Jelgava

Jelgava is a town in central Latvia about 41 km southwest of Riga with 65,419 inhabitants (2009). It is the largest town in Semigallia. Jelgava is known as the former capital of the Duchy of Courland, and was the capital of the Courland Governorate until Jelgava is situated on a fertile plain rising only 3.5 metres (11.48 ft) above sea level on the right bank of the river Lielupe. At high water the plain and sometimes the town as well can be inundated. Jelgava is surrounded by a canal known as Jacob's Channel (initiated by Jacob Kettler) occupying the site of former fortifications. It is a railway center and an important market for grain and timber. It is also host to Jelgava air base. Its importance as a railway centre can be proven by the fact that it lies at the junction of over 6 railway lines connecting Riga to Lithuania, eastern and western Latvia, and Lithuania to the Baltic sea.

Etymology The name Jelgava is believed to be derived from the Livonian word jelgab, meaning "town on the river."The origin of the German name Mitau is unclear, although it is suggested that it came from the Latvian words mīt or mainīt, meaning "to exchange" or "to trade," thus making it "the place where trading takes place." An alternate explanation is that Mitau came from Mitte in der Aue, German for "the middle of the Aa", referring to the Lielupe River, formerly known as the Courland Aa (Kurländische Aa in German).

Flag of Jelgava

Coat of Arms

Notable people August Johann Gottfried Bielenstein (1826–1907) - linguist, folklorist, ethnographer Joseph Hirshhorn (1899–1981), entrepreneur, financier and art collector Renārs Kaupers (1974-), Latvian singer Jānis Lūsis (1939-), Latvian (and Soviet) athlete - javelin thrower Kazimierz Pułaski (1745–1779), Polish military officer, a commander in the Bar Confederation, a General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War Elza Radziņa (1917–2005), Latvian actress Einars Repše (1961-), Latvian politician Paul Schiemann (1876–1944), journalist, editor and politician. Mamert Stankiewicz (1889–1939), the captain of the Polish merchant marine Eduard Totleben (1818–1884), Russian military engineer Carl Christian Joseph of Saxony, Duke of Courland and Semigallia (1759–1763) Natalia Laschenova (1973-) Olympic team gold medalist- gymnastics