Gmina Orla
# Gmina Orla

Gmina Orla (Belarusian: Гміна Орля) is a rural gmina (Polish: gmina wiejska) in Bielsk County, Podlaskie Voivodeship. It is located in north-eastern Poland.

It is one of five Polish/Belarusian bilingual Gmina in Podlaskie Voivodeship regulated by the Act of 6 January 2005 on National and Ethnic Minorities and on the Regional Languages, which permits certain gminas with significant linguistic minorities to introduce a second, auxiliary language to be used in official contexts alongside Polish.

## Geography

Gmina Orla is located in the geographical region of Europe known as the Wysoczyzny Podlasko–Białoruskie (English: Podlaskie and Belarus Plateau) and the mezoregion known as the Równina Bielska (English: Bielska Plain).

The Orlanka River, a tributary of the Narew River, passes through Gmina Orla.

The Gmina covers an area of 159.68 square kilometres (61.7 sq mi).

### Location

It is located approximately:

* 165 kilometres (102.5 mi) northeast of Warsaw, the capital of Poland
* 47 kilometres (29.2 mi) south of Białystok, the capital of the Podlaskie Voivodeship
* 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) southeast of Bielsk Podlaski, the seat of Bielsk County

### Climate

The region has a continental climate which is characterized by high temperatures during summer and long and frosty winters. The average amount of rainfall during the year exceeds 550 millimetres (21.7 in).

## Demographics

Detailed data as of 31 December 2007:

| | Total | Total | Women | Women | Men | Men |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Unit | Number | % | Number | % | Number | % |
| Population | 3,256 | 100 | 1,700 | 52.2 | 1,556 | 47.8 |
| Population Density (persons/km²) | 20.4 | 20.4 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 9.7 | 9.7 |

## Municipal government

Its seat is the village of Orla.

### Executive branch

The chief executive of the government is the Mayor (Polish: Wójt).

### Legislative branch

The legislative portion of the government is the City Council (Polish: Rada) comprising the President (Polish: Przewodniczący), the Vice-President (Polish: Wiceprzewodniczący) and thirteen councilors.

### Villages

The following villages are contained within the gmina:

Czechy Zabłotne, Dydule, Gredele, Gregorowce, Koszele, Koszki, Krywiatycze, Malinniki, Malinniki-Kolonia, Mikłasze, Antonowo-Kolonia, Moskiewce, Oleksze, Orla, Paszkowszczyzna, Pawlinowo, Reduty, Spiczki, Szczyty-Dzięciołowo, Szczyty-Nowodwory, Szernie, Topczykały, Wólka, Wólka Wygonowska

### Neighbouring political subdivisions

Gmina Orla is bordered by the gminas of Bielsk Podlaski, Boćki, Czyże, Dubicze Cerkiewne and Kleszczele

