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.