# Alytus

> city in Lithuania

**Wikidata**: [Q450625](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q450625)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alytus)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/alytus

## Summary
Alytus is a city in southern Lithuania, serving as the capital of both Alytus County and Alytus City Municipality. With origins documented since 1377, it covers an area of 48 square kilometres and had a population of 51,856 as of January 1, 2023.

## Key Facts
- **Classification**: City (instance of: city)
- **Area**: 48 square kilometres
- **Coordinates**: 54.4°N, 24.05°E
- **Elevation**: 93 metres above sea level
- **Inception / First mentioned**: 1377
- **Postal code**: LT-62001
- **Local dialing code**: 315
- **Timezone**: Eastern European Time
- **Official name**: Alytus
- **Native label**: Alytus
- **Country (current)**: Lithuania (since 1990)
- **Historical countries**: 
  - Lithuania (1918–1939)
  - Soviet Union (1939–1990)
- **Administrative roles**:
  - Capital of Alytus County
  - Capital of Alytus City Municipality (since 1950-06-20)
  - Located in Alytus City Municipality (since 1946-08-03)
- **Population (latest)**: 51,856 on 2023-01-01 (determination method: demographic balance)
- **Population peak**: 71,460 on 2001-01-01
- **UN/LOCODE**: LTAYS
- **Website**: https://alytus.lt (available in Lithuanian and English)
- **Owner of**: Alytus Stadium
- **Twin towns / sister cities**: Over 20 partnerships, including Rochester (USA, since 2010), Opole (Poland, since 1993), Ningbo (China, since 2014), and Rouen (France, since 2004).

## FAQs
**When was Alytus first mentioned in written records?**
Alytus was first mentioned in written records in the year 1377, which marks its documented inception.

**What is the current population of Alytus and how has it changed?**
As of January 1, 2023, the population was 51,856. The city's population peaked at 71,460 in 2001 and has generally declined since, reflecting broader demographic trends in the region.

**Where is Alytus located and what is its administrative status?**
Alytus is located in southern Lithuania at coordinates 54.4°N, 24.05°E. It is the capital of both Alytus County and Alytus City Municipality, a status it has held since June 20, 1950.

**What countries has Alytus been part of throughout history?**
Historically, Alytus was part of Lithuania from 1918 to 1939, then the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1990, and has been part of the independent Republic of Lithuania since 1990.

**With which international cities is Alytus twinned?**
Alytus maintains twinning relationships with over 20 cities worldwide. Notable partnerships include Rochester, USA (since 2010); Opole, Poland (since 1993); Ningbo, China (since 2014); and Rouen, France (since 2004), among many others across Europe and beyond.

**What are the key identifiers and online resources for Alytus?**
Alytus has numerous identifiers including GND ID 4661605-6, VIAF ID 7932155919125939730005, and GeoNames ID 601084. Its official website is https://alytus.lt, and it is represented on Wikimedia Commons with the category "Alytus".

## Why It Matters
Alytus represents a significant regional centre in Lithuania with a deep historical lineage dating back to the late 14th century. Its administrative role as a dual capital (county and city municipality) underscores its importance in local governance and service delivery for the surrounding region. The city's demographic trajectory—from a 2001 peak of over 71,000 to a 2023 population of just under 52,000—mirrors the population challenges faced by many mid-sized European cities, including urban migration and low birth rates. Its extensive network of twinning relationships, spanning from Europe to Asia and the Americas, highlights its active role in international municipal cooperation, cultural exchange, and economic development initiatives. Furthermore, its well-documented presence across global knowledge systems (Wikidata, library authorities, geographic databases) makes it a reliably referenced entity for research, logistics, and cultural projects.

