KURZEME REGION - Geography and history
Glorious maritime tradition
As early as the 2nd millennium BC, the ancestors of the Balts settled in this territory and by merging with the Baltic Finns and Scandinavian Vikings formed the Livian and Couronian tribes, the ancient residents of Kurzeme.
In the 13th century, German feudal knights invaded Kurzeme and the Bishopric of Kurzeme was established in the part of the region's territory, which was under the dominion of the Livonian Order. In 1559 this tiny state was sold to Denmark but in 1585 it came under Polish rule.
In 1561 the Duchy of Kurzeme was established covering a large part of Kurzeme and the lands of the former Livonian Order in Zemgale. The Duchy developed rapidly and even established its own colonies in Africa (Gambia) and Latin America (Trinidad and Tobago). Ventspils traded with a number of countries and the ships from Ventspils regularly sailed to the colonies of the Duchy as well as to its possessions in Norway. The Duke of Kurzeme was a vassal of the Polish king. During the Northern War in the 18th century the Duchy was destroyed and ravaged and after the collapse of the Polish State it was incorporated into Russia as one of its provinces. The territory of Kurzeme suffered heavy damages in both world wars.
Nearly the whole of the region of Kurzeme is located in the Kurzeme Peninsula in the western part of Latvia and is bordered by the Baltic Sea to the West and the Gulf of Riga to the East. More than half of Latvia's total coastline lies in Kurzeme region. The farthest inland point is only 100 km from the sea and a strong maritime influence is evident throughout the region. The two big ports of Liepaja and Ventspils, guarantee good access to and from foreign countries. The infrastructure for maritime and overland transport is well developed. Transport axes connect Liepaja and Ventspils with the capital city and there is also an extensive network of local roads. The emphasis placed on the two major cities has resulted in the northern coastal area, the frontier region with Lithuania and some parts in the central part of the region becoming somewhat marginalised.
Latvian, the state language, and in some places its dialects, as show 2000 Population Census data predominates strongly in the region. In the larger cities the Russian language is represented to a comparatively greater extent than in the region as a whole. The speakers of the Livian language live in the northern part of the region.
Liepaja, the country's third biggest city by population size and Ventspils, the sixth, are situated in the region of Kurzeme. The region is divided into five administrative districts: the Talsi, Ventspils, Kuldiga, Saldus and Liepaja districts.
Considerable potential despite unbalanced development
The region has benefited through the centuries from its well-established international trading tradition. As early as the 17th century, Ventspils was an economically important port and a centre for shipbuilding and craftsmanship whilst Kuldiga was a centre of industrial production and manufacturing. Today the major cities of the region also enjoy successful economic co-operation with their trading partners in other countries. The region's coastal location helps to promote the development of the fishing and tourist industries.
The region's extensive areas of forest could provide further potential for economic development in the future in the wood-processing industry, as could the development of wind power along the coast to satisfy future energy demands.
However, there is little homogeneity in the development and the level of restructuring of selected areas within Kurzeme. The region is without a clearly defined centre, although in recent years Liepaja has begun to regain its position in the economy of Latvia. Both the largest cities are located on the western edge of the region, leaving the small towns, rich in ancient cultural and historic heritage, attempting to find their niche in the current economic climate.
Large forests, few minerals
Kurzeme region covers 13 601 km2, or 21%, of the country's total area. Forests occupy more than half of the region's territory. The northern part is characterised by pine stands while spruce and birch trees tend to predominate in the South. While just over one third of the region is given over to agricultural cultivation, in relation to the total agricultural area of Latvia this represents less than one fifth.
The Coastal Lowlands stretch along the coastal zone of the region while the plains of the Kursa Lowland (the Ugale Plain, the Venta Valley Plain) are located inland. These plains are virtually flat or gently undulating, with sandy and swampy soils of low fertility, overgrown with forests and rather sparsely populated. There are three uplands in the region intersected by plains and lake and river valleys.
Most of Kurzeme's rivers have flat valleys; the width of the Venta valley reaches 2 km and the primeval valley of its largest tributary, the Abava, is up to 1.5 km wide. The most well known Latvian waterfalls are in Kurzeme - the waterfall on the Venta called Ventas Rumba (at a width of 110m it is the widest waterfall in Europe) and Abavas Rumba. Lakes are concentrated in the Usma area, and Lake Usma itself is the largest in the region (38.9 km2). There are several lagoon-type lakes along the seashore that are popular migratory destinations for waterfowl.
In Kurzeme the stock of explored deposits (dolomite, sand, gravel, etc.) is comparatively small. Furthermore, the region has no energy resources of its own so using resources satisfies the rising demand for energy imported either from abroad or from other regions.
Apart from the larger cities of Liepaja and Ventspils, there are the following towns in the region: the administrative district centres of Kuldiga, Saldus and Talsi and the minor towns of Skrunda, Aizpute, Durbe, Pavilosta, Priekule, Grobina, Broceni, Sabile, Stende, Valdemarpils and Piltene.
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