Madona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Madona
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Town
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Madona skyline
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 Madona
Location in Latvia
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| Country |  Latvia |
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| District | Madona Municipality | ||
| Town rights | 1926 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi) | ||
| • Land | Lua error in Module:Wd at line 1,575: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value). km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi) | ||
| • Water | Expression error: Unexpected < operator. km2 (Formatting error: invalid input when rounding sq mi) | ||
| Population
(2024)
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| • Total | 6,561 | ||
| Time zone | UTC+2 (EET) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+3 (EEST) | ||
| Postal code |
LV-4801
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| Calling code | +371 648 | ||
| Number of city council members | 11 | ||
Madona is a lovely town located in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It's the main town of the Madona Municipality. This town has a rich history and is known for its beautiful natural surroundings.
Contents
A Look at Madona's Past
The area around Madona has been home to people for a very long time. We know this because old burial sites have been found nearby. Madona was first mentioned in writing in 1461. At that time, Archbishop Sylvester started renting out the lands of Birži Manor.
Later, the Swedish government took control of the land. After a big war called the Great Northern War, Madona became part of the Russian Empire. Empress Elizabeth gave Birži Manor to Count Alexander Buturlin.
How Madona Got Its Name
There are a couple of ideas about how Madona got its name. One idea is that it comes from the nearby Madona Lake. Another idea is that it got its name from Birži Manor. In German, this manor was called Madohn or Modohn.
Because of this, the train station built in 1903 was named Madona. The small town that grew up around the station also took this name.
Becoming a Town
Madona was given "village privileges" on July 1, 1921. This meant it could start growing more officially. Then, on June 7, 1926, it officially became a town.
From April 1, 1925, Madona also became the main center for the new County of Madona. At that time, about 1,357 people lived in Madona.
During World War II, Madona was under German control from July 2, 1941, until August 13, 1944.
Who Lives in Madona?
As of January 1, 2007, the Latvian Central Statistics Department reported that 9,242 people lived in Madona. This means there were about 888 people living in each square kilometer.
| People in Madona by Background | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Latvians | 79% | |||
| Russians | 16% | |||
| Belarusians | 1.79% | |||
| Ukrainians | 1% | |||
| Poles | 0.89% | |||
| Others | 1.32% | |||
Most people in Madona are of working age. About 5,925 people are considered "labour-capable." There are also 1,339 people who are younger than working age and 1,867 people who are older.
Madona's Geography and Nature
The town of Madona is located in the Vidzeme Upland, which is a hilly area. The hills here gently slope from the northwest to the southeast.
Rivers and Glens
Several small rivers and streams flow through the town. These include the Lisa River, Leivārīte, Ridzīte, Mucenieki River, Rieba River, and the Madona River. These rivers create beautiful valleys, also known as glens.
Some of these glens have very interesting names, like The Love Glen, The Wedding Glen, and The Divorce Glen. In The Love Glen, you can find a park with a man-made pond. This pond has one of the tallest fountains in all of Latvia!
Madona's Climate
Madona has a type of climate called a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers and cold, snowy winters.
| Climate data for Madona (1991-2020 normals, extremes 1971-present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.5 (49.1) |
11.0 (51.8) |
17.5 (63.5) |
26.4 (79.5) |
29.8 (85.6) |
33.2 (91.8) |
34.0 (93.2) |
33.2 (91.8) |
30.0 (86.0) |
21.4 (70.5) |
14.0 (57.2) |
11.0 (51.8) |
34.0 (93.2) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) |
−1.3 (29.7) |
3.6 (38.5) |
11.5 (52.7) |
17.6 (63.7) |
21.1 (70.0) |
23.4 (74.1) |
22.1 (71.8) |
16.4 (61.5) |
9.3 (48.7) |
3.2 (37.8) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
10.4 (50.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.5 (23.9) |
−4.5 (23.9) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
6.0 (42.8) |
11.5 (52.7) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.6 (63.7) |
16.2 (61.2) |
11.3 (52.3) |
5.6 (42.1) |
0.9 (33.6) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
6.0 (42.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.4 (18.7) |
−8.1 (17.4) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
0.3 (32.5) |
4.9 (40.8) |
9.2 (48.6) |
12.0 (53.6) |
10.4 (50.7) |
6.3 (43.3) |
1.9 (35.4) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
−4.9 (23.2) |
1.5 (34.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −33.1 (−27.6) |
−33.0 (−27.4) |
−25.4 (−13.7) |
−12.4 (9.7) |
−6.0 (21.2) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
1.5 (34.7) |
2.3 (36.1) |
−4.6 (23.7) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−23.0 (−9.4) |
−35.7 (−32.3) |
−35.7 (−32.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 58.3 (2.30) |
46.1 (1.81) |
42.1 (1.66) |
37.8 (1.49) |
57.1 (2.25) |
73.4 (2.89) |
67.4 (2.65) |
68.4 (2.69) |
55.7 (2.19) |
72.7 (2.86) |
62.1 (2.44) |
57.0 (2.24) |
698.1 (27.47) |
| Source: LVĢMC | |||||||||||||
Places to See in Madona
Madona has several interesting places to visit:
- Madona City Museum — This museum was started in 1944. It has over 107,000 historical items! You can find it in the old Birži Manor building.
