Ogre | |||
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Town | |||
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Location in Latvia | |||
Coordinates: 56°49′07″N 24°36′20″E / 56.81861°N 24.60556°ECoordinates: 56°49′07″N 24°36′20″E / 56.81861°N 24.60556°E | |||
Country | Latvia | ||
District | Ogre District | ||
Town rights | 1929 | ||
Government | |||
• Mayor | Artūrs Mangulis | ||
Area | |||
• Total | 13.58 km2 (5.24 sq mi) | ||
Population | |||
• Total | 26,760 | ||
• Density | 1,970/km2 (5,100/sq mi) | ||
Time zone | EET (UTC+2) | ||
• Summer (DST) | EEST (UTC+3) | ||
Postal code | LV-500(1-3) | ||
Calling code | +371 650 | ||
Number of city council members | 13 |
Ogre ( pronunciation ; German: Oger; Lithuanian: Uogrė) (population 26,573 in 2000 census) is the principal town of Ogre District in Central Latvia, 36 kilometres (22 miles) east of the capital Riga, situated at the confluence of the Daugava and Ogre rivers. It has been a town since 1928.
Ogre is composed of three parts: Jaunogre (meaning "New Ogre"), Ogre (the center of the town), and Pārogre (meaning "Ogre across [the river]" though not all of the named region is across the river).
The name of the town comes from the Ogre river. The Ogre village was first mentioned in 1206, called "Oger" in German. In 1861, when a railway Riga–Daugavpils was built, Riga's residents started to build summer cottages here. In 1862 Ogre became a health resort.
The town's coat of arms was granted in 1938 and shows the beautiful river and pinewoods of Ogre.
There is a cultural centre, an art school and a music school in Ogre. It has three Latvian language schools, and one Russian language school - Jaunogres vidusskola.
The town also has a cemetery with the remains of German soldiers who died during the First and Second World Wars, or died in captivity between 1944 and 1951.