Counties of Lithuania

Each municipality is then divided into elderates (Lithuanian: singular seniūnija, plural seniūnijos).

Until 2010, the counties were administered by county governors (Lithuanian: singular – apskrities viršininkas, plural – apskrities viršininkai) appointed by the central government in Vilnius.

Their primary duty was to ensure that the municipalities obey the laws and the Constitution of Lithuania.

At that time Lithuania had a two-tier administrative division: apskritys that were subdivided into valsčiai.

Modern apskritys remain only a territorial and statistical unit, while the top-tier administrative division are the municipalities (savivaldybės), followed by elderships (seniūnijos), and sub-elderships in some areas (seniūnaitijos).