History of Latvia: a Brief Survey
History of Latvia: a Brief Survey
History of Latvia: a Brief Survey
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The economy <strong>of</strong> Courland flourished,especially in ship-building andmetallurgy, under the rule <strong>of</strong> JacobKettler in the mid-1600s.Jacob Kettler (1610-1682), the Duke <strong>of</strong>Courland (Kurzeme).A map <strong>of</strong> James Island in the GambiaRiver estuary and Tobago Island —colonies <strong>of</strong> Courland in the 17thcentury.The naval flag <strong>of</strong> the Duchy <strong>of</strong> Courlandwith the Duchy’s symbol — a lobster.Livonia experienced a notable economic boom. The most successful ruler in the Duchy was Duke Jacob Kettler (1610-1682). Duringthe period <strong>of</strong> his rule (1642-1682) Kurzeme became a regional power to be reckoned with. He established two colonies: an islandin the estuary <strong>of</strong> the Gambia River in Africa and Tobago Island in the Caribbean Sea. Both were successful ventures until the end <strong>of</strong>Jacob’s reign, when the Duchy’s navy fell apart, but the Couronian place names from this period are still evident there today.13