Niles, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Niles is a village in Maine
and Niles Township
s, Cook County
, Illinois
, United States
. The 2010 population from the U.S. Census Bureau is 29,803.
The current mayor of Niles is Robert M. Callero.
Niles was first settled in 1827.
The village of Niles was incorporated on August 24, 1899. The village had a population of 500 people at that time.
Along with neighboring Skokie, Illinois
, and several other suburbs, Niles is partly in Niles Township
, from whence it draws its name. It should not be confused with "Niles Center," the original name of Skokie.
There is no clear indication of the origin of the name "Niles." In 1929, the Chicago Tribune
ran an article opining that the name was taken from the Niles Register, a newspaper published in the 1820s out of Washington, D.C.
and distributed nationally; however, no proof of that has yet been discovered; accounts state only that the name was chosen at public meeting prior to township organization in 1850.
Another belief is that the name "Niles" was named after Niles Construction which did much of the building early during the city's founding.
Niles was the first community in Illinois and one of the first in the United States to establish free ambulance service, in 1946.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), all of it land.
Niles is adjacent to Chicago
to the south, Skokie to the east, Morton Grove
and Glenview
to the north, and Park Ridge
and unincorporated Cook County
(and portions of Chicago
) to the west.
The town is centered along Milwaukee Avenue
which forms a main artery diagonally through the town on a northwest-southeast bearing.
The North Branch of the Chicago River
flows through the eastern part of the town roughly in a south-north direction.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 30,068 people, 12,002 households, and 7,945 families residing in the village. The population density
was 5,117.9 people per square mile (1,974.4/km²). There were 12,256 housing units at an average density of 2,086.1 per square mile (804.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 83.22% White, 0.46% African American, 0.09% Native American, 12.68% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.03% of the population.
There were 12,002 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the village the population was spread out with 16.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $48,627, and the median income for a family was $58,215. Males had a median income of $40,131 versus $30,266 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $23,543. About 3.2% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Elementary school districts:
High school districts:
Community College district:
Catholic Schools:
A notable landmark and point of pride among Niles' residents is the Leaning Tower of Niles
, a smaller-scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
. This landmark is seen in the opening Chicago-area montage of the film Wayne's World
. It is located next to the local YMCA
(which is appropriately called the "Leaning Tower YMCA"). Several concerts covering a variety of musical forms are held here throughout the summer.
Another notable landmark is the Tam O'Shanter Golf Course
(today called "The Tam"), which is currently under the ownership of the Niles Park District. From 1941-1957, the course was host to the All American Open
on the PGA Tour. In 1964 and 1965, the course hosted the Western Open
.
St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery, the largest in the Archdiocese of Chicago in terms of burials, is the resting place of German immigrant Fredrak Fraske (1872–1973), who was the last surviving veteran of the "Indian Wars
". St. Adalbert's is also the location of the Halas Family mausoleum, and is the final resting place of George Halas
, former head coach of the Chicago Bears
.
Maryhill Cemetery is, according to some sources, one of the supposed final resting places for convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy
, though there is considerable debate as to what happened to his remains after his execution.
The world headquarters of the Bradford Group
, a major collectibles company, is located on Milwaukee Avenue
.
On June 7, 2006, the news wires reported that the FBI had been investigating Niles Mayor Nicholas Blase for "extorting village businesses to buy insurance from a close friend". On June 8, 2006, which happened to be Blase's 78th birthday, the FBI arrested Blase at his residence in front of his family and charged him with mail fraud related to a kickback scheme with Ralph Weiner, a friend who had owned Ralph Weiner & Associates, an insurance agency. Ralph Weiner's son, Steven Weiner, president and co-owner of the insurance agency, was also charged on the same day, as he allegedly continued providing kickbacks to Blase after his father died in 2005.
In July 2007, the Mayor's trial was set for March 2008.
In August 2008, Mayor Blase announced that he would resign from his job after almost 50 years in office. His court date was moved to September 8.
On 31 October 2008, Blase changed his plea to guilty on the federal charges of mail fraud and tax evasion
. In return for the plea, nine other charges were dropped by the federal prosecutor. Blase was sentenced on January 29, 2010 to a year and a day in federal prison.
