Zemgale, also known under Latinized names Semigalia or Semigallia is a historical region of Latvia

Latvia

Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...

, sometimes also including a part of Lithuania

Lithuania

Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...

. It lies in the middle of the southern part of the Republic of Latvia, and borders historical regions of Selonia

Selonia

Selonia , also known as Augšzeme , is a cultural region of Latvia encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia...

, Samogitia

Samogitia

Samogitia is one of the five ethnographic regions of Lithuania. It is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Šiauliai/Šiaulē. The region has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian dialect...

, Courland

Courland

Courland is one of the historical and cultural regions of Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland.- Geography and climate :...

 and Livland. The land is mostly flat. The Lielupe

Lielupe

The Lielupe is a river in central Latvia. Its length is 119 km . The surface area of its basin is 17,600 km²...

 is the most important river after the Daugava. The major town is Jelgava

Jelgava

-Sports:The city's main football team, FK Jelgava, plays in the Latvian Higher League and won the 2009/2010 Latvian Football Cup.- Notable people :*August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein - linguist, folklorist, ethnographer...

, the former capital of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia

Duchy of Courland and Semigallia

The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia is the name of a duchy in the Baltic region that existed from 1562 to 1569 as a vassal state of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and from 1569...

. The region consists of the city of Jelgava and the municipalities of Auce

Auce municipality

Auce municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Bēne parish, Lielauce parish, Ukri parish, Vītiņi parish, Īle parish and Auce town with its countryside territory the administrative centre being Auce....

, Baldone

Baldone municipality

Baldone municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2008 by merging Baldone town and its countryside territory. The administrative centre being Baldone.- References :...

, Dobele

Dobele municipality

Dobele Municipality is a municipality in the historical region of Zemgale, and the Zemgale Planning Region in Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Dobele town and the Annenieki, Auri, Bērze, Biksti, Dobele, Jaunbērze, Krimūna, Naudīte, Penkule and Zebrene parishes, the...

, Engure

Engure municipality

Engure municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Engure parish, Smārde parish and Lapmežciems parish the administrative centre being Smārde.- References :...

, Iecava

Iecava municipality

Iecava Municipality is a municipality in the historical region of Zemgale, and the Zemgale Planning Region in Latvia. The municipality was formed 2003 by a reorganization of Iecava Parish, the administrative centre being Iecava. The municipality consists of the following villages: Audrupi,...

, Jaunpils

Jaunpils municipality

Jaunpils municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Jaunpils parish and Viesati parish the administrative centre being Jaunpils.- References :...

, Jelgava

Jelgava municipality

Jelgava municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Eleja parish, Glūda parish, Jaunsvirlauka parish, Lielplatone parish, Līvbērze parish, Platone parish, Sesava parish, Svēte parish, Valgunde parish, Vilce parish, Vircava parish , Zaļenieki...

, Ozolnieki

Ozolnieki municipality

Ozolnieki municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2003 by merging Ozolnieki parish and Cena parish; the administrative centre being Ozolnieki. In 2009 municipality absorbed Sidrabene parish, too.- Geography :...

, Rundāle

Rundāle municipality

Rundāle municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Rundāle parish, Svitene parish and Viesturi parish the administrative centre being Pilsrundāle.- References :...

, Tērvete

Tērvete municipality

Tērvete municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2002 by merging Augstkalne parish, Bukaiši parish and Tērvete parish; the administrative centre being Zelmeņi.- References :...

, Tukums

Tukums municipality

Tukums municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Degole parish, Džūkste parish, Irlava parish, Jaunsāti parish, Lestene parish, Pūre parish, Sēme parish, Slampe parish, Tume parish, Zentene parish and Tukums town; the administrative centre...

 and Vecumnieki

Vecumnieki municipality

Vecumnieki municipality is a municipality in Zemgale, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Bārbele parish, Kurmene parish, Skaistkalne parish, Stelpe parish, Valle parish and Vecumnieki parish; the administrative centre being Vecumnieki....

