POLAND : Gdynia

Gdynia is a city in the Pomeranian Voivodship of Poland and an important seaport at Gdansk Bay on the south coast of the Baltic Sea.

Gdynia is part of a conurbation with the spa town of Sopot, the city of Gdansk and suburban communities, which together form a metropolitan area called the Tricity  with a population of over a million people. Originally a small German fishing village, it was transferred to Poland after World War I. Gdynia as a port was built up after 1924 to end Poland's dependence on Danzig (Gdansk).

By 1934, Gdynia handled more freight than Danzig and was a leading Baltic port. It also became the main naval base and shipbuilding center of Poland. Although the harbor was heavily damaged in World War II, the city suffered relatively little destruction. By 1950 most of the harbor was rebuilt, and Gdynia was again an important commercial port. It is the port of a larger urban area. Gdynia is located in Kashubia in Eastern Pomerania.