Suwałki Governorate

Suwałki Governorate
Сувалкская губерния
Gubernia suwalska
Governorate of Russian Empire
←
1867–1914 →

Coat of arms

Suwałki Governorate
Capital Suwałki
54°5′N 22°56′E / 54.083°N 22.933°E / 54.083; 22.933Coordinates: 54°5′N 22°56′E / 54.083°N 22.933°E / 54.083; 22.933
History
 • Established 1867
 • Disestablished 1914

Suwałki Governorate (Russian: Сувалкская губерния, Polish: Gubernia suwalska, Lithuanian: Suvalkų gubernija) was an administrative unit (guberniya) of the Congress Poland with seat in Suwałki. It covered a territory of about 12,300 km².

History

In 1867 territories of the Augustów Governorate and the Płock Governorate were divided into a smaller Płock Governorate, Suwałki Governorate (consisting mostly of the Augustów Governorate territories) and a recreated Łomża Governorate.

After World War I the governorate was eventually split between Poland and Lithuania, mostly along ethnic lines (with an exception of Puńsk). The Polish part, known as Suwałki Region, was incorporated into the Białystok Voivodeship. Lithuanian ethnographic region Suvalkija was named after the governorate.

Demographics

According to contemporary Russian Empire statistics from 1889 the Suwałki Governorate was predominately Lithuanian – Lithuanians comprised 57.8% of the population.[1] The Lithuanians formed a majority only in the northern part of this governorate (Counties of Kalvarija, Marijampolė, Naujamiestis, Vilkaviškis and eastern part of Sejny) and the Poles had a majority in the southern part (counties of Suwałki, Augustów and western part of Sejny).[2]

Suwałki Governorate (in light blue)
Population in 1897[3]
Nationality People Percent
Lithuanians 304,500 52%
Poles 134,000 23%
Jews 59,100 10%
Germans 30,500 5%
Belarusians 26,600 5%
Russians 24,500 4%
Others 3,700 .7%
Total 582,900 100%

Administrative divisions

It was divided into seven counties:[4]

County County Seat Major Towns
Augustów County Augustów Lipsk • Raczki • Sopoćkinie
Kalvarija County Kalvarija Liudvinavas • Alytus • Simnas
Marijampolė County Marijampolė Balbieriškis • Pilviškės • Panemunė • Prienai • Zapyškis
Sejny County Sejny Kapčiamiestis • Lazdijai • Seirijai
Suwałki County Suwałki Bakałarzewo • Filipów • Przerośl • Wiżajny
Naujamiestis County Naujamiestis Sudargas • Šakiai
Vilkaviškis County Vilkaviškis Virbalis • Vištytis

References

  1. ↑ Šenavičienė, Ieva (1999). "Tautos budimas ir blaivybės sąjūdis" (PDF). Istorija. 40: 3. ISSN 1392-0456. Retrieved 2007-12-07.
  2. ↑ Piotr Łossowski, Konflikt polsko-litewski 1918-1920 (1996) p.10 and p.15
  3. ↑ Nikolajew, Christina Juditha (2005). Zum Zusammenhang zwischen nationaler Identitätsbildung und Katholischer Kirche in Litauen (PDF) (in German). Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen. p. 16.
  4. ↑ Jonas Zinkus; et al., eds. (1988). "Suvalkų gubernija". Tarybų Lietuvos enciklopedija (in Lithuanian). IV. Vilnius, Lithuania: Vyriausioji enciklopedijų redakcija. pp. 136–137.
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