Town (Lithuania) in the context of Juodupė

⭐ Core Definition: Town (Lithuania)

Towns in Lithuania (singular: Lithuanian: miestelis, as diminutive of miestas) retain their historical distinctiveness even though for statistical purposes they are counted together with villages. At the time of the census in 2001, there were 103 cities, 244 towns, and some 21,000 villages in Lithuania. Since then three cities (Juodupė, Kulautuva, and Tyruliai) and two villages (Salakas and Jūrė) became towns. Therefore, during the Lithuanian census of 2011, there were 249 towns in Lithuania.

Lithuanian towns (miesteliai) began forming in the late medieval period as small commercial and administrative centres distinct from larger cities. The term “miestelis” appears in records from 1387, and by the 16th century many such settlements received formal privileges, often developing around manors, markets and parish institutions. Their number grew through the 17th century, though wars and shifting political conditions later altered or reduced many of them. In the 19th century, new towns emerged along major roads and railways, supported by trade, crafts and small industry. Under Soviet rule, administrative reforms reshaped their status, with many becoming collective-farm or district centres. Since the restoration of independence in 1990, Lithuanian towns have generally stabilised as local civic and cultural hubs, maintaining a distinctive role in the country’s settlement structure.

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Town (Lithuania) in the context of List of cities in Lithuania

In Lithuania, there are 103 cities (miestai). The term city is defined by the Parliament of Lithuania as a compact urban area with more than 3,000 people, of whom at least two-thirds work in the industry or service sector. Settlements with a population of less than 3,000 but with historical city status are still considered to be cities. Smaller settlements are known as towns (miesteliai), and even smaller settlements are known as villages (kaimai). Often the official status of these smaller settlements are unclear, and people simply refer to both towns and villages as settlements (gyvenvietės).

The cities started to form between the 13th and 14th centuries together with the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. The first to receive city rights was Klaipėda. According to medieval law, a city could have its own fairs, taverns, guilds, courts, etc. Some former cities lost their status and are now just towns or villages, for example Kernavė and Merkinė. Most of the cities in Lithuania were established before the 18th century. Their location is mostly determined by trade and transportation routes. Some of the newer cities grew because of railroad construction, for example Kaišiadorys, Vievis, Radviliškis, Ignalina and Mažeikiai. In the 20th century, new cities grew primarily to service state developed industrial complexes, for example Visaginas, Elektrėnai and Naujoji Akmenė.

View the full Wikipedia page for List of cities in Lithuania

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