Klaipeda

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Main port of Lithuania, on the Baltic coast at the mouth of the River Dane; population (2001) 193,000. Klaipeda lies 290 km/180 mi northwest of Vilnius. Industries include shipbuilding, fisheries, and iron foundries; the city also trades in timber and grain. Klaipeda was founded in 1252 on the site of a local fortress as the castle of Memelburg by the Teutonic Knights, joined the Hanseatic League soon after, and has changed hands between Sweden, Russia, and Prussia/Germany. The city was part of independent Lithuania from 1923, and after a period of German occupation (1939–45), it became part of the Soviet Republic of Lithuania (1945–91).

Klaipeda and its surrounding area (Memelgebiet) belonged to East Prussia from 1635 until the end of World War I; as they had a sizeable Lithuanian minority, they were assigned to Lithuania in 1923 by the Treaty of Versailles.

The flag may have been based on that of Schwyz, one of the original cantons of the Confederation. While the national flag is square, a rectangular flag is used on Swiss lakes and rivers. Effective date: 12 December 1889. >>