Sillamäe

Infobox Settlement
pushpin_

pushpin_label_position = bottom
pushpin_map_caption = Location in Estonia
subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name =
subdivision_type1 = County
timezone = EET
utc_offset = +2
timezone_DST = EEST
utc_offset_DST = +3
map_caption = Location of Sillamäe
official_name = Sillamäe linn
other_name = Sillamäe


image_shield = Sillamae_coatofarms.pngsubdivision_name1 = Ida-Viru County
leader_name = Ain Kiviorg
area_total_km2 = 10.54
population_total = 16567
population_footnotes =
population_as_of = 2006
population_density_km2 = 1571.82
coor=59°24' N 27°45' E
latd=59 |latm=24 |latNS=N |longd=27 |longm=45 |longEW=E

Sillamäe is a town in Ida-Viru County in the northern part of Estonia, on the southern coast of the Gulf of Finland.

During the Soviet regime in Estonia, Sillamäe was a closed town mainly because of the chemical factory in there which produced fuel rods and nuclear materials for the Soviet nuclear power plants and weapon facilities. At first, uranium was mined in the same location, later it was imported from various locations from the Eastern Bloc, mainly Czechoslovakia. Uranium ore from the Bihor mine operated by Sovromcuarţ (one of the SovRoms operated jointly by the Soviet Union and Romania) was also processed at Sillamäe. [Diehl] Rumors are that the first Soviet nuclear bomb was created from the uranium mined at Sillamäe.

Near the city, there is located a beach and a spa (Toila and Narva-Jõesuu), used during the Soviet period for Communist Party members and leaders.

In 2005, a port was opened in Sillamäe. In 2006 a regular ferry service was established between Sillamäe and Kotka, Finland.

Demographics

columns
width=140px
col1 = Population:
1940: 2,642
1965: 9,838
1994: 20,104
2004: 16,806
col2 = Ethnicity (2000):
Russians: 85.8%
Estonians: 4.2%
Ukrainians: 3.0%
Belarusians: 2.8%
Finns: 1.0%
Others: 3.2%

Notes

External links

* [http://www.sillamae.ee/ Official website] (available in Estonian, Russian and English)
* [http://www.sillamae.ee Sillamäe Web] (available in Estonian, Russian and English)
* Peter Diehl, "Uranium Mining in Europe", 1995. [http://www10.antenna.nl/wise/439-440/chapter1.html Chapter 1]

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