1867–1914 → Disestablished 1914 Capital Suwałki | Established 1867 Area 12,551 km² Date formed 1867 | |
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Suwałki Governorate (Russian: Сувалкская губерния, Polish: Gubernia suwalska, Lithuanian: Suvalkų gubernija) was an administrative unit (guberniya) of the Congress Poland with seat in Suwałki. It covered a territory of about 12,300 km².
Contents
History
In 1867 territories of the Augustów Governorate and the Płock Governorate were divided into a smaller Płock Governorate, Suwałki Governorate (consisting mostly of the Augustów Governorate territories) and a recreated Łomża Governorate.
After World War I the governorate was eventually split between Poland and Lithuania, mostly along ethnic lines (with an exception of Puńsk). The Polish part, known as Suwałki Region, was incorporated into the Białystok Voivodeship. Lithuanian ethnographic region Suvalkija was named after the governorate.
Demographics
According to contemporary Russian Empire statistics from 1889 the Suwałki Governorate was predominately Lithuanian – Lithuanians comprised 57.8% of the population. The Lithuanians formed a majority only in the northern part of this governorate (Counties of Kalvarija, Marijampolė, Naujamiestis, Vilkaviškis and eastern part of Sejny) and the Poles had a majority in the southern part (counties of Suwałki, Augustów and western part of Sejny).
Administrative divisions
It was divided into seven counties: