Kladno

City

Kladno City Hall

Flag	Coat of arms

Country

Elevation

384 m (1,260 ft)

Coordinates

50°9′N 14°6′E / 50.150°N 14.100°ECoordinates: 50°9′N 14°6′E / 50.150°N 14.100°E

Area

36.9 km² (14.2 sq mi)

Population

68,552 (As of December 2014^[update])

Density

1,858/km² (4,812/sq mi)

First mentioned

14th century

Mayor

Milan Volf

Postal code

272 01

Location in the Czech Republic

Website: www.mestokladno.cz

Kladno (Czech pronunciation: [ˈkladno]; German: Kladen) is the biggest city in the Central Bohemian Region (Středočeský kraj) of the Czech Republic. It is located 25 kilometres (16 miles) northwest of Prague. Kladno is the largest city of the region and holds a population together with its adjacent suburban areas of more than 110,000 people (70,000 in Kladno proper). The city is part of the Prague metropolitan area.

The first written evidence of Kladno dates back to the 14th century. In 1561 the city rights were secured. Until 1918, the town was part of the Austrian monarchy (Austrian side after the compromise of 1867), head of the Kladno district, one of the 94 Bezirkshauptmannschaften in Bohemia.

Kladno was the historical birthplace of heavy industry in Bohemia. For years, the town was home to the Poldi steel factory, the region's largest employer. The factory still stands but has been divided into smaller entities after privatisation and changes in ownership. The mining industry began here in 1842. A post-office was opened in 1863. The proximity to Prague helped to keep the local economy stable in spite of the heavy industrial decline after the collapse of the communist regime. A series of Western European companies has established production in Kladno, including Quickstep Laminate Floors, Dr. Oetker, NKT Cables and Lego.

Kladno is twinned with:

Kladno has a partnership with:

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Wikipedia