On December 14, 2010, Niles was named the Best Place in the United States to Raise a Family by Businessweek.com. Businessweek studied the lifestyle parameters of 5,418 communities across the country, focusing on good schools, low taxes, safe neighborhoods and affordability of housing.
as of 2008:
Pisa
, Italy
(since 1991) Nafplion
, Greece
(since 1994) Leixlip
, Ireland
(since 2000) Limanowa
, Poland
(since 2005)
Maine Township, Cook County, Illinois
Maine Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 135,623 at the 2000 census. The township was founded in 1850....
and Niles Township
Niles Township, Cook County, Illinois
Niles Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 102,638.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Niles Township covers an area of .-Cities, towns, villages:* Glenview...
s, Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The 2010 population from the U.S. Census Bureau is 29,803.
The current mayor of Niles is Robert M. Callero.
History
The village of Niles was incorporated on August 24, 1899. The village had a population of 500 people at that time.
Along with neighboring Skokie, Illinois
Skokie, Illinois
Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348...
, and several other suburbs, Niles is partly in Niles Township
Niles Township, Cook County, Illinois
Niles Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 102,638.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Niles Township covers an area of .-Cities, towns, villages:* Glenview...
, from whence it draws its name. It should not be confused with "Niles Center," the original name of Skokie.
There is no clear indication of the origin of the name "Niles." In 1929, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
ran an article opining that the name was taken from the Niles Register, a newspaper published in the 1820s out of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
and distributed nationally; however, no proof of that has yet been discovered; accounts state only that the name was chosen at public meeting prior to township organization in 1850.
Another belief is that the name "Niles" was named after Niles Construction which did much of the building early during the city's founding.
Niles was the first community in Illinois and one of the first in the United States to establish free ambulance service, in 1946.
Geography
The civil location coordinates of the Village of Niles are 42°1′40"N 87°48′36"W (42.0277127, -87.8100990).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 5.9 square miles (15.3 km²), all of it land.
Niles is adjacent to Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
to the south, Skokie to the east, Morton Grove
Morton Grove, Illinois
Morton Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,451 at the 2000 census.The Village President of Morton Grove since April 27, 2009, is Daniel J...
and Glenview
Glenview, Cook County, Illinois
Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847...
to the north, and Park Ridge
Park Ridge, Illinois
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...
and unincorporated Cook County
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
(and portions of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
) to the west.
The town is centered along Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
which forms a main artery diagonally through the town on a northwest-southeast bearing.
The North Branch of the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
flows through the eastern part of the town roughly in a south-north direction.
Demographics
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 30,068 people, 12,002 households, and 7,945 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5,117.9 people per square mile (1,974.4/km²). There were 12,256 housing units at an average density of 2,086.1 per square mile (804.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 83.22% White, 0.46% African American, 0.09% Native American, 12.68% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.67% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.03% of the population.
There were 12,002 households out of which 21.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 8.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the village the population was spread out with 16.7% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 24.0% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 27.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47 years. For every 100 females there were 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $48,627, and the median income for a family was $58,215. Males had a median income of $40,131 versus $30,266 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $23,543. About 3.2% of families and 5.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.2% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Top employers
According to the Village's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | W. W. Grainger W. W. Grainger W. W. Grainger, Inc. is a Fortune 500 industrial supply company founded in 1927 in Chicago, Illinois. Grainger's catalog includes such offerings as motors, lighting, material handling, fasteners, plumbing, tools, and safety supplies. Revenue is generally from business to business sales rather than... |
860 |
| 2 | Shure Shure Shure Incorporated is an American corporation originally founded by Sidney N. Shure in Chicago, Illinois in 1925 as a supplier of radio parts kits. The company became a consumer and professional audio-electronics manufacturer of microphones, wireless microphone systems, phonograph cartridges,... (HQ) |
512 |
| 3 | Bradford Exchange Bradford Exchange The Bradford Exchange is a producer and marketer of collectible goods. Now part of the Bradford Group, it was founded in 1973 as The Bradford Gallery of Collector's Plates by J. Roderick MacArthur. The company created its first live price quotation market in 1983, but increasingly turned to... (HQ) |
462 |
| 4 | MPC Products | 450 |
| 5 | Village of Niles | 438 |
| 6 | Coca-Cola Bottling Company | 320 |
| 7 | MFRI (HQ) | 220 |
| 7 | Fort Dearborn Company | 178 |
| 9 | YMCA YMCA The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs... |
130 |
| 10 | Rich Products Rich Products Rich Products Corporation is a privately held, multinational food products corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The company was founded in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr.... |
100 |
Education
- East Maine School District 63 http://www.emsd63.org/
- Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 http://www.d64.org/
- Golf School District 67 http://www.golf67.net/
- Niles Elementary School District 71 http://www.culver71.net/
- Fairview School District 72 http://www.fairview.k12.il.us/
- The Niles Township District for Special Education 807 serves some residents in these districts. http://www.ntdse.k12.il.us/.
