Gdansk

Sister cities

• Vilnius

History

The name of the settlement was recorded after St. Adalbert's death in 997 CE, in his , as urbs Gyddanyzc and it was later written as Kdanzk in 1148, Gdanzc in 1188, Danceke in 1228, Gdańsk in 1236, Danzc in 1263, Danczk in 1311, Danczik in 1399, Danczig in 1414, and Gdąnsk in 1656. In Polish documents, the form was always used. In German-language documents, multiple variants of the name were recorded over time. The cluster "gd" became "d" (Danzc from 1263), the combination "ns" became "nts" (Danczk from 1311), and finally an epenthetical "i" broke up the final cluster (Danczik from 1399). In Polish, the modern name of the city is pronounced . In English (where the diacritic over the "n" is frequently omitted) the usual pronunciation is or . The German name, , is usually pronounced , or alternatively in more Southern German-speaking areas. The city's Latin name may be given as either , , or .

Geography

Gdańsk is divided into two main parts, known as the Górny Taras and Dolny Taras in Polish; the low-lying Dolny Taras (Lower Terrace) is found on the Baltic coast, covering parts of the Vistula Fens, whereas the Górny Taras (Upper Terrace) is characterised by uneven highlands and is part of the Kashubian Lake District. The city is also found at the mouth of the Motława and Vistula rivers, which has significantly influenced its geography and shaped its economy. Gdańsk has a climate with both oceanic and continental influences. According to some categorisations, it has an oceanic climate (Cfb), while others classify it as belonging to the humid continental climate (Dfb). It actually depends on whether the mean reference temperature for the coldest winter month is set at or . Gdańsk's dry winters and the precipitation maximum in summer are indicators of continentality. However seasonal extremes are less pronounced than those in inland Poland. The city has moderately cold and cloudy winters, with mean temperatures in January and February near or below and mild summers with frequent showers and thunderstorms. Average temperatures range from and average monthly rainfall varies per month with a rather low annual total of . In general, the weather is damp, variable, and mild. |source 2= meteomodel.pl, Weather Atlas (UV), Time and Date (dewpoints, 2005–2015) | date = October 2015 }}

Most-observed species

• Mistletoe

  Viscum album L. · Magnoliopsida
  18,156
• Norway Maple

  Acer platanoides L. · Magnoliopsida
  6,558
• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,828
• Black-headed Gull

  Chroicocephalus ridibundus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,739
• Herring Gull

  Larus argentatus Pontoppidan, 1763 · Aves
  3,487
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,438
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,364
• Hawthorn

  Crataegus monogyna Jacq. · Magnoliopsida
  3,168

Most recent

• M 4.8 — 2004-09-21
  3 km SSW of Yantarnyy, Russia