Gdynia

Gdynia, city, seaport, and naval base in northern Poland, in Pomorskie Province on the Gulf of Gdańsk (an inlet of the Baltic Sea), near the city of Gdańsk. Gdynia is a prosperous seaport and naval base, as well as the main shipbuilding centre in Poland. Local manufacturers produce metals, machinery, and food products. Deep-sea fishing also contributes to the economy of the city.

Following World War I, most of Poland's shipping passed through what was then Danzig (Gdańsk), a free city under the protection of the League of Nations. In 1924, for reasons of national prestige as well as military security, Poland began construction of a new Polish port at Gdynia, at the time a fishing village with a population of only about 1,500. By 1934 Gdynia had become one of the most important ports in eastern Europe, with harbour facilities capable of handling the largest ocean-going vessels. Shortly after the German invasion of Poland in September 1939, Gdynia, then with a population of about 120,000, was occupied by the Germans and renamed Gotenhafen. It remained under German control until March 1945, when the Germans were overcome by Soviet and Polish forces. Population 254,500 (2005 estimate).