High school districts:
- Maine Township High School District 207Maine Township High School District 207Maine Township High School District 207 is a school district based in Illinois.Composed of Des Plaines and Park Ridge as well as portions of Glenview, Harwood Heights, Morton Grove, Niles, Norridge, and Norwood Park Township, the district lies 30 minutes from downtown Chicago...
- • Maine East High SchoolMaine East High SchoolMaine East High School, or Maine East, and officially Maine Township High School East, is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Dempster Street and Potter Road in Park Ridge, Illinois, a north-west suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
- • Maine South High SchoolMaine South High SchoolMaine South High School, or MSHS, is a public four-year high school located in Park Ridge, Illinois, a north-west suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Maine Township High School District 207, which also includes Maine East High School and Maine West High School.Maine...
- Niles Township Community High School District 219Niles Township Community High School District 219Niles Township Community High School District 219 is a public secondary school district in Illinois.The district serves Lincolnwood and parts of Morton Grove, Niles, and Skokie in Niles Township, which is located in Northern Cook County, Illinois....
- Niles Township Community High School District 219
- • Niles North High SchoolNiles North High SchoolNiles North High School, or NNHS, is a public four-year high school located in Skokie, Illinois, a North Shore suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Niles Township Community High School District 219, which also includes Niles West High School. It is also home to several...
- • Niles West High SchoolNiles West High SchoolNiles West High School, or NWHS, is a public four-year high school located in Skokie, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in the United States. It is part of Niles Township Community High School District 219, which also includes Niles North High School. Its school teams were originally the Indians, but...
Community College district:
- Oakton Community CollegeOakton Community CollegeOakton Community College is a two-year community college with campuses in Skokie, Illinois and Des Plaines, Illinois. District 535 serves 450,000 residents in northeast Cook County, Illinois...
Catholic Schools:
- Northridge Preparatory SchoolNorthridge Preparatory SchoolNorthridge Preparatory School, or Northridge Prep, or NRP is an independent Roman Catholic preparatory school for young men, located in Niles, Illinois...
is a Catholic independent private high school. - Notre Dame High School was founded by the Congregation of Holy CrossCongregation of Holy CrossThe Congregation of Holy Cross or Congregatio a Sancta Cruce is a Catholic congregation of priests and brothers founded in 1837 by Blessed Father Basil Anthony-Marie Moreau, CSC, in Le Mans, France....
, but is now independent.
Famous places
Leaning Tower of Niles
The Leaning Tower of Niles, Illinois, was completed in 1934 by industrialist Robert Ilg as part of a recreation park for employees of the Ilg Hot Air Electric Ventilating Company of Chicago. It is situated at 6300 W...
, a smaller-scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa
Leaning Tower of Pisa
The Leaning Tower of Pisa or simply the Tower of Pisa is the campanile, or freestanding bell tower, of the cathedral of the Italian city of Pisa...
. This landmark is seen in the opening Chicago-area montage of the film Wayne's World
Wayne's World (film)
Wayne's World is a 1992 American comedy film directed by Penelope Spheeris and starring Mike Myers in his film debut as Wayne Campbell and Dana Carvey as Garth Algar, hosts of the Aurora, Illinois-based Public-access television cable TV show Wayne's World...
. It is located next to the local YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
(which is appropriately called the "Leaning Tower YMCA"). Several concerts covering a variety of musical forms are held here throughout the summer.
