Samogitia or Žemaitija is one of the five cultural regions of Lithuania and formerly one of the two core administrative divisions of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania alongside Lithuania proper. Žemaitija is located in northwestern Lithuania. Its largest city is Telšiai, while Šiauliai, where Aukštaitian dialect is being spoken, is sometimes also included into Samogitia. Samogitia has a long and distinct cultural history, reflected in the existence of the Samogitian language.
Image: Palanga by Augustas Didzgalvis
Image: Pluņģes pils panoramio
Image: Šiauliai 03
Image: The Hill of Crosses panoramio (1)
Cultural regions of Lithuania
Lithuania can be divided into five historical and cultural regions. The exact borders are not fully clear, as the regions are not official political or administrative units. They are delimited by culture, such as country traditions, traditional lifestyle, songs, tales, etc. To some extent, regions correspond to the zones of Lithuanian language dialects. This correspondence, however, is by no means strict. For example, although the Dzūkian dialect is called South Aukštaitian, it does not mean that Dzūkija is part of Aukštaitija. In certain parts of some regions, dialects of other regions are spoken, while for example in Samogitia, there are three indigenous dialects, some of which are subdivided into subdialects.
Historical ethnographic regions