Usedom

Usedom (Polish name Uznam) is an island north of the mouth of the Oder river, where it flows into the Szczecin Bay[?] (German: Stettiner Haff). It belongs to the region called Pomerania. Most of the island is a part of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany (district Ostvorpommern), but the city of Swinoujscie at the eastern end of the island belongs to Poland. Area 445 km2; German part 373 km2, Polish part 72 km2. Population 76,500; German part 31,500; Polish part 45,000.

The island is nearly connected to the neighbouring island of Wollin. A very narrow strait leads the water from the Oder through the Szczecin Bay and into the Pomeranian Bay[?], which is part of the Baltic Sea. The strait between the island and the mainland is called Peenestrom; it is an extension of the Peene[?] river, which flows into the westernmost part of the Szczecin Bay.

The main town on the island is Swinoujscie (German name: Swinemünde), which has more inhabitants than the entire remaining island. The largest town of the German part is also called Usedom[?]. There are many popular tourist resorts at the northern coast, e.g. Ahlbeck and Zinnowitz. The probably best-known place on the island is the small village of Peenemünde, where the Nazis tested their rockets including the V-1.