Selonia

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This article is about the Latvian region. For the Star Wars planet, see Selonia.

The Lutheran church at Laši, Selonia.

Selonia (Latvian: Sēlija, Lithuanian: Sėla), also known as Augšzeme (the "Highland"), is a cultural region in Latvia encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia (Latvian: Zemgale). Not an administrative division in modern Latvia, Sēlija currently designates those portions of the Daugavpils, Jēkabpils and Aizkraukle districts (rajoni) that lie on the left bank of the Daugava river. Some of the inhabitants still speak a sub-dialect of the High Latvian spoken in Latgale, derived from the Selonian language.

Prior to the subjugation and baptism of the Selonians in 1208, when Albert of Buxhoeveden captured Sēlpils (Latin: castrum Selonum), Selonia extended into Lithuania. The Selonians were allied with the Lithuanians. In 1218 the region formed a Selonian diocese, but in 1226 part of that diocese was joined to the Riga archbishopric and the Semigallian bishopric was formed.

Nowadays the region is mainly inhabited by Latvians, Russians and autochthon Lithuanians.

[edit] References

Arveds Švābe, ed.: Latvju enciklopēdija. Stockholm: Trīs Zvaigznes, 1952-1953.

Edgars Andersons, ed.: Latvju enciklopēdija 1962-1982. Lincoln: American Latvian Association [1], 1983-1990. Entry "Sēlija" available at historia.lv. Retrieved 25. II. 2006.