Carnikava

Carnikava (Livonian: Sarnikau, , Zarnikau), previously Sānkaule, is a village and the center of the Carnikava Parish of Ādaži Municipality in the Vidzeme region of Latvia. It's located 25 km north from Riga at the mouth of the Gauja River. Carnikava had 4689 residents as of January 2020, making it the largest village by population in Latvia ().

== Etymology == The name Carnikava is believed to be of Livonian origin, with Sarnikau translating as 'ash tree valley' (ošleja in Latvian). In German, the name Koivemund translates as 'the mouth of the Koiva (river)', with Koiva being a Finno-Ugric name of the Gauja River. Sānkaule was briefly borrowed from one of the names of Carnikava Manor at the time.