Valka | |
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Town | |
 Lugaži Lutheran Church in Valka. | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Motto(s): 1 pilsēta, 2 valstis (1 city, 2 countries) | |
  Valka Location in Latvia | |
| Coordinates:57°46′N26°0′E / 57.767°N 26.000°E /57.767; 26.000 | |
| Country |  Latvia |
| Municipality | Valka Municipality |
| Town rights | 1584 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Gita Avote |
| Area | |
• Town | 14.26 km2 (5.51 sq mi) |
| • Land | 13.98 km2 (5.40 sq mi) |
| • Water | 0.28 km2 (0.11 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 50 m (160 ft) |
| Population (2024)[2] | |
• Town | 4,564 |
| • Density | 320/km2 (830/sq mi) |
| • Metro | 19,500 in Valga-Valka |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| Postal code | LV-470(1-2) |
| Calling code | +371 647 |
| Number of municipality council members | 15 |
| Website | http://www.valka.lv |
Valka (pronunciationⓘ;German:Walk) is a town and municipality in theVidzeme region ofLatvia, on the border withEstonia along both banks of the riverPedele.
Valka and the Estonian townValga are twins, separated by the Estonian/Latvian border but using the slogan "One Town, Two Countries". The border dividing theLivonian town ofWalk was marked out in 1920 by an international jury headed by British ColonelStephen George Tallents. With the expansion of theSchengen Agreement and abolition of the Estonian/Latvian border in 2007, it was announced that common public bus transport would be established between Valka and Valga.[3] Also, all border crossing-points were removed and roads and fences opened. In 2016 it was announced that due to better welfare and higher salaries in Estonia, many Valka inhabitants have registered themselves as inhabitants of Valga.[4]
The town ofWalk (in German) was first mentioned in 1286 and from 1419 was the seat of theLandtag of theLivonian Confederation. City rights were granted by the Polish-Lithuanian kingStefan Batory in 1584. However, the town gained its importance only at the end of the 19th century when theVidzeme teacher's seminary was operating here, and the important railway junction was developed. Furthermore, the first narrow-gauge railway line in the territory of modernLatvia was stretched from Valka to Estonian city ofPärnu.
On 15 November 1917 the decision of theLatvian Provisional National Council to proclaim the independent Republic of Latvia was made in Valka. The red-white-redflag of Latvia was raised here for the first time.[citation needed] The town was a subject ofa dispute between the newly born Latvian and Estonian states; on 1 July 1920 the town was divided between the two states as a compromise.
There is one primary school and a gymnasium in Valka.The Institute of Latvia-Estonia provides further education.
Braslaw, Belarus
Çamlıyayla, Turkey
I'billin, Israel
Kutaisi, Georgia
Marijampolė, Lithuania
Novoye Devyatkino, Russia
Valga, Estonia
Valga, Spain.JPG)
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