Another notable landmark is the Tam O'Shanter Golf Course
Tam O'Shanter Golf Course
The Tam O'Shanter Golf Course is located in Niles, Illinois. The north branch of the Chicago River flows through the course.The club of was previously owned by George S...
(today called "The Tam"), which is currently under the ownership of the Niles Park District. From 1941-1957, the course was host to the All American Open
All American Open
The All American Open was a golf tournament on the PGA Tour in the 1940s and 1950s. It was played at the Tam O'Shanter Country Club in Niles, Illinois. It was run by George S. May and was also known as the Tam O'Shanter Open. From 1944 to 1946 it offered $10,000 winner's prize...
on the PGA Tour. In 1964 and 1965, the course hosted the Western Open
Western Open
The Western Open, a professional golf tournament, was first played in 1899. At the time of its 2006 playing, the Western Open was the 3rd oldest active PGA Tour tournament, after the British Open and U.S. Open...
.
St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery, the largest in the Archdiocese of Chicago in terms of burials, is the resting place of German immigrant Fredrak Fraske (1872–1973), who was the last surviving veteran of the "Indian Wars
Indian Wars
American Indian Wars is the name used in the United States to describe a series of conflicts between American settlers or the federal government and the native peoples of North America before and after the American Revolutionary War. The wars resulted from the arrival of European colonizers who...
". St. Adalbert's is also the location of the Halas Family mausoleum, and is the final resting place of George Halas
George Halas
George Stanley Halas, Sr. , nicknamed "Papa Bear" and "Mr. Everything", was a player, coach, owner and pioneer in professional American football. He was the iconic longtime leader of the NFL's Chicago Bears...
, former head coach of the Chicago Bears
Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
.
Maryhill Cemetery is, according to some sources, one of the supposed final resting places for convicted serial killer John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy
John Wayne Gacy, Jr. was an American serial killer, rapist and clown who sexually assaulted and murdered at least 33 teenage boys and young men between 1972 and 1978. Gacy buried 26 of his victims in the crawlspace of his home, buried three others elsewhere on his property, and discarded the...
, though there is considerable debate as to what happened to his remains after his execution.
The world headquarters of the Bradford Group
Bradford Exchange
The Bradford Exchange is a producer and marketer of collectible goods. Now part of the Bradford Group, it was founded in 1973 as The Bradford Gallery of Collector's Plates by J. Roderick MacArthur. The company created its first live price quotation market in 1983, but increasingly turned to...
, a major collectibles company, is located on Milwaukee Avenue
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
.
Recent events
In July 2007, the Mayor's trial was set for March 2008.
In August 2008, Mayor Blase announced that he would resign from his job after almost 50 years in office. His court date was moved to September 8.
On 31 October 2008, Blase changed his plea to guilty on the federal charges of mail fraud and tax evasion
Tax evasion
Tax evasion is the general term for efforts by individuals, corporations, trusts and other entities to evade taxes by illegal means. Tax evasion usually entails taxpayers deliberately misrepresenting or concealing the true state of their affairs to the tax authorities to reduce their tax liability,...
. In return for the plea, nine other charges were dropped by the federal prosecutor. Blase was sentenced on January 29, 2010 to a year and a day in federal prison.
On December 14, 2010, Niles was named the Best Place in the United States to Raise a Family by Businessweek.com. Businessweek studied the lifestyle parameters of 5,418 communities across the country, focusing on good schools, low taxes, safe neighborhoods and affordability of housing.
Sister cities
Niles has four sister citiesTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
as of 2008:
Pisa
Pisa
Pisa is a city in Tuscany, Central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the River Arno on the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
(since 1991) Nafplion
Nafplion
Nafplio is a seaport town in the Peloponnese in Greece that has expanded up the hillsides near the north end of the Argolic Gulf. The town was the first capital of modern Greece, from the start of the Greek Revolution in 1821 until 1834. Nafplio is now the capital of the peripheral unit of...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
(since 1994) Leixlip
Leixlip
-Politics:Since 1988 Leixlip has had a nine member Town Council , headed by a Cathaoirleach , which has control over many local matters, although it is limited in that it is not also a planning authority...
, Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
(since 2000) Limanowa
Limanowa
Limanowa is a small town in southern Poland, in the Lesser Poland Voivodeship. It is the capital of Limanowa County....
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
(since 2005)