Augšdaugava Municipality ( lv, Augšdaugavas novads, "upper Daugava municipality") is one of the 35

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

established in

Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...

in 2021. It surrounds the independent city of

Daugavpils Daugavpils (; russian: Двинск; ltg, Daugpiļs ; german: Dünaburg, ; pl, Dyneburg; see other names) is a state city in south-eastern Latvia, located on the banks of the Daugava River, from which the city gets its name. The parts of the c ...

and its municipal headquarters are located there. Its first elected municipal council has taken office on 1 July 2021.

Geography

Augšdaugava Municipality covers an area of . It is located in the southwestern part of the

Latgale Latgale ( ltg, Latgola; ; ger, Lettgallen; be, Латгалія, Łathalija; pl, Łatgalia; la, Lettgallia), also known as Latgalia is one of the Historical Latvian Lands. It is the easternmost region and is north of the Daugava River. While m ...

region in eastern Latvia, and surrounds the city of Daugavpils on all sides. It borders

Jēkabpils Municipality Jēkabpils Municipality ( lv, Jēkabpils novads) is a municipality in Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Ābeļi Parish, Dignāja Parish, Dunava Parish, Kalna Parish, Leimaņi Parish, Rubene Parish and Zasa Parish. Dur ...

to the northwest, Līvāni Municipality to the north,

Preiļi Municipality Preiļi Municipality ( lv, Preiļu novads) is a municipality in Latgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2000 by merging Aizkalne Parish, Preiļi Parish and Preiļi town. In 2009 it absorbed Pelēči Parish and Sauna Parish, too the a ...

to the northeast, and

Krāslava Municipality Krāslava Municipality ( lv, Krāslavas novads, ltg, Kruoslovys nūvods) is a municipality in Latgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2001 by merging Krāslava Parish and Krāslava town. In 2009 it absorbed Auleja Parish, Indra Parish, ...

to the east. It also borders the

Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...

counties A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...

and

Utena Utena () is a city in north-east Lithuania. It is the administrative center of Utena district and Utena County. Utena is one of the oldest settlements of Lithuania. The name of the city is most probably derived from a hydronym. The name of the s ...

to the west and southwest respectively, and

Vitebsk Region Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́тебская о́бласть, Vitebskaya oblast, ˈvʲitʲɪpskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a region (oblast ...

Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by R ...

to the southeast. The southernmost point of Latvia is located on the border with Lithuania in

Demene Parish Demene Parish ( lv, Demenes pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. Towns, villages and settlements of Demene Parish * Demene Parishes of Latvia Augšdaugava Municipality Selon ...

, and is commemorated with a nearby sculpture by . The Augšzeme ("highland") region is located in the south-central part of the municipality and is a

Protected Landscape Protection is any measure taken to guard a thing against damage caused by outside forces. Protection can be provided to physical objects, including organisms, to systems, and to intangible things like civil and political rights. Although t ...

with an area of . and are found within the protected area. Also located in the area is , the highest point of the municipality with an elevation of above sea level. It is the site of a ski resort. The

Daugava , be, Заходняя Дзвіна (), liv, Vēna, et, Väina, german: Düna , image = Fluss-lv-Düna.png , image_caption = The drainage basin of the Daugava , source1_location = Valdai Hills, Russia , mouth_location = Gulf of Riga, Baltic Se ...

flows into the municipality from the east and turns north at Daugavpils. The Daugava valley east of Daugavpils is a Protected Landscape Area which extends into Krāslava Municipality. A third Protected Landscape Area located in the northern part of the municipality is

Nīcgale forest Nīcgale forest is Latvia protected landscape area in Augšdaugava Municipality, in Nīcgale Parish, east of Nīcgale. At the eastern point of the territory is Nicgale Great Stone. The site contains EU Habitats Directive habitats - old or na ...

