page_title: Courland
section_title: Duchy of Courland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1561–1795
hierarchical_section_title: Courland / History / Duchy of Courland and the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, 1561–1795
context_page_description: Courland, is one of the historical and cultural regions in western Latvia. The largest city is Liepāja, the third largest city in Latvia. The regions of Semigallia and Selonia are sometimes considered as part of Courland as they were formerly held by the same duke.
context_section_description: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was a semi-independent duchy that existed from 1561 until 1795, encompassing the areas of Courland and Semigallia.  Although nominally a vassal state of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, the dukes operated autonomously. In the 18th century Russia acquired great influence over the Duchy; the future Empress Anna of Russia served as regent there from 1711 until her accession the Russian throne in 1730. After the last of the ducal line into which she had married died in 1737, she arranged for the Duchy to be given to her lover, Ernst Johann von Biron instead. 
  The Duchy was one of the smallest European nations to colonize overseas territories, establishing short-lived outposts on the Caribbean islands of Tobago and Trinidad and at the mouth of the Gambia River in Africa on what was then known as James Island.
  In 1795, the last Duke, Peter von Biron, ceded the Duchy to the Russian Empire.
  The former Bishopric of Courland was directly incorporated into the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as the District of Pilten of the Wenden and later Inflanty Voivodeship.
caption: The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia and the District of Pilten as it appeared in 1740