- The Love Glen (Latvian: Mīlestības grava) — The Madona River flows through this beautiful glen. There are walking paths along the riverbanks. At the entrance, you'll see a pond with a fountain.
- Madona Second High School — This was the first three-story building in Madona. It was built between 1924 and 1926.
- Former Hotel Building — This is one of the oldest buildings in town. It was built in 1901 using large stones and bricks.
- Lazdona Lutheran Church — This church was built between 1802 and 1805 and opened in 1806.
- Lazdona Holy Trinity Orthodox Church — This church was built between 1863 and 1866.
- Madona Catholic Church — This church was built between 1931 and 1934.
Fun Things to Do in Madona
Madona is about 170 kilometers east of Riga, the capital of Latvia. Here are some popular places to visit and things to do:
- Gaizinkalns Hill — This is the highest point in all of Latvia, standing at 311.94 meters above sea level! You can walk a 2-kilometer trail and enjoy amazing views. In winter, it's a great place for skiing and other snow sports.
- Nature Reserves — You can explore the Teiči and Krustkalni nature reserves. These places protect important ecosystems and wildlife. With a guide, you can see these protected areas and use bird-watching towers. The Teiči reserve is very large, covering almost 20,000 hectares.
- Kalsnava Arboretum — This is the biggest collection of beautiful trees and bushes in eastern Latvia. It covers a huge area of over 130 hectares.
- Lake Lubāns — Part of Latvia's largest lake is in the Madona district. Here, you can go fishing, swimming, or use a bird-watching tower. You can also rent a telescope or a bike to explore the area.
- Interesting Farms — Thirteen different farms are open for visitors! You can visit a rabbit and goat farm called "Sveki," another goat farm called "Līvi," "Kucuru mill," and "Ataugas" farm.
- Winter Sports Centers — If you love winter sports, Madona has several great places. The "Smeceres sils" sports center is right next to Madona. It has even hosted international biathlon and cross-country skiing competitions! Other places like "Gaizins," "Viešūra kalns," and "Rēķu kalns" offer alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, and tube-slopes.
- Madona Local History and Art Museum — This museum hosts more than 20 art and themed exhibitions every year.
- Workshops and Events — You can find different arts and crafts workshops and cultural events happening in Madona.
- Plenty of Places to Stay — Madona has many places where you can stay overnight, like hotels and guesthouses.
Famous People from Madona
Many notable people have come from Madona:
- Dainis Turlais (born 1950), a politician
- Dainis Īvāns (born 1955), a journalist and politician
- Aleksandrs Starkovs (born 1955), a football coach
- Indulis Bērziņš (born 1957), a politician
- Gundars Upenieks (born 1971), a biathlete (someone who competes in skiing and shooting)
- Agris Galvanovskis (born 1972), a basketball coach
- Baiba Broka (born 1975), a lawyer and politician
- Ingus Jakovičs (born 1993), a basketball player
- Raimo Vīgants (born 1999), a cross-country skier
Madona's Sister Cities
Madona has "sister city" relationships with several towns around the world. This means they share cultural and educational ties.
See also
In Spanish: Madona (Letonia) para niños
