Vidzeme

Vidzeme ( Livland German ) is a region in Latvia. The Latvian name comes from the words " Vidus " ( German middle) and " zeme " (earth, country), thus it means " Middle-earth " or " Plateau ". Vidzeme is historically about the middle of the former Livonian Confederation, which extended in the north to the Gulf of Finland and south to Lithuania and the territories of present-day states of Estonia and Latvia, completely covering. Vidzeme is one of the regions referred to in the Constitution of Latvia four.

When speaking from a current perspective of Livonia, the current Vidzeme region is mostly meant so. Previously was understood at the time of the government of Livonia nor the countryside north of Riga to the Lake Peipsi as Livonia, which the Latvian region corresponds territorially Vidzeme together with the southern half of present-day Estonia.

Vidzeme is bordered to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the north by Estonia, to the east and southeast by Latgale ( Latvian Latgale ) and on the south by Semgallen ( Zemgale ) and Oberlettland ( Augšzeme ). Vidzeme consists of the nine counties of Limbaži, Valmiera, Valka, Alūksne Gulbene, Madona, Cesis, Ogre and Riga. With a total area of ​​23,000 km ² Vidzeme occupies around 35 % of the area of Latvia.