.
Between 1795 and 1918 Semigalia was included within the government of Courland and passed with that territory to Republic of Latvia after World War I

World War I

World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

.

History

Within Latvia, Zemgale has the status of one of five historical and cultural regions of Latvia, the region takes its name from the Baltic people

Balts

The Balts or Baltic peoples , defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European language family, are descended from a group of Indo-European tribes who settled the area between the Jutland peninsula in the west and Moscow, Oka and Volga rivers basins in the east...

 known as Semigallians

Semigallians

Semigallians were the Baltic tribe that lived in the southcentral part of contemporary Latvia and northern Lithuania...

. Since the 13th century Selonia

Selonia

Selonia , also known as Augšzeme , is a cultural region of Latvia encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia...

 has been included as part of Semigalia, and comprises the eastern part of the current electoral district of Zemgale. It takes its name from the Baltic tribe of the Selonians

Selonians

Selonians were a tribe of Baltic peoples. The Selonians lived until the 15th century in Selonia, located in southeastern Latvia and northeastern Lithuania. They merged with neighbouring tribes, contributing to the ethnogenesis of Latvians and Lithuanians....

. Traditional Selonia also includes a portion of northeastern Lithuania.

Bauska district

Bauska District

Bauska District was an administrative division of Latvia, located in Semigallia region, in the country's centre. It was organized into a city, a municipality and fifteen parishes, each with a local government authority...

Čapāni, Drenģeri-Čunkāni, Dumpji, Jumpravmuiža, Lielbertuši, Mežotne

Mežotne

Mežotne is a town in Latvia 10 km west of Bauska and 40 km south of the capital of Latvia, Riga. It lies in the historical region of Zemgale on the left bank of the Lielupe river near the Lithuanian border.- Mežotne Palace :...

 hillfort, Podiņi, Siliņi, Zeltiņi, Ziedoņskola

Dobele district

Dobele District

Dobele District was an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland and Semigallia regions, in the country's centre. It was organized into two cities, a municipality and fifteen parishes, each with a local government authority...

Atvases, Auce

Auce

-See also:List of cities in Latvia...

, Bāļas-Šķērstaiņi, Cibēni, Dobele

Dobele

Dobele is a town in the cultural region Zemgale in Latvia, and is located near the center of Latvia on the banks of the river Bērze. It received town rights in 1917 whilst being a part of the German occupied Courland Governorate during the First World War...

 hillfort, Gailīši, Grīnerti, Guntiņas, Īle

Ile

Ile can be different things:*An abbreviation of isoleucine, an amino acid*Ile, a district of Mozambique*Another name for Ilargi, the moon in Basque mythologyile is the ISO 639-2 and ISO 639-3 code for the Interlingue constructed language...

s mežniecība, Jāņogānas, Kaijukrogs, Ķūri, Lielogļi, Lozberģi, Oši, Skare, Tērvete

Tervete

Tērvete is a village in Latvia and the administrative centre of Tērvete municipality. Famous for the historic hillfort built for the kings of Western Zemgale in the Middle Ages.-History:...

 hillfort

Jelgava district

Jelgava District

Jelgava District was an administrative division of Latvia, located in Semigallia region, in the country's centre. It was organized into a city, two municipalities and twelve parishes, each with a local government authority...

Ciemalde, Diduļi, Eži, Gaideļi-Viduči, Kakužēni, Kalnaplāteri, Kraujas, Ķēķi, Mazgrauži, Pudžas, Rijnieki, Vilces parks

Pasvalys district

Pasvalys district municipality

Pasvalys district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania....

, Panevėžys County

Panevežys County

Panevėžys County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the north-east of the country, and its capital is Panevėžys. On 1 July 2010, the county administration was abolished, and since that date, Panevėžys County remains as the territorial and statistical unit.- History :Historical documents...

