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Jelgava (pronounced [jælɡava] ( listen)) is a toun in central Latvie aboot 41 km soothwast o Riga wi 65,419 inhabitants (2009). 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 water the plain an sometimes 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 railway center an an important mercat for grain an timber. It is an aa host tae Jelgava air base. Its importance as a railway centre can be proven bi the fact that it lies at the junction o ower 6 railway lines connectin Riga tae Lithuanie, eastren an wastren Latvie, an Lithuanie tae the Baltic sea.

Etymology[eedit | eedit soorce]

The name Jelgava is believed tae be derived frae the Livonian wird jelgab, meanin "toun on the river."[1] The oreegin o the German name Mitau is unclear, although it is suggestit that it came frae the Latvian wirds mīt or mainīt, meanin "tae exchynge" or "tae trade," thus 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 | eedit soorce]

Jelgava is twinned wi:

References[eedit | eedit soorce]