Pagasts

Pagasts is a rural administrative-territorial unit in Latvia that forms part of a municipality (novads). The term is commonly translated as parish. It has its roots in historical ecclesiastical parishes and remains a distinct local unit within the national administration, with defined boundaries and local identity.

A pagasts typically covers several villages and surrounding agricultural land, with a central village serving as the administrative center. The exact composition can vary, but the area is generally rural in character, encompassing residential settlements, farms, and natural landscapes.

Local government in a pagasts is conducted by a pagasts council (pagasta padome) and, where present, a pagasts administration (pagasta pārvalde). Councils are elected in local elections and oversee local issues such as education at pre-school and primary levels, culture and recreation, social services, maintenance of local roads and utilities, environmental protection, and land use planning within the pagasts.

Pagasts operate within a municipality, which provides broader services and coordinates development across its constituent parishes. Since the 2000s reforms, pagasts have remained the basic sub-municipal units within municipalities, with adjustments to borders and populations occurring during subsequent reforms. The term and structure continue to be used in administrative practice and statistical reporting.

In everyday language, the word pagasts denotes the rural parish area that residents belong to, its center often functioning as a local hub for services, community activities, and local governance.