Courland Peninsula

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The Courland Peninsula is the northern part of Courland, a historical and cultural region in western Latvia (highlighted in yellow) on the map Kurzeme LocMap.png
The Courland Peninsula is the northern part of Courland, a historical and cultural region in western Latvia (highlighted in yellow) on the map

The Courland Peninsula (Latvian : Kurzemes pussala, German: Kurland) is a historical and cultural region in western Latvia in the north-western part of Courland. Fourteen coastal villages on the peninsula make up the Livonian core area. [1]

It is bordered by the Baltic Sea in the West, the Irbe Strait in the North and the Gulf of Riga in the East. It covers northwestern Latvia.

The Courland Peninsula was the site of the Courland Pocket of World War II. [2]

See also

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The history of Latvia began around 9000 BC with the end of the last glacial period in northern Europe. Ancient Baltic peoples arrived in the area during the second millennium BC, and four distinct tribal realms in Latvia's territory were identifiable towards the end of the first millennium AD. Latvia's principal river Daugava, was at the head of an important trade route from the Baltic region through Russia into southern Europe and the Middle East that was used by the Vikings and later Nordic and German traders.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livonia</span> Historical region on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Courland</span> Historical region in Latvia

Courland is one of the Historical Latvian Lands in western Latvia. Courland's largest city is Liepāja, which is the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were formerly held by the same duke.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Slītere National Park</span> National park in Latvia

Slītere National Park is a national park in Talsi Municipality, Courland, on the west coast of Latvia. Although formally established in 2000, it is based on the former Slītere Nature Reserve, one of the oldest nature reserves in Baltic States. It is the smallest national park in Latvia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irbe Strait</span> Strait in Estonia and Latvia

Irbe Strait, also known as Irben Strait, forms the main exit out of the Gulf of Riga to the Baltic Sea, between the Sõrve Peninsula forming the southern end of the island Saaremaa in Estonia and Courland Peninsula in Latvia. It is 27 km (17 mi) wide at its narrowest point. A shipping channel has been dredged along its southern shore to allow larger ships to pass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cape Kolka</span> Cape in Latvia

Cape Kolka is a cape on the Baltic Sea, near the entry to Gulf of Riga, on the Livonian coast, in the Courland Peninsula of Latvia. The cape is surrounded by the Irbe Strait which serves as the natural border with Estonia. Cape Kolka represents the north-western limit of the Gulf of Riga. East of the cape is the island of Ruhnu (Estonia) that lies in the middle of the Gulf.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Talsi Municipality</span> Municipality of Latvia

Talsi Municipality is a municipality in Courland, Latvia. The municipality was formed in 2009 by merging Abava parish, Balgale parish, Ģibuļi parish, Īve parish, Ķūļciems parish, Laidze parish, Lauciene parish, Lībagi parish, Lube parish, Strazde parish, Valdgale parish, Vandzene parish, Virbi parish, Talsi town, Stende town, Sabile town and Valdemārpils town with its countryside territory. In 2021 the municipality was expanded to include the former Dundaga municipality, Mērsrags municipality and Roja municipality. The administrative centre of the municipality is Talsi city. The population in 2022 was 35,194.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curonians</span> Medieval Baltic tribe

The Curonians or Kurs were a medieval Baltic tribe living on the shores of the Baltic Sea in the 5th–16th centuries, in what are now western parts of Latvia and Lithuania. They eventually merged with other Baltic tribes contributing to the ethnogenesis of present-day Latvians and Lithuanians. Curonians gave their name to the region of Courland (Kurzeme), and they spoke the Curonian language.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terra Mariana</span> Vassal state of the Holy See

Terra Mariana was the formal name for Medieval Livonia or Old Livonia. It was formed in the aftermath of the Livonian Crusade, and its territories were composed of present-day Estonia and Latvia. It was established on 2 February 1207, as a principality of the Holy Roman Empire, and lost this status in 1215 when Pope Innocent III proclaimed it as directly subject to the Holy See.

References

  1. Ozoliņa, Lolita; Ernštreits, Valts; Koreinik, Kadri; Vītola, Ieva (2022-09-05). "The manifestations of Livonian intangible cultural heritage across the Latvian and Estonian border: framing early field notes from research sites". Eesti ja Soome-Ugri Keeleteaduse Ajakiri. Journal of Estonian and Finno-Ugric Linguistics. 13 (1): 233–256–233–256. doi: 10.12697/jeful.2022.13.1.09 . ISSN   2228-1339.
  2. McKale, Donald M. (June 2008). "Hitler, Dönitz, and the Baltic Sea: The Third Reich's Last Hope, 1944–1945". Central European History. 41 (2): 328–330. doi:10.1017/S0008938908000484. ISSN   0008-9389.

57°16′00″N22°15′00″E / 57.2667°N 22.2500°E / 57.2667; 22.2500