Cut off from the main body of the motherland, Kaliningrad is a small region of Russia adrift in the heart of new Europe. Wedged between hostile Nato members Poland and Lithuania, the exclave is Russia's westernmost outpost, with a population of 950,000.
The Baltic sea port that is the territory's biggest town is also called Kaliningrad, and was founded during the northern crusades in 1255 by the Teutonic knights. Under the name Königsberg it was the capital of eastern Prussia from the late middle ages until the end of the second world war, when it was devastated by British bombing. Nazi troops considered it a stronghold but were overrun by Soviet forces in April 1945. Moscow's annexation was confirmed by the Potsdam agreement and the territory was renamed after Mikhail Kalinin, a prominent Bolshevik. Kaliningrad's German population was evicted and replaced by Russians.
During the cold war, Kaliningrad became the Soviet Union's strategic bulkhead in Europe and was the home of the Baltic fleet, which is still based at the port of Baltiysk. Up to a million service personnel were stationed there and it was closed to visitors. When the Communist regime fell in 1991 Lithuania and Latvia became independent, leaving Kaliningrad stranded. It became plagued by organised crime and epidemics of HIV and drug abuse.
Recent years have seen a modest economic revival. Kaliningrad remains a forward military post and Russia's only year-round ice-free port in Europe. However, there has been constant friction between the territory and its neighbours, especially over transit regulations for Russians travelling overland to the exclave from Russia proper, which is about 190 miles away.