Dobele facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dobele
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Town
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Dobele castle ruins.
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 Dobele
Location in Latvia
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| Country |  Latvia |
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| Municipality | Dobele Municipality | ||
| Town rights | 1917 | ||
| 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) | ||
| • Water | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi) | ||
| Population | |||
| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). | ||
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) | ||
| Postal code |
LV-370(1-2)
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| Calling code | +371 637 | ||
| Climate | Dfb | ||
Dobele is a town in Latvia, a country in Europe. It's located near the center of Latvia, right by the Bērze River. Dobele became a town in 1917, during World War I. As of 2020, about 8,856 people live there.
Contents
What Does the Name Dobele Mean?
The name Dobele comes from old German documents from 1254. It was first called Dubelene or Dubelone. Later, names like Doblene and Doblen were used. The original name likely came from the word duobe, which means 'pit' or 'delve'. It could also be linked to duobele, meaning 'dip' or 'dimple'. So, Dobelene probably meant 'a place where people live in a dimple or dip in the land'.
A Look Back: Dobele's History
Dobele was first mentioned in history books in 1254. Back then, it was a wooden fort. This fort was destroyed during a war called the Semigallian War of Independence (1279–1290). This war was part of the Northern Crusades in Latvia.
From Fort to Town
In 1335, a new stone castle was built where the old fort stood. A small settlement grew around this new castle. You can still see the ruins of this castle today, and they are being fixed up. The first church in Dobele was built in 1495. Over time, the castle area became a busy trading spot.
In the 1600s, when Duke Jacob Kettler was in charge, more buildings were added. These included a watermill, a sawmill, and factories for making cloth and vinegar. In 1927, a railway line connected Dobele to other important towns. This helped the town grow and develop even more.
What Dobele Makes: Industry
Dobele is home to several big businesses. These include mills that process grains, a chemical plant called "Seal," and the "Baltic Candles" factory, which makes candles.
Learning in Dobele: Education
Dobele has many places for learning. There are five main schools, including the Dobele State Grammar School. The town also has four kindergartens for younger children. For those interested in arts or music, there are Music and Art schools. You can also find a Vocational school, an Adult Education Center, and Children and Youth Centres.
Fun in Dobele: Culture
Dobele has a Cultural Centre and a museum. These places help people learn about and enjoy the town's history and arts. The town also has 8 important historical sites that are protected by the country. These include the old castle, the church, and the town hall.
Dobele celebrates several yearly events. One popular celebration is Ielīgosim Jāņus, which is the Midsummer festival. There's also a jubileja, or festival, which changes themes each year.
Dobele's Weather: Climate
Dobele has a humid continental climate. This means it has four distinct seasons. Summers are warm, and winters are cold with snow.
| Climate data for Dobele (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1949-present) | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 10.4 (50.7) |
13.8 (56.8) |
20.0 (68.0) |
26.5 (79.7) |
30.6 (87.1) |
33.1 (91.6) |
35.8 (96.4) |
35.1 (95.2) |
30.7 (87.3) |
23.5 (74.3) |
16.8 (62.2) |
11.5 (52.7) |
35.8 (96.4) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.3 (31.5) |
0.0 (32.0) |
4.5 (40.1) |
12.0 (53.6) |
17.7 (63.9) |
20.9 (69.6) |
23.7 (74.7) |
23.0 (73.4) |
17.5 (63.5) |
10.7 (51.3) |
4.7 (40.5) |
1.2 (34.2) |
11.3 (52.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.6 (27.3) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
0.7 (33.3) |
6.6 (43.9) |
12.0 (53.6) |
15.6 (60.1) |
18.1 (64.6) |
17.4 (63.3) |
12.6 (54.7) |
7.0 (44.6) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
7.2 (45.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5.2 (22.6) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
1.9 (35.4) |
6.2 (43.2) |
10.0 (50.0) |
12.7 (54.9) |
12.1 (53.8) |
8.1 (46.6) |
3.6 (38.5) |
0.3 (32.5) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
3.2 (37.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −34.1 (−29.4) |
−35.9 (−32.6) |
−25.7 (−14.3) |
−13.2 (8.2) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
0.3 (32.5) |
4.7 (40.5) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−21.7 (−7.1) |
−31.9 (−25.4) |
−35.9 (−32.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 38.6 (1.52) |
29.6 (1.17) |
29.6 (1.17) |
32.3 (1.27) |
42.9 (1.69) |
66.6 (2.62) |
77.1 (3.04) |
64.0 (2.52) |
53.8 (2.12) |
62.2 (2.45) |
45.0 (1.77) |
38.8 (1.53) |
580.5 (22.87) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1 mm) | 10 | 8 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 11 | 114 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 40.1 | 69.6 | 147.1 | 209.2 | 291.4 | 286.8 | 305.5 | 262.9 | 175.9 | 107.7 | 40.5 | 30.7 | 1,967.4 |
| Source 1: LVĢMC | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: NOAA (precipitation days 1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
Who Lives in Dobele? Demographics
Most people in Dobele are Latvians, making up about 75.5% of the population. Russians are the next largest group, at 14%. Other groups include Belarusians (3.3%), Lithuanians (2.3%), Ukrainians (1.8%), and Poles (1.5%). About 1.6% of the people are from other countries.
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| Source: Latvian Geospatial Information Agency | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Images for kids
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Dobele Lutheran church (built in 1495)
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Catholic church (built in 2003)
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Dobele Railway Station
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The main square of Dobele
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Old buildings from the 1800s in the city center
Famous People from Dobele
- Oskars Bārs (1848–1914), an architect who designs buildings
- Gunārs Saliņš (1924–2010), a modern poet
- Alexei Kudrin (born 1960), a politician and economist
- Linda Mūrniece (born 1970), a politician and journalist
- Uldis Augulis (born 1972), a politician
- Viktors Ščerbatihs (born 1974), a weightlifter who won an Olympic silver medal
- Andris Naudužs (born 1975), a racing cyclist
- Gatis Eglītis (born 1978), a politician
- Lauris Reiniks (born 1979), a musician
- Andrejs Šeļakovs (born 1988), a basketball player
- Māris Bogdanovičs (born 1991), a cyclist
- Emīls Liepiņš (born 1992), a cyclist
- Ritvars Suharevs (born 1999), a weightlifter
- Kristers Tobers (born 2000), a football (soccer) player
- Daniela Ivanova (born 2002), a weightlifter
See also
In Spanish: Dobele para niños
