Kaliningrad

Kaliningrad is a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea, situated between Lithuania and Poland. It is the administrative center of Kaliningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia. The region has about one million residents, predominantly ethnic Russians.

Historically, the city was founded as Königsberg in 1255, the capital of East Prussia, and a major commercial and intellectual center, home to the Albertina University and the philosopher Immanuel Kant. In 1945, during World War II, Soviet forces captured Königsberg; the city and surrounding district were incorporated into the Russian SFSR and renamed Kaliningrad in 1946. The old German population largely left or was expelled, and the area was repopulated with Russians.

Geographically, Kaliningrad Oblast lies on the Baltic coast and includes the Curonian Spit, a long sandy peninsula shared with Lithuania that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The oblast borders Lithuania to the north and east and Poland to the south, and has a Baltic Sea coastline to the west. The port cities of Kaliningrad and Baltiysk are important for shipping and naval activity.

Economy and demographics: The region has industries in amber extraction and processing, shipbuilding, machinery, and food processing. The population is predominantly Russian, with small Polish and Lithuanian minority communities. The area maintains cultural traces of its German past, including the ruins of Königsberg Castle and the Kaliningrad Cathedral, where the philosopher Kant is associated with the city.