Ąžuolpamūšė hillfort, Berklainiai, Daujenai, Kyburtai, Meldiniai, Noriai, Pamiškiai settlement, Pamūše, Skrebotiškis, Smilgeliai, Šakarniai, Vaidžiūnai

Akmenė district

Akmene district municipality

Akmenė district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It lies in the northwest of the country, with administrative centre in Naujoji Akmene and borders Latvia in the north, Joniškis district municipality in the east, Šiauliai district municipality in the southeast, Telšiai...

, Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Šiauliai...

Balsai, Papile

Papile

- History :The settlement was first mentioned in 1339, after the area was raided by the Livonian Order. Two hill-forts have been preserved since this time....

 hillfort, Pavirvyte-Gudai, Šapnagiai, Viekšniai

Joniškis district

Joniškis district municipality

Joniškis district municipality is a territorial unit of Lithuania with a population of about 30,000. The administrative center of the municipality is the town of Joniškis.-References:...

, Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Šiauliai...

Budraičiai, Daugalaičiai, Daunorava, Dvareliškiai, Ivoškiai, Jauneikiai, Joniškis

Joniškis

Joniškis is a city in northern Lithuania with a population of about 11,150. It is located 40 kilometers north of Šiauliai and 14 kilometers south of the Lithuania–Latvia border...

, Kalnelis (Sidabre hillfort), Lieporai, Linkaičiai, Linksmenai, Martyniškiai, Rudiškiai, Rukuižiai, Slepsniai, Spirakiai, Stungiai, Žagarė

Žagare

Žagarė is a city located in the Joniškis district, northern Lithuania, close to the border with Latvia. It has a population of about 2,000.-Names:Foreign renderings of the name include: , , .-History:The foundation of Žagarė dates back to the 12th century...

 (Raktuve hillfort)

Pakruojis district

Pakruojis district municipality

Pakruojis district municipality is one of 60 municipalities in Lithuania. It is an agricultural district, situated in the north of Lithuania and bordering with Latvia. The rivers Kruoja, Mūša and others flow through the district. Forests occupy 16.7% of the territory of the Pakruojis district...

, Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Šiauliai...

Aukštadvaris, Dargužiai, Degesiai, Diržiai, Dovainiškis, Karašilis, Karpiškiai, Kauksnujai, Lauksodis, Liesai, Linkavičiai, Linksmučiai, Linkuva

Linkuva

Linkuva is a city in the Pakruojis district municipality, Lithuania. It is located north-east of Pakruojis.The town is more than 500 years old....

, Paliečiai, Pamūšis, Pašvitinys

Pašvitinys

Pašvitinys is a small town in Šiauliai County in northern-central Lithuania. As of 2001 it had a population of 440.-References:*This article was initially translated from the Lithuanian Wikipedia....

, Peleniškiai, Petroniai, Plaučiškai, Sakališkiai, Stačiūnai, Šukioniai, Vebariai, Žeimelis

Žeimelis

Žeimelis is a town in northern Lithuania, 40 km to the north from Pakruojis, near the border with Latvia. It is a centre of an elderate. A school first mentioned in 1596 . Field Marshal Michael Andreas Barclay de Tolly was baptized in the Lutheran church on December 27, 1761. High school was...

Šiauliai district

Šiauliai district municipality

-References:...

, Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County

Šiauliai County is one of ten counties in Lithuania. It is in the north of the country, and its capital is Šiauliai...

Daugelaičiai, Gibaičiai, Jakštaičiai, Jurgaičiai hillfort (Hill of Crosses

Hill of Crosses

The Hill of Crosses is a site of pilgrimage about 12 km north of the city of Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania. The precise origin of the practice of leaving crosses on the hill is uncertain, but it is believed that the first crosses were placed on the former Jurgaičiai or Domantai hill fort after...

), Kaupriai, Kybartiške, Mažeikiai, Norušaičiai settlement, Norvaišiai, Račiai, Ringuvenai, Valdomai, Visdergiai