Balvi District (Balvu Novads)
Balvi District (Balvu rajons) was an administrative division of Latvia, located in Latgale region, in the country's east. It was organized into two cities and nineteen parishes, each with a local government authority. The main city in the district was Balvi.
Until 1940, the area was a part of the Abrene County of the Republic of Latvia. After the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, six parishes of the county and the town of Abrene were transferred to the Pskov Oblast of the Russian SFSR. In 1945, the remaining part was renamed Viļaka County. Ultimately, districts were introduced in 1949 by the Soviet occupation authorities to supersede counties – the Viļaka County was split into Abrene (dissolved in 1959) and Balvi District.
Districts were eliminated during the administrative-territorial reform in 2009. Balvi District was split into Balvi Municipality, Baltinava Municipality, Rugāji Municipality and Viļaka Municipality.
Until 1940, the area was a part of the Abrene County of the Republic of Latvia. After the Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, six parishes of the county and the town of Abrene were transferred to the Pskov Oblast of the Russian SFSR. In 1945, the remaining part was renamed Viļaka County. Ultimately, districts were introduced in 1949 by the Soviet occupation authorities to supersede counties – the Viļaka County was split into Abrene (dissolved in 1959) and Balvi District.
Districts were eliminated during the administrative-territorial reform in 2009. Balvi District was split into Balvi Municipality, Baltinava Municipality, Rugāji Municipality and Viļaka Municipality.
Map - Balvi District (Balvu Novads)
Map
Country - Latvia
Flag of Latvia |
After centuries of Teutonic, Swedish, Polish-Lithuanian and Russian rule, which was mainly executed by the local Baltic German aristocracy, the independent Republic of Latvia was established on 18 November 1918 when it broke away from the German Empire and declared independence in the aftermath of World War I. However, by the 1930s the country became increasingly autocratic after the coup in 1934 establishing an authoritarian regime under Kārlis Ulmanis. The country's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II, beginning with Latvia's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union, followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941, and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944 to form the Latvian SSR for the next 45 years. As a result of extensive immigration during the Soviet occupation, ethnic Russians became the most prominent minority in the country, now constituting nearly a quarter of the population. The peaceful Singing Revolution started in 1987, and ended with the restoration of de facto independence on 21 August 1991. Since then, Latvia has been a democratic unitary parliamentary republic.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
EUR | Euro | € | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
LV | Latvian language |
LT | Lithuanian language |
RU | Russian language |