Editing Historical Latvian Lands (section)

== Historical Latvian Lands ==
The Latvian nation was formed from the cultures of peoples that inhabited the Historical Latvian Lands: [[Livonians]], [[Curonians]], Latgalians ([[Latgalians|ancient]] and [[Latgalians (modern)|modern]]), [[Selonians]], and [[Semigalians]], under the influence of the [[Baltic German]] culture.<ref name=law/>

The Appendix 1 to the Historical Latvian Lands Law enumerates the cities (or city parts) and parishes according to the historical lands.<ref name=law/>

*[[Courland]] ({{langx|lv|Kurzeme}}, [[Livonian language|Livonian]]: ''Kurāmō''), the westernmost part of Latvia, consisting of the cities of [[Liepāja]] and [[Ventspils]] and the municipalities of [[Kuldīga Municipality|Kuldīga]], [[Saldus Municipality (2021–present)|Saldus]], [[South Kurzeme Municipality|South Kurzeme]], [[Talsi Municipality|Talsi]] and [[Ventspils Municipality|Ventspils]]. Traditional Courland also includes environs of [[Klaipėda County]] and [[Telšiai County]] in the northwestern part of Lithuania.
*[[Semigallia]] ({{langx|lv|Zemgale}}) is the central part of Latvia. Zemgale is bounded by Kurzeme in the west, the [[Gulf of Riga]], the [[Daugava]] river and Vidzeme in the north, Selonia in the east and the [[Lithuania]]n border in the south. It consists of the city of [[Jelgava]] and the municipalities of [[Ķekava Municipality|Ķekava]], [[Bauska Municipality|Bauska]], [[Dobele Municipality|Dobele]], [[Jelgava Municipality|Jelgava]] and [[Tukums Municipality|Tukums]]. Traditional Semigallia also includes the northern part of [[Šiauliai County]] in Lithuania.
*[[Selonia]] ({{langx|lv|Sēlija, Augšzeme}}) is often considered a part of Semigallia. Selonia comprises the eastern part of the 1939 province of Semigallia, roughly corresponding to parts of the former [[Aizkraukle district|Aizkraukle]], [[Daugavpils district|Daugavpils]] and [[Jēkabpils district|Jēkabpils]] districts south of Daugava river. Traditional Selonia also includes a portion of north east Lithuania. Named after the [[Selonians]].
*[[Vidzeme]] ([[Livonian language|Livonian]]: ''Vidūmō''), meaning "Middle land", is also known as [[Livonia]] or Livland, though it comprises only the Latvian part of [[Swedish Livonia]] and the city of Riga. It roughly corresponds to the former [[Alūksne district|Alūksne]], [[Cēsis district|Cēsis]], [[Gulbene district|Gulbene]], [[Limbazi district|Limbaži]], [[Madona district|Madona]], [[Valka district|Valka]], [[Valmiera district|Valmiera]] districts and parts of [[Aizkraukle district|Aizkraukle]], [[Ogre district|Ogre]] and [[Riga district|Riga]] districts north of Daugava river.
*[[Latgallia]] ({{langx|lv|Latgale}}, [[Latgalian language|Latgalian]]: ''Latgola''), the part of Livonia still in the hands of the [[Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth]] after the [[Treaty of Altmark]] in 1629, then called ''Polish Livonia'' or [[Inflanty Voivodeship]]. It roughly corresponds to [[Balvi district|Balvi]], [[Kraslava district|Krāslava]], [[Ludza district|Ludza]], [[Preili district|Preiļi]], [[Rezekne district|Rēzekne]] districts and parts of [[Daugavpils district|Daugavpils]] and [[Jēkabpils district|Jēkabpils]] districts north of Daugava river. The [[Latgalian language]], a dialect of Latvian,  is based on this territory.
[[Image:Latvija viki.PNG|thumb|right|350px|Five Historical Latvian Lands with cities and towns (before 2021)]]In some cases, Kurzeme, Sēlija and Zemgale are combined into one region. This reflects the political division of Latvia between 1629 and 1917, when Kurzeme and Zemgale were together, first as the [[Duchy of Courland and Semigallia]], then as the [[Courland Governorate]] in the [[Russian Empire]] while Vidzeme and Latgale as parts of the [[Duchy of Livonia]] were politically separate, both from Courland and one from another since the 17 century. From this perspective, there are three regions: Kurzeme (including Zemgale and Sēlija), Vidzeme and Latgale. Such division is no longer commonly used but it can be seen in the [[coat of arms of Latvia]] and the ''[[Freedom Monument|Monument of Freedom]]'' in Riga both of which contain three stars: for Kurzeme, Vidzeme and Latgale, which were united into [[Latvia]] in 1918.