Portrait of the Regions - LATVIA - ZEMGALE REGION - Geography and history

Portrait of the Regions - LATVIA - ZEMGALE REGION - Geography and history

ZEMGALE REGION - Geography and history

Close to the capital

The region of Zemgale is situated in the central part of Latvia. The southern border of the region is also the state border with Lithuania.

Evidence that the region of Zemgale was inhabited dates back to between the 1st and 7th centuries AD. A territory inhabited by the Semigallian Baltic tribe is mentioned in the Scandinavian historical sources of the 9th century. Fertile soils stimulated rapid economic growth. In the 13th century the ancient population of Zemgale fought against German feudal invaders longer than any other Baltic tribe, despite simultaneous attacks from Lithuanian warriors.

Jelgava, the centre of Zemgale, became the capital of the Duchy of Kurzeme in the 16th century but its flourishing economy experienced misery and devastation during the Polish-Swedish wars and the Northern War. In 1795 the region was incorporated into the Russian Empire. Zemgale suffered greatly in both World Wars and Jelgava, almost completely destroyed in the 2nd World War, was built anew in the post war years. In the 1940s, the region of Zemgale underwent forced collectivisation and the deportation of farmers to Siberia because in the 1930s the most up-to-date and affluent Latvian farms were to be found in this region. During the Soviet land reclamation activities in the 1960-1980s, a large number of farm buildings were destroyed.

Due to the closeness of Riga and Jelgava, access throughout the region is good. Traffic in the districts of Jekabpils and Aizkraukle is hampered because in each of the districts there is only one bridge crossing the Daugava River. Several international roads (Via Baltica, Via Hansa and the Riga - Moscow road) intersect the region. Although the network of local roads is dense, there is a lack of high quality roads that would ensure better connections in an east-west direction along the Lithuanian-Latvian border, thus linking the farthermost points of the region. Being sufficiently close to the capital, the region is serviced by Riga airport.

The region of Zemgale comprises the city of Jelgava and six administrative districts (the districts of Aizkraukle, Bauska, Dobele, Jekabpils, Jelgava and Tukums). For the most part, the population of the region speaks Latvian but Russian is also spoken in Jelgava, Dobele, Jekabpils and Aizkraukle. Approaching the Lithuanian border, the number of Lithuanian speakers also increases.

Dominance of Jelgava

The rich cultural heritage, a good quality transport infrastructure and the traditionally higher level of education illustrate the fact that the region has always been well developed economically.

The city of Jelgava, a significant centre of development, dominates the region. However, during the Soviet period Jekabpils grew into an important industrial centre. While large industrial areas and an underused infrastructure are typical of these towns, they represent good potential for attracting investment in the future. Industrial production and the processing of farm produce have also been traditional activities in the smaller towns such as Dobele, Bauska, Tukums, Auce and Iecava. The development of Aizkraukle is linked with the operation of the Plavinas HPS, which is the largest hydroelectric power station in the Baltic States.

Jelgava and Jekabpils are important transport hubs. The region also benefits from its close location to several international traffic routes, promoting the development of services in these territories.

The region has deep-rooted traditions in the manufacture of agricultural and industrial products. The rural population lives for the most part in farmsteads. Villages here have undertaken not only agricultural production but also the processing of farm produce and other kinds of entrepreneurial activities.

Land given over to agriculture

Zemgale region covers 13 199 km², or 20.4%, of the total territory of the country. 24% of Latvia's agricultural land is in Zemgale. Agriculture (45%) dominates land use, followed by pine and spruce stands and broad-leaved forests (39.8%). The rest of the region's territory is covered in approximately equal parts by bogs, water, roads and brushwood.

The western part of the region is located in the flat and fertile Zemgale Plain with generally well-drained loamy soils. Localised poor drainage, where slopes are too shallow, results in the formation of bogs and a dense network of rivers. Floods are frequent in the valleys of the Daugava and Lielupe rivers. There are not many lakes in the region and the largest, Lake Engure near the coast, is only partly located in this region.

The district of Tukums is located in the hilly Eastern Kurzeme Upland of the Kurzeme Peninsula. The districts of Aizkraukle and Jekabpils are part of the undulating Middle Latvian Lowland with its typical hillocks and thin quaternary cover, which is in places in the Daugava valley less than 10 metres thick. There are outcrops of bedrock, especially of dolomite, in the valleys of several rivers. In its eastern part, the Selija Bank, an oblong, slightly elevated ridge, intersects the Lowland, and in some places the relative height of its hillocks exceeds 50 metres. The Selija Bank is characterised by good water discharge from the surface and by its fertile soil, this forms a sharp contrast with the sandy woodland and areas of bog.

Zemgale has the lowest precipitation in Latvia. Mean annual precipitation does not exceed 550 mm and there is little winter snow. The mean winter temperature is - 6.5 oC. Summers are relatively warm with a mean air temperature of 17.5 oC. The plant-growth period in this region is the longest in Latvia.

There is a stock of explored deposits (dolomite, gypsum, limestone, sand, gravel and peat) in the region of Zemgale. There are also sulphuric water springs in the region. In the southern part of the region, there are thermal underground waters that could provide a useful natural resource.

Jelgava, the fourth largest city of the country, is situated in the region as are the administrative district centres of Aizkraukle, Bauska, Dobele, Jekabpils and Tukums, as well as a string of smaller towns - Auce, Kalnciems, Akniste, Viesite, Jaunjelgava, Plavinas and Kandava.

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Text finalised in March 2004.