Municipalities of Lithuania
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Lithuania is divided into three layers of administrative divisions. The first-level division consists of 10 counties (Lithuanian: singular – apskritis, plural – apskritys). These are sub-divided into 60 municipalities (Lithuanian: plural – savivaldybės, singular – savivaldybė), which in turn are further sub-divided into over 500 smaller groups, known as elderships (Lithuanian: plural – seniūnijos, singular – seniūnija).
At the end of its tenure as a Soviet Socialist Republic, Lithuania's administrative divisions consisted of 44 regions, 12 cities, 80 towns, 19 settlements, and 426 rural districts.[1] The reform of this system was an immediate concern for the new government.[2] The Constitution of Lithuania, ratified in 1992, delegated the power of establishing future administrative units to the Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas). Accordingly, the Seimas passed two fundamental laws: a 1993 law on government representation and a 1994 law specifying the territorial-administrative units and their boundaries.[2] The current system of a set of municipalities under 10 counties was codified by 1995.[2] Several changes were made in 2000, resulting in 60 municipalities.[3] Ordinary municipal councilors are elected every four years from electoral lists using proportional representation. The mayor, who is a member of the council, is elected directly by the residents in a majority vote. [4] Before 2015, the mayors were elected by the municipal councils.
The following map shows counties as well as municipalities. Seven city municipalities and three municipalities are marked by numbers.
Municipalities
Municipality | County | Administrative center[5] | Area[6] | Pop. (2015)[6] | Density (2015)[6] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Akmenė District Municipality | Šiauliai | Naujoji Akmenė | 844 square kilometres (208,556.94 acres; 325.87 sq mi) | 21,332 | 25.3 |
Alytus City Municipality | Alytus | Alytus | 40 square kilometres (9,884.22 acres; 15.44 sq mi) | 55,614 | 1,390.4 |
Alytus District Municipality | Alytus | Alytus[nb 1] | 1,403 square kilometres (346,688.85 acres; 541.70 sq mi) | 27,126 | 19.3 |
Anykščiai District Municipality | Utena | Anykščiai | 1,764 square kilometres (435,893.89 acres; 681.08 sq mi) | 26,393 | 15.0 |
Birštonas Municipality | Kaunas | Birštonas | 122 square kilometres (30,146.86 acres; 47.10 sq mi) | 4,371 | 35.8 |
Biržai District Municipality | Panevėžys | Biržai | 1,476 square kilometres (364,727.54 acres; 569.89 sq mi) | 25,937 | 17.6 |
Druskininkai Municipality | Alytus | Druskininkai | 453 square kilometres (111,938.74 acres; 174.90 sq mi) | 20,728 | 45.8 |
Elektrėnai Municipality | Vilnius | Elektrėnai | 509 square kilometres (125,776.64 acres; 196.53 sq mi) | 24,164 | 47.5 |
Ignalina District Municipality | Utena | Ignalina | 1,441 square kilometres (356,078.85 acres; 556.37 sq mi) | 16,806 | 11.7 |
Jonava District Municipality | Kaunas | Jonava | 943 square kilometres (233,020.37 acres; 364.09 sq mi) | 43,875 | 46.5 |
Joniškis District Municipality | Šiauliai | Joniškis | 1,151 square kilometres (284,418.29 acres; 444.40 sq mi) | 23,807 | 20.7 |
Jurbarkas District Municipality | Tauragė | Jurbarkas | 1,506 square kilometres (372,140.70 acres; 581.47 sq mi) | 28,162 | 18.7 |
Kaišiadorys District Municipality | Kaunas | Kaišiadorys | 1,087 square kilometres (268,603.55 acres; 419.69 sq mi) | 31,915 | 29.4 |
Kalvarija Municipality | Marijampolė | Kalvarija | 440 square kilometres (108,726.37 acres; 169.88 sq mi) | 11,486 | 26.1 |
Kaunas City Municipality | Kaunas | Kaunas | 157 square kilometres (38,795.54 acres; 60.62 sq mi) | 301,357 | 1919.5 |
