Šilutė District Municipality

Šilutė District Municipality
Šilutės rajono savivaldybė

Municipality

Ventė Cape

Coat of arms

Location of Šilutė district municipality within Lithuania

Map of Šilutė district municipality

Coordinates: 55°21′N 21°29′E / 55.350°N 21.483°ECoordinates: 55°21′N 21°29′E / 55.350°N 21.483°E

Area

• Total

1,706 km² (659 sq mi)

Area rank

7th

Population (2001 census)^[1]

• Total

4,270

• Rank

13th

• Density

2.5/km² (6.5/sq mi)

• Density rank

29th

Time zone

EET (UTC+2)

• Summer (DST)

EEST (UTC+3)

Telephone code

441

Major settlements

Šilutė (pop. 21,476)
Švėkšna (pop. 2,380)

Website

www.silute.lt

Šilutė District Municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is known for spring floods when ice on Neman River starts melting. This is the only municipality in Lithuania that gets flooded on regular basis.

Unemployment rate in the municipality dropped from 10.9% in January 2003 to 7.7% in January 2005. However, the national rate remains 1.2-1.7% lower.

Geography

Total area of Šilutė District Municipality is 1706 km². Forests cover 340 km² or almost 20%, waters (most notably Nemunas Delta) - 348 km² or 20.4%, arable land - 611 km² or 35.8%, pastures and grasslands - 226 km² or 13.2%, buildings and roads - 60 km² or 3.5% of the territory.

Šilutė municipality includes the biggest part of Lithuania Minor in present-day Lithuania, with some lietuvninks' heritage. There are areas of unique nature in the district, dominated by lowland pastures. The picturesque Nemunas Delta and Ventė Cape is home to many local and migrating birds. Rusnė, a settlement located in the Nemunas Delta, is the only island town in Lithuania; some part of it situated below the sea level.

There are 318 villages with 33,800 residents in the municipality. During the 2001 census, 12 villages had no residents. About 14,000 of the municipality residents are children younger than 15 year old and about 10,000 are elderly.

Coat of arms

The coat of arms was designed in 1968. It depicts a white sailing ship. On top there is a traditional weathercock (Lithuanian: vėtrungė) used by local fishermen. At the bottom there is a horn, an old symbol of postal services. These symbols hint to the Curonian Lagoon, traditional fishing business, and Šilutė as the old sea port. For a while Šilutė was along an important postal route.

References

↑ http://www.silute.lt

International relations

Šilutė district municipality maintains sister city relationships with the following cities:

Klaipėda County

Municipalities	Klaipėda (city) Klaipėda (district) Kretinga Neringa Palanga Skuodas Šilutė

Cities	Gargždai Klaipėda Kretinga Neringa Palanga Priekulė Salantai Šilutė Skuodas

Towns	Barstyčiai Darbėnai Dovilai Endriejavas Gardamas Judrėnai Kartena Katyčiai Kintai Kretingalė Lenkimai Mosėdis Plikiai Rusnė Švėkšna Vainutas Veiviržėnai Vėžaičiai Ylakiai Žemaičių Naumiestis

Villages	Ablinga Apuolė Būtingė Gargždelė Minija Nemirseta Žibininkai

Municipalities of Lithuania

District municipalities	Akmenė Alytus Anykščiai Biržai Ignalina Jonava Joniškis Jurbarkas Kaišiadorys Kaunas Kėdainiai Kelmė Klaipėda Kretinga Kupiškis Lazdijai Mažeikiai Molėtai Pakruojis Panevėžys Pasvalys Plungė Prienai Radviliškis Raseiniai Rokiškis Skuodas Šakiai Šalčininkai Šiauliai Šilalė Šilutė Širvintos Švenčionys Tauragė Telšiai Trakai Ukmergė Utena Varėna Vilkaviškis Vilnius Zarasai

City municipalities	Alytus Kaunas Klaipėda Palanga Panevėžys Šiauliai Vilnius

Municipalities	Birštonas Druskininkai Elektrėnai Kalvarija Kazlų Rūda Marijampolė Neringa Pagėgiai Rietavas Visaginas

Authority control	GND: 16157672-2

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