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Vidzeme

Coordinates:57°15′N25°30′E/ 57.250°N 25.500°E/57.250; 25.500
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Vidzeme
Vidzeme
Riga Old Town
Old townhouses at Jomas iela in Jūrmala
Ķemeri National Park
Turaida Castle
Coat of arms of Vidzeme
Coat of arms
Location of Vidzeme in Latvia
Location of Vidzeme in Latvia
Coordinates:57°15′N25°30′E/ 57.250°N 25.500°E/57.250; 25.500[1]
CountryLatvia
Largest cityRiga
Population
[timeframe?][citation needed]
• Total1.3 million
Time zoneUTC+2(EET)
• Summer (DST)UTC+3(EEST)
HDI(2019)0.854[2]
very high·4th

Vidzeme(pronounced[ˈvid̪͡z̪eme];Old Latvian orthography:Widda-semme,Livonian:Vidūmō[3]) is one of theHistorical Latvian Lands.The capital ofLatvia,Riga,is situated in the southwestern part of the region. Literally meaning "the Middle Land", it is situated in north-central Latvia north of theDaugava River.Sometimes inGerman,it was also known asLivland,the German form from LatinLivonia,though it comprises only a small part ofMedieval Livoniaand about half (the Latvian part) ofSwedish Livonia.Most of the region's inhabitants areLatvians(85%), thus Vidzeme is the most ethnically Latvian region in the country.[4]

The historicGovernorate of Livoniais also larger than Vidzeme, since it corresponds roughly toSwedish Livonia.

History[edit]

Battle of Kircholm,1605

In ancient times, the territory of Vidzeme was inhabited byLatgaliansandLivs(near the coast of the Gulf of Riga and along the lower reaches of theDaugavaandGaujarivers). Until theGerman conquestin the 13th century the Daugava, which now forms the south-east border of Vidzeme, was the boundary between the lands of the Livs and Latgalians on the right bank and those of theSemigalliansandSelonianson the left bank of the river. The most notable Latgalian region in today's Vidzeme wasTālava.

After theLivonian War,part of theLivonian Confederationon the right bank of the Daugava river and thePatrimony of Rigawas ceded to thePolish–Lithuanian Commonwealth,and theDuchy of Livonia(the left bank forming theDuchy of Courland and Semigalia).

Afterwards, the region was invaded by Sweden in1600,1617and1621.After thePolish-Swedish Warconcluded by theTruce of Altmarkin 1629, Sweden acquired the western part of the Duchy of Livonia roughly as far as theAiviekste River,since then forming Vidzeme's eastern border.

During the course of theGreat Northern War,Swedish Livonia was conquered by theRussian Empireand ceded to Russia at theTreaty of Nystadin 1721. In place of Livonia the Russians created the Riga Governorate, but in 1796 the Riga Governorate was renamed theGovernorate of Livonia,administered autonomously by the local GermanBaltic nobilitythrough a feudalLandtag.After the end ofWorld War Iit was split between the newly independent countries of Latvia and Estonia.

Old Town of Riga, the largest city of Vidzeme, in the interbellum

DuringWorld War II,the region was occupied by theSoviet Unionfrom 1940, and then byNazi Germanyfrom 1941 to 1944.

Subregions[edit]

The territory of the region of Vidzeme is defined by Latvian law as follows:[5]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^Vidzeme, LatviainGeonames.org (cc-by)
  2. ^"Sub-national HDI - Area Database".Global Data Lab.Retrieved20 July2021.
  3. ^Līvõkīel-ēstikīel-lețkīel sõnārōntõz:Vidzeme
  4. ^"Vidzeme (Northern Latvia): Cities, Towns and Sights".OnLatvia.Retrieved30 May2022.
  5. ^[1]Latviešu vēsturisko zemju likums

External links[edit]

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