Information AboutVentspils |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT VENTSPILS | |
| cities in latvia | |
| port cities in europe | |
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Ventspils (, formerly Виндава; on the coast of the Baltic Sea . It is named after the Venta River , which passes through the city. Ventspils's population was estimated in 2004 to be about 39,600. It is located at . Ventspils developed from a castle of the Livonian Order and was first mentioned in chronicles in 1290 . It was chartered in 1314 and became an important mercantile city of the Hanseatic League . Ventspils is an important Ice-free Port . Large amounts of Oil and other mineral resources from Russia are loaded aboard ships at Ventspils. The revenue from port services has made Ventspils the wealthiest city in Latvia. Thirty kilometres north of Ventspils is the ex-Soviet Radioastronomy installation VIRAC (''Ventspils Starptautiskais Radioastronomijas Centrs'' or ''Ventspils International Radio Astronomy Centre''). The existence of the ''Centrs'' was unknown to most Latvians until the withdrawal of the Soviets at the end of occupation in 1994. The city has a university college, ''Ventspils Augstskola'', and a Basketball team that has won the Latvian championship in the last several years. In the 2001 / 2002 season, the team took third place in the NEBL . Ventspils Airport , one of the three international airports in Latvia, is located in the city. Ventspils' mayor is Aivars Lembergs . SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS
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