Jelgava Municipality
The agricultural ring around Jelgava city: Zemgale's "bread basket." Former Baltic German estates, now grain and dairy. 40 km from Riga.
Jelgava Municipality wraps around Jelgava city without including it—an administrative doughnut surrounding what was once the capital of Courland. The municipality contains Zemgale's agricultural heartland: the fertile plains that earned the region its nickname as Latvia's "bread basket."
The geography explains the economy. This is flat, rich farmland unlike anything in Latvia's forested highlands. Grain, dairy, and agricultural processing dominate. The municipality draws on Jelgava city for services while managing the surrounding rural territory.
Historically, these were the estates of Courland's German-Baltic nobility. After land reform in the 1920s and Soviet collectivization in the 1940s, the manor houses became schools, hospitals, or ruins. Some are being restored as tourism ventures.
By 2026, Jelgava Municipality faces the classic suburban-rural tension: close enough to the city (and to Riga, 40 km away) that population could grow, but dependent on agricultural economics that may not support it.