  thumb|right|250px|livonia in 1534 livonia (, , german and scandinavian languages: livland, latvian and , , archaic english livland,1911 britannica liwlandia; ÐÐ¸ÑÐ»ÑÐ½Ð´Ð¸Ñ / liflyandiya) is a historic region along the eastern shores of the baltic sea. it was once the land of the finnic livonians inhabiting the principal ancient livonian county metsepole with its center at turaida. the most prominent ruler of ancient livonia was caupo of turaida. during the livonian crusade, ancient livonia was colonized by the livonian brothers of the sword, later called the livonian order, and the name livonia came to designate a much broader territory: terra mariana on the eastern coasts of the baltic sea, in present-day northern part of latvia and southern part of estonia. its frontiers were the gulf of riga and the gulf of finland in the north-west, lake peipus and russia to the east, and lithuania to the south. livonia was inhabited by various baltic and finnic peoples, ruled by an upper class of baltic germans. over the course of time, some nobles were polonized into the polishâlithuanian nobility (szlachta) or swedish nobility during swedish livonia or russified into the russian nobility (dvoryanstvo). == history ==  beginning in the 12th century, livonia was an area of economic and political expansion by danes and germans, particularly by the hanseatic league and the cistercian order. around 1160, hanseatic traders from lÃ¼beck established a trading post on the site of the future city of riga, which albrecht von buxthoeven founded in 1201. he ordered the construction of a cathedral and became the first prince-bishop of livonia. === livonian brothers of the sword 1204â1237 ===  bishop albert of riga (albert of buxhoeveden) founded the military order of the livonian brothers of the sword (, ) in 1202; pope innocent iii sanctioned the establishment in 1204. the membership of the order comprised german "warrior monks". alternative names of the order include the christ knights, sword brethren, and the militia of christ of livonia. following their defeat by [[history of lithuania (1219â129
Baltic_countries Baltic_region Baltic_states Geography_of_Latvia Historical_regions_in_Estonia Historical_regions_in_Latvia History_of_Estonia History_of_Latvia History_of_Livonia Livonia