Courland (Latvian: Kurzemes), officially the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Latvian: Kurzemes un Zemgale hercogiste), is a country in the Baltic region of Eastern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Latvia, to the south by Lithuania and to the east by the Russia. The territory of Courland covers 27,286 sq km and it has a temperate seasonal climate. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia was originally formed in 1562, and it was a vassal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth until 1795, when it was annexed by the Russian Empire. It was granted independence by the Russian Empire in 1916.