| Suwałki Governorate Сувалкская губерния | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governorate of Congress Poland | |||||||||||
| 1867–1915 | |||||||||||
 Coat of arms | |||||||||||
.svg) Location in the Russian Empire | |||||||||||
| Capital | Suwałki | ||||||||||
| Area | |||||||||||
| • Coordinates | 54°5′N22°56′E / 54.083°N 22.933°E /54.083; 22.933 | ||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||
• Established | 1867 | ||||||||||
• Disestablished | 1915 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||
| Today part of | Poland Lithuania Belarus | ||||||||||
Suwałki Governorate[a] was an administrative-territorial unit (guberniya) ofCongress Poland of theRussian Empire, which had its seat in the city ofSuwałki. It covered a territory of about 12,300 square kilometres (4,700 sq mi).
In 1867, the territories of theAugustów Governorate and thePłock Governorates were re-organised to form the Płock Governorate, the Suwałki Governorate (consisting mostly of the Augustów Governorate territories) and a recreatedŁomża Governorate.
AfterWorld War I, the governorate was split between theSecond Polish Republic andLithuania, mostly along ethnic lines (with an exception of the area in the proximity ofPuńsk and north ofSejny).[1] The Polish part, known asSuwałki Region, was incorporated into theBiałystok Voivodeship. The Lithuanian region ofSuvalkija was named after the governorate.
According to contemporaryRussian Empire statistics, from 1889 the Suwałki Governorate was predominantly Lithuanian since they comprised 57.8% of the population.[2] Lithuanians formed a majority only in the northern part of the governorate in the counties of Kalvarija, Marijampolė, Naujamiestis, Vilkaviškis as well as the eastern part of the Sejny county. Poles were in a majority in the southern part of the governorate in the counties of Suwałki, Augustów and in the western part of the Sejny county.[3][4]
Before World War I, the Suwałki Governorate was economically the least developed area of Congress Poland. It was characterised by the lowestagricultural productivity and profitability. In 1912, the governorate had apopulation density of just 45 persons per km2, compared to Congress' average of 103 persons per km2.[5]
| Population in 1897[6] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Nationality | People | Percent |
| Lithuanians | 304,500 | 52% |
| Poles | 134,000 | 23% |
| Jews | 59,100 | 10% |
| Germans | 30,500 | 5% |
| Belarusians | 26,600 | 5% |
| Russians | 24,500 | 4% |
| Others | 3,700 | .7% |
| Total | 582,900 | 100% |
It was divided into sevencounties:[7]
| 1816–1837 voivodeships | | |
|---|---|---|
| 1837–1844 governorates | ||
| 1844–1867 governorates | ||
| 1867–1914 governorates | ||
