Zemgale

The province of the Zemgale (sometimes called French Sémigalle) covers the part centers southern Latvia. It is an area of plains and agricultural production whose main city is Jelgava. Its history is mainly dependant on that of Courlande with which it formed a duchy.

History

detailed Article: History of Courlande

The border with the Lithuania is strewn with castles in order to preserve the grounds of possible attacks. Even if this part of Latvia were occupied on several occasions and by various occupants, the vassal ones were to protect their suzerains and their people.

Two palates were the places of residence of the dukes of Courlande and Zemgale. Rundale which is located at the south, in the Bauskas let us rajons and the castle of Mitau in the town of Jelgava.

The historical language was the Sémigalien.

Geography

Zemgale includes/understands the whole of the catchment area of the Lielupe as well as the southern part of that of the Daugava. It is a landscape of plains where altitudes exceed 100 meters only in the south and the east. The surface turns around 14000 km ².

The villages are distributed for the majority along the roads what enables us to say that it is a landscape of Openfield. The forest is less present than in the remainder of Latvia. The distribution of the villages is characterized by a center and a space of agricultural production around which includes/understands forests, meadows and fields. Many these villages include/understand an immense building and ruins some which was a project of the Perestroïka and which was abandoned following independence.

Demography

The total figure of the population of this area is of 286408 hab. in January 2006 with a rate of masculinity of 0,89. This rate can appear exceptional but it is well with the top of the national rate. On the level of the age, it is distributed in the following way:

44804 has less than 18 years
183875 have between 18 and 60 years
57729 have more than 60 years

The rate of migration is negative (- 1,38 ‰) without being alarming because the neighborhoods of Rīga profit from a kind of rurbanisation which makes it possible to mitigate the total figures. However, the rural areas are désertifient and aged. The figures of the population are however to consider with precaution because it do not reflect this rural migration completely.

The natural rate of increase in -4,71 ‰ does not make it possible obviously to mitigate the rate of migration.

What gives a total figure of -6,09 ‰ on the whole of the area.

The ethnic distribution is the following one:

67,8% of Latvians
19% of Russian of which more than one third with Jelgava
4,64% of Belorusses
3,2% of Lithuanians which is located mainly on the border
the remainder is composed of Ukrainians, of Polish…

Economy

In 2003, the growth in employment was of 4,6%.

The production is mainly agricultural and the dominant cultures are the Beet sugar, the Potato, the Colza but also some orchards whose principal production is the apple. The Bovine breeding intended for dairy produces and Porcin for the meat are also sources of revenue for the largest companies agricultural. Each village or almost account an agricultural large company which is not other than old the Kolkhoze.

The privatization of the grounds which made following independence made it possible richest to create their own farm but in this case, the production is intended for the local market or quite simply for personal consumption. They are some cultures fruit and vegetables.

A few production units agro-alimentary are present in the middle of the principal cities but also in smaller municipalities. They are intended most of the time for the transformation of the local production.

Jelgava shelters a sugar factory as well as a manufacture of Céramique S whose production is mainly intended for the importation.

On the whole of Zemgale, the Chômage is in the neighborhoods of 5% but that must be relativized by a rural migration of the young people, which is not clearly entered, a big number of seasonal employment and which it is about the figure of NVA (the national agency for employment). The real percentage people without employment would be approximately 10% of which 66% are women and nearly 68% have only the level vat.

Education

This territory counts 150 schools distributed in the following way:

9 nursery schools (Sākumskola)
84 schools and colleges (Pamatskola)
47 colleges (Vidusskola)
10 specialized schools (Specskola)
11 vocational schools (Profesionālas vidusskola)

2/3d' between them is equipped with gymnasia

Rajons

Aizkraukles rajons
Bauskas rajons
Dobeles rajons
Jelgavas rajons
Jēkabpils rajons

See too

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