Zarasai District Municipality

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Zarasai District Municipality
Zarasų rajono savivaldybė
Coat of arms of Zarasai.svg
Zarasai in Lithuania.svg
Location of Zarasai district municipality within Lithuania
ZarasuRajonoSeniunijos.png
Map of Zarasai district municipality
Country Flag of Lithuania.svg  Lithuania
Ethnographic region Aukštaitija
County Utena County COA.png Utena County
Capital Zarasai
Elderships 10
Area
  Total1,334 km2 (515 sq mi)
  Rank24th
Population
 (2021 [1] )
  Total15,114
  Rank52nd
  Density11/km2 (29/sq mi)
   Rank58th
Time zone UTC+2 (EET)
  Summer (DST) UTC+3 (EEST)
Telephone code385
Major settlements
Website www.zarasai.lt

Zarasai District Municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It borders with Latvia and Belarus.

Contents

It has significant Russian minority population in Lithuania, with sixth of the population claiming Russian ethnicity. [2]

Local government units

The district has the following localities:

Biggest population (2001):

Geography and attractions

30% of the territory is covered by forests (about 65% of those are pine forests), about 10% by lakes. The district has about 300 lakes. The most famous lake is Lake Sartai for its winter horse races. Part of the biggest lake in Lithuania, Lake Drūkšiai, is also in the district. Other three lakes are among the ten largest lakes in Lithuania. There are 20 artificial lakes, the biggest one is Antalieptė Lagoon (Lithuanian : Antalieptės marios). It is a unique artificial lake in Lithuania. It was formed when a dam on Šventoji River was built and 27 different lakes joined to form one lagoon. It has about 50 islands. There are 8 rivers, the longest is Šventoji River (almost 45 km in the district). The district has two regional parks, Sartai and Gražutė.

The district is rich in beautiful nature and could become a tourist destination. However, the geographic location is very inconvenient. Zarasai district municipality is away from major highways. Also, it is quite far away from the capital, Vilnius. Vilnians would rather choose numerous lakes in Molėtai district municipality or Aukštaitija National Park for recreation.

The district has many hill forts built in the 9-12th centuries. They were used for defence against Livonian Order attacking from Daugavpils.

Stelmužė Oak, the oldest tree in Lithuania, grows in the district.

Nature and geography

Related Research Articles

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Dusetos is a city in Zarasai district municipality, northeastern Lithuania, 30 km (19 mi) west of Zarasai, near Lake Sartai.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dysnai</span>

The Lake Dysnai is the second largest lake in Lithuania. With average depth of only 6 m (20 ft) it is one of the shallowest lakes in Lithuania. It is located in the Ignalina district municipality, about 3 km (1.9 mi) south from Dūkštas city. Dūkštas Train Station is the closest train station to the Lake Dysnai. It is approximately a 2 hours ride by train from Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sartai</span>

Sartai is a lake located in Rokiškis and Zarasai municipalities, northeastern Lithuania. The lake's 79 km shoreline is the longest in Lithuania. There are six islands in the lake. River Šventoji flows through it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Luodis</span>

Luodis Lake is situated in Zarasai district municipality, Lithuania. It is the 6th largest lake in Lithuania. Lake contains two large islands. Town of Salakas is situated near the lake.

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Antalieptė is a small town in Zarasai district municipality, near the Duseta–Daugailiai road and the right bank of the Šventoji riverhead. The town is also 4 km from the village of Zabičiūnai.

Vasaknai Manor is a former residential manor. It is located 6 kilometres (4 mi) from Antalieptė and 7 kilometres (4 mi) from Dusetos, in the East coast of Vasaknai Lake.

References

  1. "Gyventojai gyvenamosiose vietovese". osp.stat.gov.lt (in Lithuanian).
  2. "Statistika | Tautinių mažumų departamentas prie Lietuvos Respublikos Vyriausybės" . Retrieved 20 May 2023.