Regions of Latvia – Kurzeme

Coat of arms of the Kurzeme region. Above it, the name of the issuing state "LATVIJA" is engraved; below the arms, the inscription "KURZEME". The issue year "2017" appears on the right.

Kurzeme, Latvia's westernmost region, holds a special place among the historical landscapes of the Baltic. The area between the Baltic coast, the Gulf of Riga and the Lithuanian border was for centuries known as the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia — an independent vassal principality that existed under Polish-Lithuanian suzerainty between 1561 and 1795. During this period, under Duke Jacob Kettler in the 17th century, the region reached a remarkable economic and political flowering: Courland maintained colonies on Tobago and in Gambia and built up its own merchant fleet, giving the small duchy European significance. The capital Jelgava and the port city of Liepāja decisively shaped the region's cultural and economic character.

After its incorporation into the Russian Empire at the end of the 18th century and the upheavals of the 20th century, Kurzeme is today one of Latvia's four official planning regions. The region is distinguished by its coastal landscape in Slītere National Park, the Curonian Spit as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, and a pronounced agricultural and maritime tradition. Latvia honoured Kurzeme in 2017 as part of its "Regions of Latvia" series with its own 2-euro commemorative coin — part of a multi-part issue presenting all the historical regions of the country and raising awareness of Latvian identity and regional diversity.