Smiltene Municipality
Smiltene Municipality (Latvian: Smiltenes novads) is a municipality in Vidzeme, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging the town of Smiltene with the rural Bilska parish, Blome parish, Branti parish, Grundzāle parish, Launkalne parish, Palsmane parish, Smiltene parish and Variņi parish. The administrative centre is in the town of Smiltene.
Smiltene Municipality Smiltenes novads | |
---|---|
Flag Coat of arms | |
Country | |
Formed | 2009 |
Centre | Smiltene |
Government | |
• Mayor | Edgars Avotiņš |
Area | |
• Total | 949.0 km2 (366.4 sq mi) |
Population (2009)[2] | |
• Total | 14,376 |
• Density | 15/km2 (39/sq mi) |
Website | www |
Geography
Smiltene Municipality is located in the northern part of the Vidzeme Highland[3] on the banks of the river Abuls (Abula). The largest natural lake is Lake Klievezers (3.3 ha[4]) in the southern part of the municipality.[5] In the municipality there are three artificial lakes (reservoirs) created on the river.[4] The largest (10 ha) and most popular is Lake Teperis just east of the town.[6]
History
In 1904, Count[7] Paul Livens, built the first hydroelectric power plant in the Baltics on Lake Teperis.[8]
Twin towns — sister cities
Smiltene is twinned with:[9]
See also
References
- The Ministry of Regional Development and Local Government of the Republic of Latvia
- The Central Election Commission of Latvia
- Tisenkopfs, Talis; Lace, Ilze (2010). "Smiltene Municipality: the Construction of Social Capital". In Milone, Pierluigi; Ventura, Flaminia (eds.). Networking the Rural: The Future of Green Regions in Europe. Assen: Van Gorcum. pp. 129–150, page 129. ISBN 978-90-232-4727-2.
- "Smiltene". Latvijas enciklopēdija: sēj. Rojas-Žvīgu (in Latvian). Belokoņs. 2002. p. 250.
- "Smiltene. Klievezers" (in Latvian). National Library of Latvia.
- Apsītis, Aldis. "Tepera ezers Smiltenē" (in Latvian). National Library of Latvia. Archived from the original on 14 July 2020.
- grāfs Ikauniece, Sandra, ed. (2011). Ziemeļvidzemes ainavas noklusētie stāsti [North Vidzeme landscapes: Silent Stories] (PDF) (in Latvian). Valsts meža dienests [National Forest Service]. p. 98. Archived (PDF) from the original on 5 March 2016.
- "100 interesanti fakti par Latviju" (in Latvian).
- "Sadraudzības pilsētas". smiltene.lv (in Latvian). Smiltene. Archived from the original on 31 August 2019.