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Smiltene Municipality () is a
municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...
in
Vidzeme Vidzeme (; Old Latvian orthography: ''Widda-semme'', ) is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. The capital of Latvia, Riga, is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in north-centra ...
,
Latvia Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to t ...
. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging the town of
Smiltene Smiltene () is a town in the Vidzeme region in northern Latvia, 132 km northeast of the capital Riga, and the administrative centre of Smiltene Municipality. It has a population of 5,536 (2015). Name Its original name was Smiltesele (the end ...
with the rural parishes of Bilska, Blome, Branti, Grundzāle, Launkalne, Palsmane,
Smiltene Smiltene () is a town in the Vidzeme region in northern Latvia, 132 km northeast of the capital Riga, and the administrative centre of Smiltene Municipality. It has a population of 5,536 (2015). Name Its original name was Smiltesele (the end ...
and Variņi. During the 2021 Latvian administrative reform, the previous municipality was merged with Ape Municipality and Rauna Municipality. The
administrative centre An administrative centre is a seat of regional administration or local government, or a county town, or the place where the central administration of a commune, is located. In countries with French as the administrative language, such as Belgi ...
is in the town of Smiltene. The population in 2020 was 11,985. It borders
Estonia Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
.


Geography

Smiltene Municipality is located in the northern part of the
Vidzeme Highland The Vidzeme Upland or the Vidzeme Highland () is a hilly area of higher elevation in northeastern Latvia, named after the historical region of Vidzeme. Sometimes it is referred to as the Central Vidzeme Upland, to distinguish it from another hilly ...
on the banks of the river Abuls (Abula). The largest natural lake is Lake Klievezers (3.3 ha) in the southern part of the municipality. In the municipality there are three artificial lakes (
reservoir A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of wa ...
s) created on the river. The largest (10 ha) and most popular is just east of the town.


History

After the
Great Northern War In the Great Northern War (1700–1721) a coalition led by the Tsardom of Russia successfully contested the supremacy of the Swedish Empire in Northern Europe, Northern, Central Europe, Central and Eastern Europe. The initial leaders of the ant ...
in 1721, the region came under the control of the Russian Empire and became part of the
Valka county Valka county (; , ) was a historic county in the Governorate of Livonia, and in the Republic of Latvia dissolved during the administrative territorial reform of the Latvian SSR in 1949. Its capital was Valka (''Walk''). History The county of V ...
of the
Livonia Governorate The Governorate of Livonia, also known as the Livonia Governorate, was a province ('' guberniya'') and one of the Baltic governorates of the Russian Empire, Baltic Governorate-General until 1876. Governorate of Livonia bordered Governorate of ...
. In 1904,
Baltic German Baltic Germans ( or , later ) are Germans, ethnic German inhabitants of the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea, in what today are Estonia and Latvia. Since Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), their resettlement in 1945 after the end ...
Count Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
Paul Lieven (''Pauls Līvens'') built the first
hydroelectric power plant Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies 15% of the world's electricity, almost 4,210 TWh in 2023, which is more than all other Renewable energ ...
in the
Baltics The Baltic states or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term encompassing Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone, and the OECD. The three sovereign states on the eastern co ...
on Lake Teperis. Between 1949 and 1959, the ''Smiltene district'' existed as an administrative unit.


Twin towns — sister cities

Smiltene is twinned with: * Donnery, France *
Drohobych Drohobych ( ; ; ) is a city in the south of Lviv Oblast, Ukraine. It is the administrative center of Drohobych Raion and hosts the administration of Drohobych urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. In 1939–1941 and 1944–1959 it w ...
, Ukraine *
Lviv Lviv ( or ; ; ; see #Names and symbols, below for other names) is the largest city in western Ukraine, as well as the List of cities in Ukraine, fifth-largest city in Ukraine, with a population of It serves as the administrative centre of ...
, Ukraine *
Navapolatsk Novopolotsk or Navapolatsk (, ; , ) is a city in Vitebsk Oblast, Belarus. Founded in 1958, it is located close to the city of Polotsk and the name literally means "New Polotsk". In 2008, its population was 107,458. As of 2025, it has a population ...
, Belarus *
Pincara Pincara is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Rovigo in the Italy, Italian region Veneto, located about southwest of Venice and about southwest of Rovigo. As of 31 December 2004, it had a population of 1,298 and an area of .All demog ...
, Italy *
Písek Písek (; ) is a town in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 31,000 inhabitants. The town is known for the oldest bridge in the country. The historic town centre is well preserved and is protected as an urban monument z ...
, Czech Republic *
Porkhov Porkhov () is a town and the administrative center of Porkhovsky District in Pskov Oblast, Russia, located on the Shelon River, east of Pskov, the administrative center of the oblast. Population: History The fortress of Porkhov is believe ...
, Russia *
Pustomyty Pustomyty (, , ) is a small city in Lviv Raion, Lviv Oblast (oblast, region) of Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Pustomyty urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Population: For centuries Pustomyty belonged to Ruthenian Voivode ...
, Ukraine *
Rovigo Rovigo (, ; ) is a city and communes of Italy, commune in the region of Veneto, Northeast Italy, the capital of the province of Rovigo, eponymous province. Geography Rovigo stands on the low ground known as Polesine, by rail southwest of Veni ...
, Italy *
Steinkjer or is a municipality in Trøndelag Counties of Norway, county, Norway. It is part of the Innherad Districts of Norway, region. The administrative centre of the municipality is the Steinkjer (town), town of Steinkjer which is located on the inne ...
, Norway * Wiesenbach, Germany *
Willich Willich () is a town in the district of Viersen (district), Viersen, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is 20 km west of Düsseldorf, 14 km north of Mönchengladbach, 10 km south of Krefeld, about 30 kilometres east of Germany–Netherlands b ...
, Germany


Symbols

The coat of arms and the flag used until the 2021 administrative reform were abolished after the changes in the boundaries of the municipality, with new sketches presented for an online vote in August 2022. The sketches will need to be approved by the Heraldry Commission of Latvia before use. File:Smiltenes novads COA.svg, Coat of arms (2010–2021) File:Smiltenes novads Flag.png, Flag (2012–2021)


See also

*
Administrative divisions of Latvia The current administrative division of Latvia came into force on 1 July 2021. On 10 June 2020, the Saeima approved a municipal reform that would reduce the 110 municipalities and nine republic cities to 43 local government units consisting of 36 ...


References

Municipalities of Latvia Vidzeme {{Vidzeme-geo-stub