## Notable For
- **Long documented history**: First mentioned in 1377, providing over 645 years of continuous recorded history.
- **Administrative duality**: Serves simultaneously as the capital of a county (*apskritis*) and a city municipality (*savivaldybė*).
- **Demographic shift**: Experienced a significant population decline of nearly 27% from its 2001 peak (71,460) to 2023 (51,856).
- **Multilingual identity**: Known by numerous aliases across languages, including Alitus (Latin), Olita (Russian), アリタス (Japanese), and اليتس (Arabic).
- **Extensive international ties**: Maintains twinning partnerships with more than 20 cities, a high number for a city of its population size.
- **Geographic specificity**: Covers a precise area of 48 square kilometres with a defined coordinate point (54.4°N, 24.05°E).
- **Historical sovereignty changes**: Transitioned from interwar Lithuanian control to Soviet administration and back to Lithuanian sovereignty within the 20th century.
- **Cultural repository**: Associated with dedicated categories for births, deaths, and people from the city, as well as a specific coat of arms and flag.

## Body

### History and Sovereignty
Alytus's earliest written record dates to 1377. Its national affiliation changed multiple times in the 20th century: it was part of Lithuania from 1918 until 1939, then incorporated into the Soviet Union from 1939 to 1990. Following the restoration of Lithuanian independence, it has been part of the Republic of Lithuania since 1990. The city's administrative structure was formalized in the mid-20th century, becoming the capital of Alytus City Municipality on June 20, 1950, and its location within that municipality was established on August 3, 1946. Historically, it was also located within Kalvariysky Uyezd from 1795 to 1919.

### Geography and Location
Alytus is situated in southern Lithuania at the precise coordinates 54.4°N latitude and 24.05°E longitude. The city covers a total area of 48 square kilometres. Its elevation is 93 metres above sea level. It serves as the central point for Alytus County and is entirely surrounded by the Alytus City Municipality. The city's UN/LOCODE trade designation is LTAYS.

### Administration and Governance
Alytus holds a dual administrative role as the capital of both Alytus County and Alytus City Municipality. The city's local legislative body, the Alytus city council, has operated in several consecutive terms with documented periods: 1995–1997, 1997–2000, 2000–2003, 2003–2007, 2007–2011, and 2011–2015. The city's official postal code is LT-62001, and its local telephone dialing code is 315. It operates on Eastern European Time.

### Demographics
Alytus has a well-documented population history from the late 20th to early 21st century, primarily using the "demographic balance" determination method. The population reached its highest recorded point of 71,460 on January 1, 2001. A steady decline followed:
- 2002: 71,261
- 2003: 71,012
- 2004: 70,053
- 2005: 68,838
- 2006: 67,443
- 2007: 66,749
- 2008: 65,856
- 2009: 64,770
- 2010: 63,630
- 2011: 60,302
- 2012: 58,515
- 2013: 57,281
- 2014: 56,357
- 2015: 55,614
- 2016: 54,431
- 2017: 52,792
- 2018: 51,534
- 2019: 50,422
- 2020: 49,895
- 2021: 52,727
- 2022: 51,793
- 2023: 51,856 (preferred value)

Older estimates include approximately 71,000 in 1987 and 22,500 in 1968.

### International Relations (Twinning)
Alytus participates in a broad international twinning program. Confirmed partnerships with start years include:
- **Rochester, USA** (since 2010)
- **Opole, Poland** (since 1993)
- **Ostrołęka, Poland** (since 2002)
- **Albano Laziale, Italy**
- **General San Martín, Argentina** (since 2006)
- **Berdychiv, Ukraine** (since 2005)
- **Irpin, Ukraine** (since 2019)
- **Amata Municipality, Latvia** (since 2010)
- **Botkyrka Municipality, Sweden** (since 2000)
- **Mandal, Norway** (since 1996)
- **Rouen, France** (since 2004)
- **Kremenchuk, Ukraine** (since 2017)
- **Suwałki, Poland** (since 1996)
- **Vélizy-Villacoublay, France** (since 2013)
- **Ningbo, China** (since 2014)
- **Hiratsuka, Japan** (since 2017)
- **Giżycko County, Poland** (since 2011)
- **Ełk, Poland** (since 2014)
- **Crawley, United Kingdom** (since 2012)
- **Cēsis, Latvia** (no start year provided)
- **Focșani, Romania** (no start year provided)

