VarÃÂna District Municipality () is a municipality in Alytus County in southern Lithuania.
Along with Vilnius region, a large part of VarÃÂna District Municipality was on the Polish side of not-mutually recognized border during the interwar period. This was mainly due to the strategic Warsaw â Saint Petersburg Railway. Unlike in neighboring regions, where the number of Poles is high, the territories now comprising the municipality always had a Lithuanian majority. The VarÃÂna District, as it was then called, was formed during the Soviet Union, with the small town of VarÃÂna chosen as the capital. VarÃÂna was chosen over the then much larger Senoji VarÃÂna (literally "Old VarÃÂna") as the capital, due to its proximity to a railroad. It only became the center of region in the 1970s when it underwent industrialization under Soviet leadership. During a municipality reform the territory was renamed to VarÃÂna District Municipality and the westernmost parts of it ceded to Druskininkai Municipality.
Most of the municipality is covered by forests and swamps, it is the largest and least densely populated municipality of Lithuania. It borders Druskininkai Municipality to the west, Alytus District Municipality to the northwest, Trakai District Municipality to the northeast, and à  alÃÂininkai District Municipality also to the west. To the south it shares a border with Belarus.
The district is in the Nemunas Basin. The Nemunas itself passes by its western edge while the Merkys (with its tributaries à ªla, Grà «da, VarÃÂnÃÂ) is the main watercourse. There is the largest march in Lithuania the ÃÂepkeliai March which is declared as a strict natural reserve. There are more than 100 lakes. Most of them are small, endorhetic, while some, like Ilgis, Nedingis, Lavysas, GlÃÂbas, are larger.
68.9% of the district's territory is occupied by forests, mostly, by the Dainava Forest (ancient Hrodna Wood), the largest in the country. There are circa 40 nature monuments - old pine trees used for beekeeping, some outcrops, unique geological landforms.
The main part of the district is in the Dainava Plain. North-western side is covered by the Dzà «kian Highland, while eastern side is in the Eià ¡ià ¡kÃÂs Plateau where is the highest point of VarÃÂna District Municipality - the Rilià ¡kiai Hill (193 m).
Tourism is on rise, as Dzà «kija National Park is located in the region. Also, forestry, construction materials, textile, food (milk) industry is being developed.
VarÃÂna district municipality council currently has 25 seats. The last elections took place in December 2002, and the term limit is 4 years.<br />The results of the 2002 elections:
The road network is sparse, but a railway connects the district with Vilnius. There are stations in Valkininkai, Matuizos, VarÃÂna, Marcinkonys, and stops in Kalviai, Pamerkiai, Zervynos, Darà ¾eliai, Margionys, Kabeliai, Senovà(the last three recently closed after the train route to Hrodna was discontinued).
VarÃÂna District Municipality is divided into 8 elderships:
Ethnic makeup (2011 census):