seaport. The city has a complex history due to the combined regional importance of the generally ice-free port of Klaipėda at the mouth of the Akmena-Danë River. Historically located in Lithuania Minor, it was part of Poland-Lithuania, Prussia and Germany until the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, when it gained independence and was placed under French occupation. In 1923, Klaipėda's revolt led to its annexation by Lithuania, which lasted until its occupation by Germany following the German ultimatum of 1939. Klaipėda has remained part of Lithuania since the country's independence. The city continues to experience a steady demographic decline due to the exodus to the suburbs and other cities. The number of inhabitants in the city of Klaipėda has fallen from 202,929 in 1989 to 162,360 in 2011, but Klaipėda's urban area has expanded into the suburbs that have sprung up around the city and surrounded it on three sides. These suburbs are partly integrated into the city (city bus routes, city water supply, etc.) and the majority of suburban residents work in Klaipėda. According to data from the Department of Statistics, there are 212,302 permanent inhabitants (in 2020) in the municipalities of Klaipėda city and Klaipėda district combined.