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Selonia People (Latvia)

image by Tomislav Todorovic, 30 January 2024

Overview

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Overview

Wikipedia says about them: "Selonia (Latvian: Selija, Lithuanian: Sela), also known as Augšzeme (the "Highland"), is a cultural region in Latvia encompassing the eastern part of the historical region of Semigallia (Latvian: Zemgale). Not an administrative division in modern Latvia, S?lija currently designates those portions of the Daugavpils, J?kabpils and Aizkraukle districts (rajoni) that lie on the left bank of the Daugava river. Some of the inhabitants still speak a sub-dialect of the High Latvian spoken in Latgale, derived from the Selonian language.
Prior to the subjugation and baptism of the Selonians in 1208, when Albert of Buxhoeveden captured S?lpils (Latin: castrum Selonum), Selonia extended into Lithuania. The Selonians were allied with the Lithuanians. In 1218 the region formed a Selonian diocese, but in 1226 part of that diocese was joined to the Riga archbishopric and the Semigallian bishopric was formed.
Nowadays the region is mainly inhabited by Latvians, Russians and autochthon Lithuanians."
In 1999, the Selonian Congress in Viesite adopted a flag which was approved by the Heraldic Commission of Latvia. The flag is modeled on the Latvian flag, has the same proportions, meaning the white stripe is narrower, The colors are dark red, white and green, just like the flag of Viesite (adopted also in 1999, but with the arms of the town in the middle).
Chrystian Kretowicz, 11 September 2008

On 2023-01-10, Latvian president Edgars Rinkēvičs adopted a decree on the official Selonian land flag. The flag is a horizontal tricolor with crimson red at the top, white at the center and moss green at the bottom. The ratio of the widths of three fields is 2:1:2 and the overall ratio of the flag is 1:2. The color shades are Pantone 201 C for crimson red, Pantone White, and Pantone 378 C for moss green.
Tomislav Todorovic, 30 January 2024