Wolin
Wolin or Wollin both: vô´lēn [key], island, 95 sq mi (246 sq km), off the coast of Pomerania, in the Baltic Sea, and belonging to Poland. Wolin is separated from the mainland by the Zalew Szczeciński (Stettiner Haff). It is generally a lowland, with forests and several lakes. Fishing and livestock raising are the chief industries. There are numerous bathing resorts. The principal town, Wolin, is a fishing port. A fortress and Slavic settlement once occupied the site of the town, whose history dates from the 9th cent. The island passed to Sweden in 1648, to Prussia in 1721, and to Poland after World War II. It is administratively part of Szczecin prov.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
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