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Flag of Duchy
Duchy in 1749
The
Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
was a
duchy
in the
Baltic region
. It existed from 1562 through 1795. It was a
vassal state
of
Grand Duchy of Lithuania
and later of
Poland-Lithuania
. It became independent in 1791, but was annexed by
Russian Empire
in 1795 during
Third Partition of Poland
. It was ruled by the
dukes
from the
House of Kettlerwith
the exception of
Ernst Johann Biron
and his son
Peter von Biron.
It had its own
empire
. One of its colonies was modern day
Trinidad and Tobago
.