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Suvalkija
EntityQ1359741· pop 34· linked from 167 articles

Also known as Sudovia, Suwalszczyzna, Suwałki Region

Suvalkija or Sudovia ( or Sūduva) is the smallest of the five cultural regions of Lithuania. Its unofficial capital is Marijampolė. People from Suvalkija (Suvalkijans) are called (plural) or (singular) in Lithuanian. It is located south of the Neman River, in the former territory of Vilkaviškis bishopric. Historically, it is the newest ethnographic region, as its most distinct characteristics and separate regional identity formed during the 19th century when the territory was part of Congress Poland. It was never a separate political entity, and even today, it has no official status in the adm

Key facts

Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.name
Sudovia
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.native_name
Suvalkija
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.native_name_lang
lt
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.other_name
Sūduva
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.settlement_type
Ethnographic region of Lithuania
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.image_flag
Flag of Suvalkija.svg
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.flag_size
125px
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.image_shield
Coat of arms of Suvalkija.svg
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.shield_size
x100px
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.motto
Vienybė težydi (Let the unity blossom)
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.image_map
Sūduva_location_Lithuania.svg
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.map_alt
Map indicating the location of Sudovia within Lithuania
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.map_caption
Location of Sudovia within Lithuania
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.subdivision_type
Country
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.subdivision_name
Lithuania
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.seat_type
Capital and largest city
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.seat
Marijampolė
Settlement <! See Template:Infobox settlement for additional fields and descriptions >.unit_pref
Metric

via Wikipedia infobox

~23 min read

Encyclopedic overview

17 sections
Contents
  • Geography
  • Subdivisions
  • Demographics
  • Naming
  • Region
  • Sub-regions
  • History
  • Political history
  • Economic history
  • Cultural history
  • Folk culture
  • Language
  • Clothing
  • Music
  • References
  • Further reading
  • External links

Suvalkija or Sudovia ( or Sūduva) is the smallest of the five cultural regions of Lithuania. Its unofficial capital is Marijampolė. People from Suvalkija (Suvalkijans) are called (plural) or (singular) in Lithuanian. It is located south of the Neman River, in the former territory of Vilkaviškis bishopric. Historically, it is the newest ethnographic region, as its most distinct characteristics and separate regional identity formed during the 19th century when the territory was part of Congress Poland. It was never a separate political entity, and even today, it has no official status in the administrative division of Lithuania. However, it continues to be the subject of studies focusing on Lithuanian folk culture of the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Most of Lithuania's cultural differences blended or disappeared during the Soviet occupation (1944–1990), remaining the longest in southeastern Lithuania. The concept remains popular among Lithuanian people. A 2008 survey of freshmen and sophomores (first- and second-year students) at Kaunas' Vytautas Magnus University found that 80% of the students continued to identify themselves with one of the regions. Efforts are made to preserve, record, and promote any remaining aspects of the original folk culture.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Suvalkija” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

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