Šunskai is a small town in

Marijampolė County Marijampolė County () is one of the ten counties of Lithuania, counties in Lithuania. It is in the southwest of the country and roughly corresponds to the historical region of Suvalkija, Sudovia. Its Capital (political), capital and the largest ...

, in southwestern

Lithuania Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania, 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, bordered by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east and south, P ...

. It is known for it's

pheasant Pheasants ( ) are birds of several genera within the family Phasianidae in the order Galliformes. Although they can be found all over the world in introduced (and captive) populations, the pheasant genera's native range is restricted to Eura ...

sanctuary A sanctuary, in its original meaning, is a sacred space, sacred place, such as a shrine, protected by ecclesiastical immunity. By the use of such places as a haven, by extension the term has come to be used for any place of safety. This seconda ...

, the only one of its kind in the country.

Geography and location

Šunskai is a small town located within the

in southern Lithuania, situated approximately 8 kilometers northwest of the city of

Marijampolė Marijampolė (; also known by Marijampolė#Names, several other names) is the Capital city, capital of Marijampolė County in the south of Lithuania, bordering Poland and Russian Kaliningrad Oblast, and Lake Vištytis. The city's population stood ...

. It serves as a local

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

center for the surrounding rural area. The town is traversed by the Žvirgždė River, a tributary of the

Šešupė The Šešupė (); ; ; ) is a 298 km long riverŠešupė
''VLE'' that flows through Poland (27 km), Lithuania (158 ...

, while to the south of the town lies the Šunskai Forest.

Demographics

According to the 2011 Lithuanian census, Šunskai had a population of 468 people. A decade later, the 2021 Lithuanian census, showed a population of 402 residents, reflecting a 1.6% average annual decrease. The town covers an area of 7.3 km², resulting in a population density of approximately 55 people per square kilometer. The population is relatively balanced by gender, with women making up 51% (205 individuals) and men accounting for 49% (197 individuals).

Notable features

Pheasant Sanctuary

Šunskai is home to a unique pheasant

, the only one of its kind in Lithuania. Visitors can observe over 100 birds, including 17 different

species, as well as other animals such as

peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

pigeon Columbidae is a bird family consisting of doves and pigeons. It is the only family in the order Columbiformes. These are stout-bodied birds with small heads, relatively short necks and slender bills that in some species feature fleshy ceres. ...

s, hens,

squirrel Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

s, and

alpaca The alpaca (''Lama pacos'') is a species of South American camelid mammal. Traditionally, alpacas were kept in herds that grazed on the level heights of the Andes of Southern Peru, Western Bolivia, Ecuador, and Northern Chile. More recentl ...

s. The sanctuary offers educational activities and is open from May to November.

Historical cemetery

The Šunskai cemetery is the final resting place of , a prominent educator and cultural figure. Born in 1840, in Domeikava, he was known for distributing prohibited Lithuanian press materials and educating approximately 700 students over 37 years. His contributions to Lithuanian education earned him recognition as a "great patriarch of Lithuanian teachers".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sunskai Towns in Lithuania Towns in Marijampolė County