Loksa

Loksa is a small town in northern Estonia.

Location

Loksa located in Harju County on the coast of the Baltic Sea between the peninsulas of Juminda and Pärispea. Through the town, the river Valgejõgi which opens there in the bay of Hara flows.

History

The town grew from a small village Loksa ( now called Kotka ). It was found on the right bank of the Valgejõgi since the end of the 17th century. After the Great Northern War, the settlement consisted of four courtyards.

Only in the 1870s began a population growth than the Baltic German landlords Kolga, Count Stenbock, 1874 in Loksa founded a brickyard. Further steps of industrialization followed: in 1899 a workshop for the construction of sailing ships, 1903, a slipway and 1907 a sawmill. After the Soviet occupation of Estonia, the occupying Power moved a large number of Russian-speaking workers in Loksa, which still account for a significant proportion of the population.

In August 1993 Loksa received city rights.

Economy

The largest employer in the city is the Loksa Shipyard ( Loksa laevatehas ). It belongs to the A. P. Møller- Mærsk Group.