Suwałki Governorate

Suwałki Governorate Сувалкская губерния Gubernia suwalska
Governorate of Russian Empire
← 1867–1914 →
Coat of arms of Suwałki Coat of arms
Location of Suwałki Suwałki Governorate
Capital		Suwałki
History
•	Established	1867
•	Disestablished	1914

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.

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).

Suwałki Governorate (in light blue)

Population in 1897
Nationality	People	Percent
Lithuanians	304,500	52%
Poles	134,000	23%
Jews	59,100	10%
Germans	30,500	5%
Belarusians	26,600	5%
Russians	24,500	4%
Others	3,700	.7%
Total	582,900	100%

Administrative divisions

It was divided into seven counties: