Varėna District Municipality


Varėna District Municipality is a municipality in Alytus County in southern Lithuania.

History

Along with Vilnius region, a large part of Varėna District Municipality was on the Polish side of not-mutually recognized border during the interwar period. This was mainly due the strategic Warsaw – Saint Petersburg Railway. Unlike in neighboring regions, where the number of Poles is high, the territories now comprising the municipality always had a Lithuanian majority. The Varėna District, as it was then called, was formed during the Soviet Union, with the small town of Varėna chosen as the capital. Varėna was chosen over the then much larger Senoji Varėna as the capital, due to its proximity to a railroad. It only became the center of region in the 1970s when it underwent industrialization under Soviet leadership. During a municipality reform the territory was renamed to Varėna District Municipality and the westernmost parts of it ceded to Druskininkai Municipality.

Geography

Most of the municipality is covered by forests and swamps, it is the largest and least densely populated municipality of Lithuania. The river Merkys passes through its territory, there are over 100 lakes, and the Dainava Forest. It borders Druskininkai Municipality to the west, Alytus District Municipality to the northwest, Trakai District Municipality to the northeast, and Šalčininkai District Municipality also to the west. To the south it shares a border with Belarus.

Economics

Tourism is on rise, as Dzūkija National Park is located in the region.

Demography

Urbanization:
Sexual makeup:
Religious makeup:
Ethnic makeup :
Varėna district municipality council currently has 25 seats. The last elections took place in December 2002, and the term limit is 4 years.
The results of the 2002 elections:
The road network is sparse, but a railway connects the district with Vilnius. There are stations in Valkininkai, Matuizos, Varėna, Marcinkonys, and stops in Kalviai, Pamerkiai, Zervynos, Darželiai, Morgionys, Kabeliai, Senovė.

Seniūnijos (Elderships or Wards)

The Varėna municipality contains 8 seniūnijos ; the main town or village is listed for each.
  1. – Jakėnai
  2. – Kaniava
  3. – Marcinkonys
  4. – Matuizos
  5. – Merkinė
  6. – Valkininkai
  7. – Varėna
  8. – Vydeniai

    Population by locality