Šilutė District Municipality

The unemployment rate in the municipality dropped from 10.9% in January 2003 to 7.7% in January 2005. However, the national rate remains 1.2–1.7% lower.

• Name — Šilutė District Municipality • Native Name — Šilutės rajono savivaldybė • Type — Municipality • Subdivision Type — Country • Subdivision Name — Lithuania • Subdivision Type1 — Ethnographic region • Subdivision Name1 — Lithuania Minor/ Samogitia • Subdivision Type2 — County • Subdivision Name2 — Klaipėda County • Parts Style — para • Parts Type — Elderships • P1 — 11 • Seat Type — Capital • Seat — Šilutė • Unit Pref — Metric • Area Total Km2 — 1706 • Area Rank — 7th • Population Total — 39,067 • Population As Of — 2021 • Population Rank — 13th • Population Density Km2 — auto • Population Density Rank — 29th • Time Zone1 — EET • Utc Offset1 — +2 • Time Zone1 Dst — EEST • Utc Offset1 Dst — +3 • Area Code Type — Telephone code • Area Code — 441 • Custom Label Sec1 — Major settlements • Custom Data Sec1 — * Šilutė (pop. 14,968) • Švėkšna (pop. 1,334) • Website — http: www.silute.lt

The total area of Šilutė District Municipality is 1706 km 2. Forests cover 340 km 2 or almost 20%; waters (most notably Nemunas Delta) cover 348 km 2 or 20.4%; arable land covers 611 km 2 or 35.8%; pastures and grasslands cover 226 km 2 or 13.2%; buildings and roads cover 60 km 2 or 3.5% of the territory. Šilutė municipality includes the biggest part of Lithuania Minor in present-day Lithuania, with some Lietuvninkai' heritage. There are areas of unique nature in the district, dominated by lowland pastures. The picturesque Nemunas Delta and Ventė Cape is home to many local and migrating birds. Rusnė, a settlement located in the Nemunas Delta, is the only island town in Lithuania; some part of it situated below the sea level. There are 318 villages with 33,800 residents in the municipality. During the 2001 census, 12 villages had no residents. About 14,000 of the municipality residents are children younger than 15 year old, and about 10,000 are elderly.

The coat of arms was designed in 1968. It depicts a white sailing ship. On top there is a traditional weathercock (Lithuanian: vėtrungė) used by local fishermen. At the bottom there is a horn, an old symbol of postal services. These symbols hint to the Curonian Lagoon, traditional fishing business, and Šilutė as the old sea port. For a while Šilutė was along an important postal route.

• Hermann Sudermann (1857–1928), dramatist and novelist

Šilutė district municipality maintains sister city relationships with the following cities: • Sweden Ljungby, Sweden • Germany Emmerich, Germany • Poland Ostróda, Poland • Russia Slavsk, Russia • Poland Gdańsk, Poland • Latvia Saldus, Latvia • Italy Cittaducale, Italy • Sweden Vellinge, Sweden • Turkey Alanya, Turkey