Jelgava

Jelgava () is a toun in central Latvie aboot 41 km soothwast o Riga wi 61,623 indwallers (2016). 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 (11.48 ft) 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 

The name Jelgava is believed tae be derived frae the Livonian wird jelgab, meanin "toun on the river."Latvia as an independent state, Dr Alfred Bilmanis, p124 accessed 26 March 2009 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

Jelgava is twinned wi:
  Pärnu, Estonie, syne 1957
  Šiauliai, Lithuanie, syne 1960
  Vejle, Denmark, syne 1992
  Xinying, Taiwan, syne 2000
  Alcamo, Italy, syne 2002
  Baranovichi, Belaroushie, syne 2003
  Berlin, Germany, syne 2003
  Hällefors, Swaden, syne 2004
  Moscow Soothren Admeenistrative Zone, Roushie, syne 2003
  Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine
  Nacka, Swaden, syne 2004
  Rueil-Malmaison, Fraunce, syne 2006
  Magadan, Roushie
  Białystok, Poland

References


Category:Ceeties in Latvie
Category:Republican ceeties o Latvie