Jelgava (pronounced[jælɡava](👁 Image
listen)) is a toun in central Latvie aboot 41km soothwast o Riga wi 61,623 indwallers (2016).[1] It is the lairgest toun in Semigallia. Jelgava is kent as the umwhile caipital o the Duchy o Courland, an wis the caipital o the Courland Govrenorate till 1919.
Jelgava is situatit on a fertile plain risin anerlie 3.5 metres (11.48ft) abuin sea level on the richt bank o the river Lielupe. At heich watter the plain an whiles the toun as well can be inundatit. Jelgava is surroondit bi a canal kent as Jacob's Channel (initiatit bi Jacob Kettler) occupyin the site o umwhile fortifications. It is a railwey centre an an important mercat for grain an timmer. It is an aa host tae Jelgava air base. Its importance as a railwey centre can be proven bi the fact that it lies at the junction o ower 6 railwey lines connectin Riga tae Lithuanie, eastren an wastren Latvie, an Lithuanie tae the Baltic sea.
Etymology
[eedit | edit soorce]The name Jelgava is believed tae be derived frae the Livonian wird jelgab, meanin "toun on the river."[2] The oreegin o the German name Mitau is unclear, awtho it is suggestit that it came frae the Latvian wirds mīt or mainīt, meanin "tae exchynge" or "tae trade," sicweys makin it "the place whaur tradin takes place." An alternate explanation is that Mitau came frae Mitte in der Aue, German for "the middle o the Aa", referrin tae the Lielupe River, umwhile kent as the Courland Aa (Kurländische Aa in German).
Twin touns — Sister ceeties
[eedit | edit soorce]Jelgava is twinned wi:
- 👁 Estonie
Pärnu, Estonie, syne 1957 - 👁 Lithuanie
Šiauliai, Lithuanie, syne 1960 - 👁 Denmark
Vejle, Denmark, syne 1992 - 👁 Republic o Cheenae
Xinying, Taiwan, syne 2000 - 👁 Italy
Alcamo, Italy, syne 2002 - 👁 Belaroushie
Baranovichi, Belaroushie, syne 2003 - 👁 Germany
Berlin, Germany, syne 2003 - 👁 Swaden
Hällefors, Swaden, syne 2004 - 👁 Roushie
Moscow Soothren Admeenistrative Zone, Roushie, syne 2003 - 👁 Ukraine
Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine[3] - 👁 Swaden
Nacka, Swaden, syne 2004 - 👁 Fraunce
Rueil-Malmaison, Fraunce, syne 2006 - 👁 Roushie
Magadan, Roushie - 👁 Poland
Białystok, Poland
References
[eedit | edit soorce]- ↑ "«Latvijas iedzīvotāju skaits pašvaldībās pagastu dalījumā»" (PDF). Archived frae the original (PDF) on 20 October 2016. Retrieved 13 Julie 2016.
- ↑ Latvia as an independent state, Dr Alfred Bilmanis, p124 accessed 26 March 2009
- ↑ "Офіційний сайт міста Івано-Франківська". mvk.if.ua (in Ukrainian). Retrieved 7 Mairch 2010.
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Coordinates: 56°39′08″N 23°43′28″E / 56.6522°N 23.7244°E / 56.6522; 23.7244