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Ventspils facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
"Windau" redirects here. For the river of the same name, see Venta River.
Quick facts for kids
Ventspils

Livonian: Vǟnta
State city
Aerial view with the Ventspils Castle and port
Aerial view with the Ventspils Castle and port
Flag of Ventspils
Flag
Coat of arms of Ventspils
Coat of arms
 Official logo of Ventspils
Brandmark
Ventspils is located in Latvia
Ventspils
Ventspils
Location in Latvia
Country  Latvia
Town rights 1378
Area
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 • Land Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi)
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Population
 (2024)
 • Total 32,634
GDP
 • State city 460,619,000 Euro (2021)
 • Per capita 13,900 Euro (2021)
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
LV-36(01-21)
Calling code (+371) 636
Number of city council members 13

Ventspils (Latvian: [ˈvæntspils]) is a city in northwestern Latvia. It is located in the historical Courland region and is the sixth largest city in the country.

In early 2020, Ventspils had about 33,906 people living there. The city is built on the Venta River where it meets the Baltic Sea. It has a special port that doesn't freeze in winter. The name "Ventspils" means "castle on the Venta," which refers to the old Livonian Order's castle by the river.

Contents

  • Other Names for Ventspils
  • History of Ventspils
    • Shipbuilding and Colonization
    • Wars and Changes
    • Modern Times
  • Climate in Ventspils
  • People of Ventspils
  • Education in Ventspils
  • Economy of Ventspils
  • Culture in Ventspils
  • Sports in Ventspils
  • Adventure Park
  • Tourism in Ventspils
    • Old Town of Ventspils
    • Cow Sculptures
  • Famous People from Ventspils
  • Sister Cities
  • See also

Other Names for Ventspils

Ventspils has been known by different names throughout history. In German, it was called Windau.

During the time of the Russian Empire, its Russian name was Виндава (Vindava) or Виндау (Vindau). However, after World War II, the name Вентспилс (Ventspils) became common.

Other names for the city include Livonian: Vǟnta in Livonian, Vindavi in Estonian, and Polish: Windawa in Polish.

History of Ventspils

Ventspils grew around the Livonian Order Ventspils Castle, which was built along the Venta River. The city was officially recognized in 1314. It became an important trading city as part of the Hanseatic League, a powerful group of merchant cities.

Shipbuilding and Colonization

When Ventspils was part of the Duchy of Courland, it became a busy place for building ships. Many warships and trading ships were built here. From Ventspils, the Duke's fleet sailed to start colonies in places like Gambia and