Valka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Valka
Town
Lugaži Lutheran Church in Valka.
Flag Coat of arms
Motto(s):  1 pilsēta, 2 valstis (1 city, 2 countries)
Valka Location in Latvia
Country	Latvia
Municipality	Valka Municipality
Town rights	1584
Area
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• 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)
Elevation	50 m (160 ft)
Population  (2024)
• Town	4,564
• Metro	19,500 in Valga-Valka
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal code	LV-470(1-2)
Calling code	+371 647
Number of municipality council members	15
Website	http://www.valka.lv

Valka is a town and municipality located in northern Latvia. It sits right on the border with Estonia, with the Pedele River flowing through it.

Valka and the Estonian town of Valga are like twin towns. They are separated by the border between Estonia and Latvia. Their shared motto is "One Town, Two Countries." This border was decided in 1920 by an international group led by British Colonel Stephen George Tallents.

Since 2007, when the Schengen Agreement expanded, the border between Estonia and Latvia became much easier to cross. This means that border checkpoints were removed, and roads and fences were opened up. Now, Valka and Valga even have shared public bus transport. Because of better job opportunities and salaries in Estonia, many people from Valka have chosen to officially register as residents of Valga.

History of Valka

Early Beginnings

The town, then known as Walk, was first mentioned in records in 1286. From 1419, it became an important meeting place for the Livonian Confederation. This was a group of states in the Baltic region.

Becoming a City

Valka officially became a city in 1584. This was granted by the Polish-Lithuanian king Stefan Batory. However, the town really started to grow and become important much later, in the late 1800s.

Growth and Development

During the late 19th century, a teacher's school called the Vidzeme teacher's seminary opened in Valka. This was the first higher education institution in Latvia. Also, Valka became a key railway hub. The very first narrow-gauge railway line in modern Latvia connected Valka to the Estonian city of Pärnu.

Birth of Latvia

A very important event happened in Valka on November 15, 1917. The Latvian Provisional National Council decided here to declare Latvia an independent country. The red-white-red flag of Latvia was raised for the first time in Valka. After this, there was a disagreement between the new countries of Latvia and Estonia over who owned the town. As a compromise, on July 1, 1920, Valka was divided into two parts, one for each country.

Education in Valka

Valka has schools for different age groups. There is one primary school and a gymnasium, which is a type of secondary school. For students who want to continue their studies, the Institute of Latvia-Estonia offers further education.

Notable People from Valka

Many interesting people have come from Valka:

• Jānis Cimze (1814–1881): He was a teacher and started the Vidzeme teacher's seminary. This was the first place for higher learning in Latvia.
• Piers Bohl (1865–1921): A famous mathematician.
• Andris Vilks (born 1963): He used to be the Minister of Finance for Latvia.
• Vents Armands Krauklis (born 1964): A musician and politician. He was the mayor of Valka and also a member of the Latvian parliament (Saeima).
• Roberts Ķīlis (1968–2022): A social anthropologist who served as the Minister of Education and Science.
• Pavel Loskutov (born 1969): An Estonian long-distance runner.
• Aigars Fadejevs (born 1975): An Olympic race-walker who won a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.
• Arturs Neikšāns (born 1983): A Latvian chess player and coach, and a Latvian champion.
• Gatis Smukulis (born 1987): A professional road bicycle racer.

Twin Towns and Sister Cities

Valka has special partnerships with other towns around the world. These are called twin towns or sister cities:

Gallery

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  Semināra iela (Seminary Street)

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  Rīgas iela (Riga Street) at the Estonian border.

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  An apartment building from the Soviet era.

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  The Pedele River in Valka.

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  Valka Primary School