From the Latvian Wikipedia page [1] - the term being translated as 'county.'
Initially, the word "county" in Latvian was used only in Kurzeme and Zemgale , but in Vidzeme and Latgale , the words "zeme", " pagasts ", "court" or " state " corresponded to it. Latvian folk songsfather's, people's, paleo's districts or districts are mentioned, which were parcels of land around farmsteads separated by hedgehogs and border marks, for example "Apalš teva's district is like one wax roll. Fierce lords rode three times, They couldn't be divided. Bringing together brothers, fierce marches were distributed to the hedgehogs. " (No. 143, in Barth), "The father's stream was small, But the great ones held on: All the little cadets bloom in silver flowers." (No. 146, Bartas parish in Lielkrūtė) or "What will I do with my father? A small stream for my father: I spent a holy morning grazing all around." (No. 189, Kuldigas Kalnmuiža). On the other hand, lord's districts (municipal districts) were larger pieces of land with their own castle or castle hill , later with manor and peasant land and the people of the parish.