Akmenė District Municipality Akmenės rajono savivaldybė | |
|---|---|
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location of Akmenė District Municipality withinLithuania | |
 Location of Akmenė | |
| Coordinates:56°15′22″N22°45′14″E / 56.25611°N 22.75389°E /56.25611; 22.75389 | |
| Country |  Lithuania |
| Region | Žemaitija |
| County | Šiauliai County |
| Established | 1950 (76 years ago) (1950) |
| Capital | Naujoji Akmenė |
| Elderships | 6 |
| Government | |
| • Type | City Council |
| • Body | Akmenė District Council |
| • Mayor | Vitalijus Mitrofanovas (LSDP) |
| • Leading | Social Democratic Party[1] 16 / 25 |
| Area | |
• Total | 844 km2 (326 sq mi) |
| • Rank | 43rd |
| Elevation | 110 m (360 ft) |
| Population (2022[2]) | |
• Total | 19,287 |
| • Rank | 45th |
| • Density | 22.85/km2 (59.2/sq mi) |
| • Rank | 30th |
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) |
| ZIP Codes | 85001–86114 |
| Phone code | +370 (425) |
| Website | www |
Akmenė District Municipality (Lithuanian: Akmenės rajono savivaldybė) is one of 60 municipalities inLithuania. It lies in the Northwest of the country, with the administrative center inNaujoji Akmenė and bordersLatvia in the north,Joniškis District in the east,Šiauliai District in the southeast,Telšiai District in the southwest, andMažeikiai District in the west. The area of the municipality covers ca. 844 km2 and is the 43rd largest municipality by total area in the country. Its population shrank from some 30,300 (2001 census) to 18,500 (2021 census) which is around 39% in decline.
Akmenė district with the center in the town ofAkmenė was founded on June 20, 1950, when the reform of territorial-administrative units was introduced to theLithuanian SSR. It was made up of formerKuršėnai county and its 14 elderates, and 23 elderates of the then-formerMažeikiai county. In 1950–1953 the district belonged toŠiauliai County. During the dissolution ofŽagarė district, 4 of its elderates were absorbed by Akmenė district in 1959. Additionally, some elderates were incorporated into the Akmenė district upon theKuršėnai district abolishment in 1962.Naujoji Akmene became the capital of the district then.
On December 8, 1962, the district was abolished and merged withMažeikiai district but was soon re-formed on January 7, 195 by giving 8 elderates ofMažeikiai district (Akmenė, Alkiškės, Kairiškės, Medemrodė, Papilė, Svirkančiai, Vegeriai, Venta), as well as elderates of Akmenė, Naujoji Akmenė, Viekšniai, and 1 elderate ofJoniškis district (Kruopiai). During 1968–1971 boundaries of the district were slightly changed.
In 1995, Akmenė District Municipality had emerged from Akmenė district andVenta withViekšniai became cities. During the municipal reform in 1999,Viekšniai elderate (areas of Kapėnai, Pakalupis, Santelkiai, Svirkančiai, Viekšniai) was merged withMažeikiai District Municipality. Municipal council resolution No. T-11 on January 21, 2009, established 6 elderates and 23 elderships in Akmenė District Municipality.
Akmenė district municipality is divided into 6 elderships:[3]
| Eldership | Coat of arms | Administrative center | Area | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akmenė | .svg) | Akmenė | 190.5 km2 (47,073.58 acres; 73.55 sq mi) | 3,833 |
| Kruopiai |  | Kruopiai | 129.4 km2 (31,975.44 acres; 49.96 sq mi) | 835 |
| Naujoji Akmenė Rural | Naujoji Akmenė | 240 km2 (59,305.29 acres; 92.66 sq mi) | 1,963 | |
| Naujoji Akmenė City | Naujoji Akmenė | 10.7 km2 (2,644.03 acres; 4.13 sq mi) | 8,441 | |
| Papilė |  | Papilė | 238 km2 (58,811.08 acres; 91.89 sq mi) | 2,666 |
| Venta |  | Venta | 35.3 km2 (8,722.82 acres; 13.63 sq mi) | 3,161 |
| Order | Name | Population |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Naujoji Akmenė | 7,194 |
| 2. | Akmenė | 2,593 |
| 3. | Venta | 2,250 |
The territory of the municipality flows Venta with tributaries Virvyte, Dabikine, and Vadakstis, which is part ofVenta Regional Park,Kamanai Reserve,Girkančiai andKarniškės Telmological Reserves. Forests make up 31,6% of the territory (the largest forests are:Kamanai,Lydmiškis,Purviai, andViliošiai), peatlands make up around 6,5% and there is aLake Telkšas.
The Board of the district is made up of 4parliamentary parties whereSocial Democratic Party got the most – 12 seats.Farmers and Greens Union andLiberal Movement each got 5 seats, whileHomeland Union secured 2 seats. The Mayor of Akmenė District Municipality isVitalijus Mitrofanovas who secured the mayoral position in theLithuanian municipality and mayor elections held in 2019. The mayoral election was wonSocial Democrats' candidate meaning the party has 13 out of 25 seats in Akmenė District Municipality in total.
The first case ofCOVID-19 in Akmenė District Municipality was recorded on April 5, 2020. During the pandemic, over 1,000 cases were confirmed in the district and on March 30, 2021, around 14% of the total population in the district had been vaccinated. The LithuanianCabinet has de facto approved of a decentralized plan for municipalities to leave the lockdown under certain criteria. However, the national lockdown was extended until May 1, 2021, while movement restrictions on the municipal level were re-introduced on March 27, 2021, and will continue until April 6, 2021. According to the de-escalation plan, Akmenė District Municipality is in the Orange B2 zone meaning is relatively safe from COVID-19.
| Scenario | Zone | New cases in 14 days per 100,000 population | Positive tests in 14 days |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Green | 0–25 | 0–4% |
| B1 | Yellow | 25–50 | 0–4% |
| B2 | Orange | 50–100 | 0–4% |
| C1 | Pink | 100–150 | 0–4% |
| C2 | Light Red | 150–200 | 4–8% |
| C3 | Dark Red | 200–500 | 4–8% |
| D | Grey | 500 and more | 10% and more |
