Palanga city municipality

Palanga city municipality is a small Lithuanian seaside resort on the shores of the Baltic Sea. It is a municipality consisting of a few resort towns.

Palangos miesto savivaldybė
(Klaipėdos Apskritis)

Missing image Palanga.PNG Map (Palanga city municipality on the map) (Coat of Arms of Palanga city municipality)
Information
Capital	Palanga
Cities	Officially whole municipality is treated as a single city
Mayor	Pranas Žeimys (Homeland union)
Size	57th place 79,1 km²
Population	54th place 17,623 people;
Population density	8th place 222,8/km²

Contents

1 History 2 Geography 3 Economics 4 Demography 5 Transportation 6 Elderships 7 Culture 8 Council 9 Foreign relations 9.1 Union of the Baltic Cities 9.2 Close Contacts 10 External links

History

Since New Stone Age (IV - II c. BC.) the sea influences mental and material culture, trading relations with other nations of people who lived in this area.

Palanga name may be derived from the legend about fisherman houses and the wind which was covering them with sand them up to windowsill (lith. palangė). More likely is taht it is derived from hydroim Alanga - this is how Rąžė river used to be called in past and Palanga means "On the Alanga".

The first mention of Palanga's name reminiscent the legendary story about landing to Palanga in 1161 of army of Danish king Valdemaras I. Only in 1253 Palanga was mentioned in chronicle of German Order. In the development of history here were a lot of conquerors. Vikings of Normans coveted these lands, and in 13^th - 14^th centuries a lot of time crusaders devastated it. Only after the Battle of Grunwald (in 1410) the peace contract of Meln, concluded in 1422, stopped an invasion of the Order to Lithuania and in accordance with the peace contract of Brest (in 1435-12-31) Palanga felt to Lithuania.

More detailed history of the city can be found in Official site (http://www.palanga.lt/content.php?lang_id=3&tree=-3%7c19%7c118) or Tourism Info Center (http://www.palangatic.lt/index.php?param=-3%7c18%7c73)

Palanga is called "city municipality" because of Soviet policy that only larger territories could be called "district municipalities", while smaller areas used to be declared cities even if there was no city in the area, as was the case with Neringa. While Neringa name was changed to justmunicipality, Palanga officially remained to be known as a "city municipality".

Geography

Palanga city municipality territory occupies 79 km². This makes 1,5 % of Klaipeda County or 0,12% of Lithuanian territory.
The municipality is comprised of 4 towns: Palanga, Šventoji, Nemirseta and Būtingė, also some smaller settlements. It has an international airport situated in about the center of municipality, in a half way between largest towns Palanga and Šventoji.
The municipality borders with the Republic of Latvia, with Kretinga and Klaipeda districts and the Baltic Sea.

Economics

The municipality is heavily dependant on tourism as all towns are on the sea coast and most are touristic. Also a big oil terminal is in Būtingė.

Demography

Transportation

Elderships

Šventoji eldership

Culture

Council

Palanga city municipality council overally has 21 seats. In the last elections, the following parties won seats:

• Homeland union (Lithuanian conservatives) - 7 seats
• Lithuanian liberal union - 4 seats
• Lithuanian socialdemocrat party - 3 seats
• New union (Socialliberals) - 2 seats
• Lithuanian center union - 2 seats
• Lithuanian Christian democrat party - 1 seat
• Moderate conservative party - 1 seat
• Liberal democrat party - 1 seat

Foreign relations

Union of the Baltic Cities

On 1993-02-26 Palanga Town Council passed the decision to apply to the UBC for membership in this organisation. On 1993-03-02, Bronius Martinkus, Chairman of Palanga Town Council, addressed the UBC with the request to grant admission for Palanga in the Union of the Baltic Cities.
At the meeting of the UBC Executive Board held in Kaliningrad on 6-7 June 1993, Palanga Town was admitted as a member of the UBC.
Palanga Town Council is involved in the work of the UBC Commissions on Tourism, Business Cooperation and Education.

Close Contacts

Pärnu (Estonia)

On 1990-09-14 a quadripartite treaty for cooperation between Palanga, Pärnu, Neringa and Jûrmala municipalities. Cooperation in culture and recreation realms is pursued.

Jurmala (Latvia)

Palanga and Jûrmala municipalities have maintained cooperation since 1990.

On 2003-10-15 a revised cooperation treaty was signed. Palanga and Jûrmala municipalities pursue active cooperation in tourism, culture and other spheres.

Simrishamn (Sweden)

On 1991-05-10 the mutual friendship and cooperation treaty between the councils of Simrishamn and Palanga was signed in Simrishamn.

Cooperation includes care for the disabled, non-governmental organisations activities, culture and education.

Frederiksberg (Denmark)

On 1993-05-27 a treaty between Palanga Town Council and Frederiksberg Town Council was signed in Frederiksberg. Under the treaty the parties undertook to support the common provision regarding agreement between the community, organisations, authorities and private businesses of both towns. The signatories pledged to promote mutually beneficial and optimal cooperation in economic and tourism fields.

Liepaja (Latvia)

Palanga Town Municipality maintains friendly relations with Liepaja City Municipality. Cooperation covers culture and tourism spheres, experience exchange.

Lodz (Poland)

At the forum of Lithuania and Poland municipalities held 31 March - 3 April 1998 in Poland, a treaty between the Association of Lithuanian Municipalities and organisation representing local governments of Poland was signed. Cooperation includes cultural and tourism spheres

External links

Template:Commons

• Official Site (http://www.palanga.lt/index.php?lang_id=3)
• Palanga tourism information center (http://www.palangatic.lt/)

de:Palanga lv:Palanga lt:Palanga pl:Połąga