Kaunas District Municipality | Kaunas | Kaunas[nb 1] | 1,495 square kilometres (369,422.55 acres; 577.22 sq mi) | 88,396 | 59.1 |
Kazlų Rūda Municipality | Marijampolė | Kazlų Rūda | 555 square kilometres (137,143.49 acres; 214.29 sq mi) | 12,494 | 22.5 |
Kėdainiai District Municipality | Kaunas | Kėdainiai | 1,677 square kilometres (414,395.72 acres; 647.49 sq mi) | 49,939 | 29.8 |
Kelmė District Municipality | Šiauliai | Kelmė | 1,705 square kilometres (421,314.68 acres; 658.30 sq mi) | 29,559 | 17.3 |
Klaipėda City Municipality | Klaipėda | Klaipėda | 99 square kilometres (24,463.43 acres; 38.22 sq mi) | 156,141 | 1,577.2 |
Klaipėda District Municipality | Klaipėda | Gargždai | 1,340 square kilometres (331,121.21 acres; 517.38 sq mi) | 52,831 | 39.4 |
Kretinga District Municipality | Klaipėda | Kretinga | 989 square kilometres (244,387.22 acres; 381.86 sq mi) | 39,758 | 40.2 |
Kupiškis District Municipality | Panevėžys | Kupiškis | 1,080 square kilometres (266,873.81 acres; 416.99 sq mi) | 18,678 | 17.3 |
Lazdijai District Municipality | Alytus | Lazdijai | 1,306 square kilometres (322,719.63 acres; 504.25 sq mi) | 20,813 | 15.9 |
Marijampolė Municipality | Marijampolė | Marijampolė | 755 square kilometres (186,564.56 acres; 291.51 sq mi) | 58,027 | 76.9 |
Mažeikiai District Municipality | Telšiai | Mažeikiai | 1,219 square kilometres (301,221.46 acres; 470.66 sq mi) | 55,441 | 45.5 |
Molėtai District Municipality | Utena | Molėtai | 1,367 square kilometres (337,793.06 acres; 527.80 sq mi) | 19,233 | 14.1 |
Neringa Municipality | Klaipėda | Nida | 90 square kilometres (22,239.48 acres; 34.75 sq mi) | 2,879 | 32.0 |
Pagėgiai Municipality | Tauragė | Pagėgiai | 536 square kilometres (132,448.48 acres; 206.95 sq mi) | 8,711 | 16.3 |
Pakruojis District Municipality | Šiauliai | Pakruojis | 1,315 square kilometres (324,943.58 acres; 507.72 sq mi) | 21,555 | 16.4 |
Palanga City Municipality | Klaipėda | Palanga | 79 square kilometres (19,521.33 acres; 30.50 sq mi) | 15,379 | 194.7 |
Panevėžys City Municipality | Panevėžys | Panevėžys | 50 square kilometres (12,355.27 acres; 19.31 sq mi) | 95,202 | 1,904.0 |
Panevėžys District Municipality | Panevėžys | Panevėžys[nb 1] | 2,177 square kilometres (537,948.42 acres; 840.54 sq mi) | 37,173 | 17.1 |
Pasvalys District Municipality | Panevėžys | Pasvalys | 1,289 square kilometres (318,518.84 acres; 497.69 sq mi) | 26,213 | 20.3 |
Plungė District Municipality | Telšiai | Plungė | 1,105 square kilometres (273,051.45 acres; 426.64 sq mi) | 36,052 | 32.6 |
Prienai District Municipality | Kaunas | Prienai | 1,032 square kilometres (255,012.75 acres; 398.46 sq mi) | 28,181 | 27.3 |
Radviliškis District Municipality | Šiauliai | Radviliškis | 1,634 square kilometres (403,770.19 acres; 630.89 sq mi) | 39,043 | 23.9 |
Raseiniai District Municipality | Kaunas | Raseiniai | 1,573 square kilometres (388,696.77 acres; 607.34 sq mi) | 35,013 | 22.3 |
Rietavas Municipality | Telšiai | Rietavas | 586 square kilometres (144,803.75 acres; 226.26 sq mi) | 8,096 | 13.8 |
Rokiškis District Municipality | Panevėžys | Rokiškis | 1,806 square kilometres (446,272.32 acres; 697.30 sq mi) | 32,191 | 17.8 |
Skuodas District Municipality | Klaipėda | Skuodas | 911 square kilometres (225,113.00 acres; 351.74 sq mi) | 18,498 | 20.3 |
Šakiai District Municipality | Marijampolė | Šakiai | 1,454 square kilometres (359,291.22 acres; 561.39 sq mi) | 30,321 | 20.9 |
Šalčininkai District Municipality | Vilnius | Šalčininkai | 1,493 square kilometres (368,928.33 acres; 576.45 sq mi) | 32,705 | 21.9 |
Šiauliai City Municipality | Šiauliai | Šiauliai | 81 square kilometres (20,015.54 acres; 31.27 sq mi) | 104,569 | 1,291.0 |
Šiauliai District Municipality | Šiauliai | Šiauliai[nb 1] | 1,807 square kilometres (446,519.42 acres; 697.69 sq mi) | 41,767 | 23.1 |