Nīcgale Parish Nīcgale Parish ( lv, Nīcgales pagasts; ltg, Neicgaļa pogosts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. Towns, villages and settlements of Nīcgale Parish * Nīcgale Parishes of Latv ...

. The is located on its eastern boundary and is the largest

glacial erratic A glacial erratic is glacially deposited rock differing from the type of rock native to the area in which it rests. Erratics, which take their name from the Latin word ' ("to wander"), are carried by glacial ice, often over distances of hundred ...

known in Latvia with a volume of approximately .

History

Augšdaugava Municipality corresponds in extent to the former

Daugavpils District Daugavpils District ( lv, Daugavpils rajons) was an administrative division of Latvia, located in Latgale region, in the country's south-east. It was organized into two cities and twenty one parishes, each with a local government authority. The di ...

as it existed from 1967 to 2009. In the 2009 territorial reforms, Daugavpils District was divided into the municipalities of

and

Ilūkste Ilūkste (; lt, Alūksta, Ilūkšta; german: Illuxt) is a town in Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. The population in 2020 was 2,216. History Territory of modern Ilūkste was inhabited by ancient baltic tribe- Selonian ...

. In 2020, the

Saeima The Saeima () is the parliament of the Latvia, Republic of Latvia. It is a unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by proportional representation, with seats allocated to political parties which gain at least 5% of the po ...

approved reducing the number of administrative divisions at the municipal level from 119 to 42, including rejoining the municipalities of Daugavpils and Ilūkste to form Augšdaugava Municipality. Elections for Latvia's new municipal councils were held on 5 June 2021, and the new municipalities including Augšdaugava went into effect on 1 July 2021.

Administration

Augšdaugava Municipality elected 15 councillors in the 2021 local elections. The municipality is to form joint authorities with the city of Daugavpils for the administration of civil protection, education, and waste management. The municipality is subdivided into two towns and 25 parishes: ;Towns *

* Subate ;Parishes * Ambeļi Parish * Bebrene Parish *

Biķernieki Parish Biķernieki Parish ( lv, Biķernieku pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. Towns, villages and settlements of Biķernieki Parish * Biķernieki References Parishes of Latvia ...

* Dubna Parish *

Dviete Parish Dviete Parish ( lv, Dvietes pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia (Prior to the 2009 administrative reforms it was part of Daugavpils District). Towns, villages and settlements of Dv ...

Eglaine Parish Eglaine Parish ( lv, Eglaines pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. Villages * Annasmuiža * Baltmuiža * Eglaine * Laši * Vitkuški See also * Gotthard Friedrich Stender Ref ...

Kalkūne Parish Kalkūne Parish ( lv, Kalkūnes pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. Towns, villages and settlements of Kalkūne Parish * External links * Parishes of Latvia Selonia

* Kalupe Parish *

Laucesa Parish Laucesa Parish ( lv, Laucesas pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. The administrative centre is the village of Mirnijs. Parishes of Latvia Selonia {{Latvia-geo-stub ...

Līksna Parish Līksna Parish ( lv, Līksnas pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia (prior to 2009 the former Daugavpils District Daugavpils District ( lv, Daugavpils rajons) was an administrative div ...

* Maļinova Parish *

Medumi Parish Medumi Parish ( lv, Medumu pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia. Towns, villages and settlements of Medumi Parish * Medumi Parishes of Latvia Selonia {{Latvia-geo-stu ...

Naujene Parish Naujene Parish ( lv, Naujenes pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia. Towns, villages and settlements of Naujene Parish * Lociki * Slutiški See also * Dinaburga Castle Dinaburg ...

* Pilskalne Parish *

Prode Parish Prode parish is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia region of Latvia (From 2009 until 2021, it was part of the former Ilūkste Municipality Ilūkste Municipality ( lv, Ilūkstes novads) was a municipality in S ...

Saliena Parish Saliena Parish ( lv, Salienas pagasts) is an administrative unit of Augšdaugava Municipality in the Selonia
Latviešu vēsturisko ze ...

