Klaipėda

Klaipėda is a city in Lithuania. It is where the Nemunas River flows into the Baltic Sea. Klaipėda is the third largest city in Lithuania and the capital of Klaipėda County. The German name of the city is Memel. Until 1920, this city was the northernmost city of the German Empire.

The city's history is complicated. The Port of Klaipėda is important in the area. It is a usually ice-free port on the Baltic Sea. It has been controlled by the Teutonic Knights, the Duchy of Prussia, the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire, the Entente States, Lithuania, and the Third Reich. The city became part of Lithuania while it was a Soviet Socialist Republic. Klaipėda remained part of Lithuania after it again became independent state.

The population shrank from 207,100 in 1992 to 177,823 in 2011. Popular seaside resorts found close to Klaipėda are Nida to the south on the Curonian Spit, and Palanga to the north.