Šilalė District Municipality | Tauragė | Šilalė | 1,188 square kilometres (293,561.19 acres; 458.69 sq mi) | 24,869 | 20.9 |
Šilutė District Municipality | Klaipėda | Šilutė | 1,714 square kilometres (423,538.62 acres; 661.78 sq mi) | 41,814 | 24.4 |
Širvintos District Municipality | Vilnius | Širvintos | 906 square kilometres (223,877.48 acres; 349.81 sq mi) | 16,333 | 18.0 |
Švenčionys District Municipality | Vilnius | Švenčionys | 1,691 square kilometres (417,855.20 acres; 652.90 sq mi) | 25,719 | 15.2 |
Tauragė District Municipality | Tauragė | Tauragė | 1,179 square kilometres (291,337.24 acres; 455.21 sq mi) | 41,341 | 35.1 |
Telšiai District Municipality | Telšiai | Telšiai | 1,439 square kilometres (355,584.64 acres; 555.60 sq mi) | 43,922 | 30.5 |
Trakai District Municipality | Vilnius | Trakai | 1,207 square kilometres (298,256.20 acres; 466.03 sq mi) | 33,437 | 27.7 |
Ukmergė District Municipality | Vilnius | Ukmergė | 1,395 square kilometres (344,712.01 acres; 538.61 sq mi) | 36,919 | 26.5 |
Utena District Municipality | Utena | Utena | 1,230 square kilometres (303,939.62 acres; 474.91 sq mi) | 40,454 | 32.9 |
Varėna District Municipality | Alytus | Varėna | 2,216 square kilometres (547,585.53 acres; 855.60 sq mi) | 23,528 | 10.6 |
Vilkaviškis District Municipality | Marijampolė | Vilkaviškis | 1,262 square kilometres (311,846.99 acres; 487.26 sq mi) | 39,465 | 31.3 |
Vilnius City Municipality | Vilnius | Vilnius | 400 square kilometres (98,842.15 acres; 154.44 sq mi) | 542,626 | 1,356.6 |
Vilnius District Municipality | Vilnius | Vilnius[nb 1] | 2,129 square kilometres (526,087.36 acres; 822.01 sq mi) | 95,620 | 44.9 |
Visaginas Municipality | Utena | Visaginas | 58 square kilometres (14,332.11 acres; 22.39 sq mi) | 20,249 | 349.1 |
Zarasai District Municipality | Utena | Zarasai | 1,331 square kilometres (328,897.26 acres; 513.90 sq mi) | 17,035 | 12.8 |
See also
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- Administrative divisions of Lithuania
- Counties (Lithuanian: singular – apskritis, plural – apskritys)
- Elderships (or wards) (Lithuanian: plural – seniūnijos, singular – seniūnija).
- Seniūnaitija (sub-eldership)
- Cities (Lithuanian: plural – miestai, singular – miestas)
- Towns (Lithuanian: plural – miesteliai, singular – miestelis)
Notes and references
- Notes
- General
- "Law on the Territorial Administrative Units and Their Boundaries". Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas. 30 March 2010. Retrieved 28 September 2011.
- Specific
- ↑ Conference on Local and Regional Authority Co-operation in the Baltic Sea Area: proceedings, Kaunas, Lithuania, 21-23, April 1999. Council of Europe. January 2000. p. 9. ISBN 978-92-871-4538-3. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- 1 2 3 Jolanta Vaičiūnienė (2008-11-14). "The Administrative–Territorial Reform in Lithuania: History and Today" (PDF). Council of Europe. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
- ↑ Local Economic and Employment Development (Program); Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (April 2007). Baltic partnerships: integration, growth and local governance in the Baltic Sea Region. OECD Publishing. p. 75. ISBN 978-92-64-02928-6. Retrieved 23 February 2011.
- ↑ "Law on elections to municipal councils". The Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
- ↑ Municipality administrative centers and coats of arms are given by Statistics Lithuania in subpages under the Portrait of the Regions of Lithuania; e.g. Alytus town municipality.
- 1 2 3 "Area (land) at the beginning of the year, Population density at the beginning of the year, Resident population at the beginning of the year". Statistics Lithuania. Retrieved 4 February 2016.