* Šēdere Parish * Skrudaliena Parish * Svente Parish * Tabore Parish * Vabole Parish * Vecsaliena Parish * Višķi Parish

Demographics

The

Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

estimated a population of 25,927 living in what is now Augšdaugava Municipality at the beginning of 2021. This represented a 39% decrease from its estimated population of 42,483 at the beginning of 2000, and a 22% decrease from its estimated population of 33,222 at the beginning of 2011. The populations of the towns of Ilūkste and Subate were estimated to be 2169 and 596 respectively at the beginning of 2021.

Economy and infrastructure

Augšdaugava is primarily an agricultural municipality: in 2005, 71% of the total area of the former Daugavpils District was used for agricultural purposes, mainly cereal and cattle farming. The municipality is served by national roads A6, which connects Daugavpils to

Jēkabpils Jēkabpils (; german: Jakobstadt; pl, Jakubów) is a state city in Jēkabpils Municipality in southeastern Latvia roughly halfway between Riga and Daugavpils and spanning the Daugava River. Historic Jēkabpils lies on the left bank, in Selonia ...

and

Riga Riga (; lv, Rīga , liv, Rīgõ) is the capital and largest city of Latvia and is home to 605,802 inhabitants which is a third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Ba ...

to the northwest, and

Krāslava Krāslava (; ltg, Kruoslova, german: Kreslau, be, Краслаўка, pl, Krasław, russian: Краслава, Креславль) is a town and the administrative centre of Krāslava Municipality, in the Latgale region of Latvia. The town lies ...

and the Belarusian border to the east; A13, which runs from the Lithuanian border southwest of Daugavpils through Daugavpils and

Rēzekne Rēzekne (, ; German: ''Rositten'') is a state city in the Rēzekne River valley in Latgale region of eastern Latvia. It is called ''The Heart of Latgale'' (Latvian ''Latgales sirds'', Latgalian ''Latgolys sirds''). Built on seven hills, Rēzekn ...

and the Russian border northeast of

Kārsava Kārsava (; german: Karsau, russian: Корсовка, ''Korsovka'', yi, קאָרסאָװקע, ''Korsovke'') is a town in Ludza Municipality in the Latgale region of Latvia, near the border of Russia. The ancient Baltic tribe Latgalians in ...

; and A14, a western bypass of Daugavpils. The Riga–Daugavpils gas pipeline and the defunct

Unecha Unecha (russian: Уне́ча), a town and the administrative center of Unechsky District in Bryansk Oblast, Russia, stands on the Unecha River (within the Dnieper's basin) southwest of Bryansk, the administrative center of the oblast. Popul ...

–

Polotsk Polotsk (russian: По́лоцк; be, По́лацк, translit=Polatsk (BGN/PCGN), Polack (official transliteration); lt, Polockas; pl, Połock) is a historical city in Belarus, situated on the Dvina River. It is the center of the Polotsk Distr ...

–

Ventspils Ventspils (; german: Windau, ; see other names) is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country. At the beginning of 2020, Ventspils had a population of 33,906. It ...

branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline also run through the municipality.

Daugavpils International Airport The Daugavpils International Airport ( lv, Daugavpils Starptautiskā Lidosta) is located 12 km northeast of Daugavpils in the village of Lociki, Naujene Parish, Augšdaugava Municipality, in the Latgale region of Latvia. All of the airpor ...

is located at

Lociki Lociki (or Lotsiki) ( lv, Lociki (Lāči); russian: Лоцики) is a settlement in Naujene Parish, Augšdaugava Municipality, in the Latgale region of Latvia. It is located 12 km northeast of Daugavpils. Lociki originated with a few houses ...

in Augšdaugava Municipality northeast of Daugavpils.

References

{{Administrative divisions of Latvia Municipalities of Latvia 2021 establishments in Latvia States and territories established in 2021