Editing Courland (section)

=== Courland as part of the Russian Empire ===
After annexation by the [[Russian Empire]], the territory of the former Duchy formed the [[Courland Governorate]].

From the time of the [[Northern Crusades]] in the early 13th century, most land was owned by nobles descended from the German invaders. In 1863, the Russian authorities issued laws to enable Latvians, who formed the bulk of the population, to acquire the farms which they held, and special banks were founded to help them. By this means, some occupants bought their farms, but the great mass of the population remained landless, and lived as hired labourers, occupying a low position in the social scale.{{sfn|Chisholm|1911}}

[[Agriculture]] was the chief occupation, with the principal crops being [[rye]], [[barley]], [[oat]]s, [[wheat]], [[flax]], and [[potato]]es. The large estates conducted agriculture with skill and scientific knowledge. Fruit grew well. Excellent breeds of cattle, sheep and pigs were kept. [[Liepāja]] and [[Jelgava]] operated as the principal industrial centres, with [[ironwork]]s, agricultural machinery works, [[Tanning (leather)|tanneries]], glass and soap works. Flax [[spinning (textiles)|spinning]] took place mostly as a domestic industry.  Iron and [[limestone]] were the chief minerals; a little [[amber]] was found on the coast. The only seaports were Liepāja, [[Ventspils]] and [[Palanga]], there being none on the Courland coast of the Gulf of Riga.

==== Population ====
{{bar box
|width = 300px
|float = right
|title = Residents of Courland by ethnicity (2022)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://data.stat.gov.lv/pxweb/lv/OSP_PUB/START__POP__IR__IRE/IRE030 | title=Iedzīvotāju skaits un īpatsvars pēc tautības reģionos, republikas pilsētās, novados un 21 attīstības centrā gada sākumā 2011 - 2022 }}</ref>
|titlebar = #ddd
|bars =
{{bar percent|Latvians|black|77.5}}
{{bar percent|Russians|yellow|13.3}}
{{bar percent|Lithuanians|red|2.5}}
{{bar percent|Ukrainians|violet|2.3}}
{{bar percent|Belarusians|blue|1.9}}
{{bar percent|Poles|Orange|0.6}}
{{bar percent|Others|purple|1.9}}
}}
In 1870 the population was 619,154; in 1897 it was 674,437 (of whom 345,756 were women); in 1906 it was estimated at 714,200. Of the whole, 79% were [[Latvians]], 8.4% [[Baltic Germans]], about 8% [[Jews]],<ref name=jewsofcourland>Herman Rosenthal [http://jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=831&letter=C Courland] [[Jewish Encyclopedia]]</ref> 1.4% [[Russians]], 1% [[Lithuanians]], 1% [[Poland|Poles]], and some [[Livonians]].

The chief towns of the ten districts were [[Jelgava]] (Mitau), Courland's capital (pop. 35,011 in 1897); [[Liepāja]] (Libau) (pop. 64,500 in 1897); [[Bauska]] (6,543); [[Jaunjelgava]] (Friedrichstadt) (5,223); [[Kuldīga]] (Goldingen) (9,733); [[Grobiņa]] (1,489); [[Aizpute]] (Hasenpoth) (3,338); [[Ilūkste]] (Illuxt) (2,340); [[Talsi]] (Talsen) (6,215); [[Tukums]] (Tuckum) (7542); and [[Ventspils]] (Windau) (7,132).

75% of the population belonged to the prevailing denomination, [[Lutheranism]]; the rest belonged to the [[Eastern Orthodox Church|Eastern Orthodox]] and [[Roman Catholic]] churches. There was a small but vigorous Jewish population.