Livonia

Livonia (Ger. Livland), one of the three Baltic provinces of Russia, to which belong also the islands of Oesel, Mohn, and Kuno, contains an area of 18,153 sq. m. It forms the eastern side of the Gulf of Riga, and lies between Estonia on the north and Courland on the south, being separated from this latter by the river Dwina. The country is mostly flat, and nearly one-fourth of it is covered with forests. Lakes and streams and marshes are common. The soil is only of moderate fertility; nevertheless agriculture, the chief occupation, is carried on in a skilful manner, rye, barley, oats, flax, and potatoes being the principal crops. Distilling, brewing, iron-founding, oil-pressing, and cork, wool, and paper manufacture are the more important industries. Sawmills are active. The fisheries are valuable. Pop. (1870) 1,000,876; (1893) 1,270,530, of whom 43 per cent. are Letts, 41½ per cent. Estonians, 8 per cent. Germans, and 5 per cent. Russians. The Livonians proper, a Finnic race akin to the Estonians, have dwindled down to about 2400. Capital, Riga; other towns, Dorpat, Pernau, Wenden. In the first decade of the 13th century the principality was given to the Knights of the Order of the Sword, who in 1237 were merged in the order of the Teutonic Knights, and maintained their sovereignty against the Archbishop of Riga, and against Sweden, Poland, Lithuania, and Russia down to past the middle of the 16th century. From that time Livonia was a bone of contention between Poland, Sweden, and Russia, until its incorporation with the last-named country in 1721. Since the middle of the 19th century, and especially since 1881, the Russians have made determined efforts to 'russify' the province.