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Olaine
City
Railway station in Olaine
Railway station in Olaine
Flag of Olaine
Flag
Coat of arms of Olaine
Coat of arms
Olaine is located in Latvia
Olaine
Olaine
Location in Latvia
Country  Latvia
Municipality Olaine Municipality
Town rights 1967
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)Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).
 • Total 9,908
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code
LV-2114
Calling code +371 67
Number of city council members 11
Website http://www.olaine.lv

Olaine is a city in Olaine Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It became a city in 1967. In 2020, about 10,668 people lived there.

History of Olaine

How Olaine Got Its Name

The name Olaine comes from an old church. This church was called the Saint Olaf Church. It was built in the 1600s. This was when Sweden ruled the area. The church was near a small stream called Olainīte.

The original church site is now a village. It is called Jaunolaine [lv], which means "New Olaine." This village is about two kilometers from the modern city. An old cemetery still remains at this historic spot.

From Train Stop to City

In 1868, a train stop was built near the old church site. It was named "Olai." This stop was on the railway line between Riga and Mitau. After Latvia gained its independence, the name "Olai" was changed. In 1919, it became "Olaine." This change was part of making place names more Latvian.

Growing with Peat and Industry

The modern city of Olaine grew because of peat. Peat is a type of soil made from decayed plants. It is used for fuel and in gardening. People started digging peat on a large scale in 1939.

More factories were built in the area. Many workers were needed for these new jobs. So, the first homes in what is now Olaine were built in 1940. Today, a company called "Olaines kūdra" processes peat. It is part of a larger German company.

Olaine is also home to Olpha. This is the second largest company in Latvia that makes medicines.

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Olaine has special friendships with other cities around the world. These are called "twin towns" or "sister cities." They often share ideas and cultures.

Olaine is twinned with:

Notable People from Olaine

Many interesting people have come from Olaine. Here are a few of them:

  • Rustams Begovs - A Latvian hockey player.
  • Žaneta Jaunzeme-Grende - A Latvian politician.
  • Dmitrijs Miļkevičs - A Latvian athlete.
  • Jānis Kuzmins - A world champion in slalom skateboarding.

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Olaine para niños

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