Editing Courland (section)

==== 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.