Latgale

Latgale or Latgalia (Polish: ?atgalia; German: Lettgallen) is one of the four cultural regions of Latvia recognised in the Constitution of the Latvian Republic. It is mostly north of the Daugava river. While most of Latvia is Lutheran, Latgale is predominantly Roman Catholic owing to a historical Polish influence. The region has a large population of Russians, especially in Daugavpils, the largest city in the region. R?zekne and Ludza are other cities in the region, which also has a Belarussian minority.

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Historically Latgale formed a separate state populated by the Latgales, who were formed out of Finnic, Baltic, and Slavic tribes. The Latgales spoke a separate language, Latgalian, which was a dialect of the Latvian language. It survives today as a regional characteristic.

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During the 10th?12th centuries Latgale was a part of the states of Jerzika and Atzele. Together with the rest of modern-day Latvia these states were conquered by the German crusaders of the Livonian Order in the 13th century and incorporated in Livonia.

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In 1561 Latgale was annexed by Poland. At the treaty of Oliva most of Livonia was ceded to Sweden, but a part of Livonia including Latgale remained under Polish control; this land became known as Inflantia. During this period the Latgalian language developed separately from the languages of other parts of Livonia, as it was highly influenced by Polish.

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In 1772 Latgale was annexed by the Russian Empire, and in 1831 a period of Russification was begun, during which the Latgalian language was forbidden. This ban was lifted in 1904, and a period of Latgalian reawakening began. Latgalian public figures sought a reunification with the rest of Latvia in 1917 at the Congress of Rezekne, and in 1920 Latgale was finally reunited with Latvia.

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At the annexation by Russia in 1940 Latgalia lost the Jaunlatgales shire, a region of 1,200 km?, which to this day is part of Russia.

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Due to its history several different names are historically used for Latgale.

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• Other names for the region include Lettigallia, Latgallia, and Latgola.
• The people are called Latgales, Latgalians, Lettigalls, and Latgolans.
• The language is called Latgalian or Lettigalish.

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