### Identifiers and Authority Records
Alytus is catalogued in numerous global authority files and databases:
- **GND ID**: 4661605-6 (German National Library)
- **VIAF ID**: 7932155919125939730005
- **GeoNames ID**: 601084
- **Freebase ID**: /m/0383pn
- **YSO ID**: 506384 (Finnish)
- **FAST ID**: 1256236
- **SNARC ID**: Combarbalá
- **BBC Things ID**: e4e988c6-2681-4957-9a82-4437af2f944c
- **WorldCat Entities ID**: E39PBJqfG9yQkvR9WYjMxJxVYP
- **Library of Congress Authority ID**: n90699151
- **National Library of Israel J9U ID**: 987007535830805171
- **Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names ID**: 1052148
- **MusicBrainz Area ID**: 1ad0e10f-485d-47ef-b813-0d25947409b1
- **OpenStreetMap Relation ID**: 1456884
- **OpenWeatherMap City ID**: 601084
- **Who's On First ID**: 101752741
- **Archinform Location ID**: 51036
- **Historical Gazetteer (Gov) ID**: ALYTUSKO24AJ
- **Gran Enciclopèdia Catalana ID**: alitus (former scheme: 0002679)
- **Visuotinė lietuvių enciklopedija ID**: alytus-1
- **Brockhaus Enzyklopädie Online ID**: alytus
- **Online PWN Encyclopedia ID**: 3950869
- **Encyclopædia Britannica Online ID**: place/Alytus

### Media and Symbolism
The city is represented by several official and common media files:
- **City image**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Alytus.png
- **Flag image**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Flag_of_Alytus.svg
- **Coat of arms image**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Coat_of_arms_of_Alytus_(Lithuania).svg
- **Page banner**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Alytus_Wikivoyage_Banner.jpg
- **Locator map**: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Special:FilePath/Map_Alytus.png
- **Commons category**: Alytus
- **Commons gallery**: Alytus
- **Category for maps or plans**: Category:Maps of Alytus
- **Category for the view of the item**: Category:Views of Alytus

### Community and Cultural Associations
Alytus is associated with several Wikimedia and library categories for people:
- **Category for people born here**: Category:Births in Alytus
- **Category of associated people**: Category:People from Alytus
- **Category for people who died here**: Category:Deaths in Alytus
- **Category for people buried here**: Q7974636
- **Topic's main category**: Category:Alytus

The city is also described as a subject in several historical encyclopedic sources, including the *Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*, *New Encyclopedic Dictionary*, *Small Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary*, *Jewish Encyclopedia of Brockhaus and Efron*, and the *Great dictionary of geographical names* (2003, Russian).

### Infrastructure and Online Presence
The city's official website is https://alytus.lt, available in both Lithuanian and English. It owns the Alytus Stadium. The city has a Facebook location ID: 105846886116452. Its Wikipedia article exists in 86 languages, and the Wikidata entry has a sitelink count of 252 for the class "city". The city's Wikipedia title is "Alytus" and its Wikidata description is "city in Lithuania".

### Linguistic Aliases
Alytus is known by numerous alternative names across different languages and scripts:
- Alitus (Latin)
- Municipalité d'Alytus-ville (French)
- Olita (Russian)
- アリタス (Japanese)
- Олита (Cyrillic)
- اليتس (Arabic)

## References

1. archINFORM
2. [Source](https://www.cityofrochester.gov/article.aspx?id=8589949403)
3. [Source](https://www.opole.pl/dla-mieszkanca/alytus)
4. [Source](https://www.alytus.lt/lt/apie-alytu/tarptautinis-bendradarbiavimas-1)
5. [Source](https://www.cesis.lv/lv/novads/cesu-novads/starptautiska-sadarbiba-73241/)
6. [Source](https://www.focsani.info/pagina/cooperare-internationala)
7. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
8. MusicBrainz
9. [State Data Agency of Lithuania](https://osp-rs.stat.gov.lt/rest_xml/data/S3R167_M3010210/?startPeriod=2018&endPeriod=2018)
10. Resident population by city / town at the beginning of the year
11. Belarusian encyclopedia (vol. 1)
12. Q120475222. 1989
13. Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978)
14. GeoNames
15. BBC Things
16. [Source](https://service.unece.org/trade/locode/lt.htm)
17. YSO-Wikidata mapping project
18. [archINFORM](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiort.php)