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The population of Kaliningrad Region is about 1 million
inhabitants, of these, 400,000 live in the city of Kaliningrad.
The Region comprises 15 thousand km2 and is entirely
separated from the rest of Russia. It borders on Poland
in the south-western part, it is surrounded by Lithuania
from south-east to north and borders on the Baltic Sea in
the western part.
Relationships with the Baltic countries and special agreements
with other neighbouring countries provide the basis for
the Region’s foreign policy. The relationships will change
when Poland and the Baltic countries join the European Union.
Kaliningrad is home for the Russian Federation Baltic Navy.
After World War II, the Region was a closed military base
of the Soviet Union. Since the collapse of the USSR, Russian
nationals, especially from the Baltic countries and other
countries of the former Soviet Union, came to Kaliningrad.
Despite the fact, that some Germans, primarily from Kazakhstan
and Kirghizia, emigrated to the Region, the proportion of
the German nationals is often overestimated. According
to the statistics, it accounts for only 0.1 per cent. Only
some fragments are left from the German past, and the Region
with the support of German organisations considers keeping
the monuments in good condition to be very important. On
24 October 1998, the Königsberg cathedral was reopened.
Due to the German donations collected, first of all, by
"Die Zeit - Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius Fund",
another roof and new bells were erected on the cathedral
located in the centre of the city. Nationalities of the
Kaliningrad Region represent the multi-national structure
of the former Soviet Union.
Since the fall of the USSR, the Russian government has
reduced the amount of subsidies earmarked for the Region.
For this reason, the Region incurred a severe economic crisis.
A wide range of companies involved exclusively in the production
of military and space equipment lost the basis for existence.
Also, the local producers were unable to resist the hard
competition, especially from the neighbouring countries.
Agriculture is of vital importance for the Kaliningrad Region,
which is not being developed, however. At present, about
68% of goods are imported.
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