According to localcollegeexplorer, Latvia is a small Baltic state located on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It has a long and tumultuous history, having been occupied by foreign powers for centuries before finally gaining its independence in 1991. The first settlers of Latvia were Finno-Ugric peoples, who arrived from the east around 2000 BCE. They were followed by Germanic tribes in the 9th century CE, and Latvians began to form their own distinct culture during this period. The country was then invaded by Danish and Swedish forces in the 12th century, followed by Teutonic knights in 1282. In 1386, Latvia became part of the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading alliance that included many cities in northern Europe. During this period, German merchants and landowners controlled much of the country’s wealth and power. However, after being defeated in battle against Poland-Lithuania in 1561, Latvia came under Polish rule until 1629 when it was annexed by Sweden during the Thirty Years’ War. Throughout the 18th century Latvia was subject to various occupations by Russia and Prussia until it gained autonomy as part of Russia’s empire following Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815. This autonomy lasted until World War I when Germany occupied Latvia until 1918 when it declared independence as an independent republic with strong ties to Russia. Latvia enjoyed a brief period of independence between 1918 and 1940 when it was annexed by Soviet Union as part of Stalin’s policy to expand its influence over Eastern Europe during WWII. During this time Latvian culture was suppressed as Russian replaced Latvian as official language while Russian settlers were encouraged to move into Latvia from other parts of Soviet Union. In 1991 following fall of Soviet Union Latvian regained its independence which it has held since then despite facing some economic difficulties due to transition from planned economy to market economy system leading to increased unemployment levels within country throughout 1990s and early 2000s although job market has improved significantly since then thanks largely to influx foreign investments from EU countries such as Germany and UK. Today Latvia is a parliamentary democracy with strong ties both European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) which provide security for its people while allowing them access to benefits such EU single market allowing them to travel and work freely without needing visas within member states. In 2010, Latvia was a small country located in Northern Europe. It bordered the Baltic Sea and had a population of just over 2 million people. The country had been part of the Soviet Union until its dissolution in 1991, after which it declared independence and joined both the European Union (EU) and NATO. The capital city of Latvia was Riga, which was also its largest city. The official language was Latvian although many people spoke Russian as well. The majority religion was Christianity with Roman Catholicism being the largest denomination followed by Lutheranism and Eastern Orthodoxy. Latvia’s economy in 2010 was primarily based on services such as banking, finance, IT and telecommunications as well as tourism. Manufacturing also made up a large portion of the economy with textiles, food processing, chemicals and electronics all playing an important role. Agriculture accounted for only around 5% of GDP but still employed around 8% of the population in rural areas. Latvia’s government at this time was a parliamentary republic with a unicameral legislature known as the Saeima. Valdis Zatlers served as President while Valdis Dombrovskis served as Prime Minister until October when he resigned due to disagreements over budget cuts related to austerity measures imposed by the EU during this time period. In terms of education, Latvia had achieved universal primary school enrollment rates by 2010 although secondary school enrollment rates were lower than average for Europe at this time period due to high dropout rates among adolescents aged 15-19 years old who tended to focus more on finding work rather than continuing their studies. Overall, Latvia in 2010 had made some progress since its independence from the Soviet Union but faced many challenges such as high levels of poverty and unemployment especially among rural populations that were not able to benefit from urban economic growth opportunities or access quality education resources due to limited financial resources available at this time period. Check ethnicityology for Latvia in 2018.
Riga is a relatively small cozy European city. Despite this, visiting all the sights and museum expositions can take several days, or even a week. Of course, most of them are located in the historical center of the city, but there is also something to see on the opposite bank of the Daugava and the outskirts of the city. Check clothesbliss for how to get to Latvia. The unique atmosphere of the Middle Ages reigns in Old Riga with its cobbled…
Latvia – country information Country name Latvia Official name Republic of Latvia Capital Riga Continent Europe Area 64,600 km2 Population 2,003,900 (2014) Foundation of a state 8/21/1991 The highest mountains We see 311 m Longest rivers Daugava (West Dvina) 1060 km (in the country 325 km) State system a pluralist republic with a unicameral parliament The biggest cities Riga (capital) 860,000, Daugavpils 120,000, Liepaja 104,000 Official language Latvian Ethnicity/National Composition Latvians 54.5%, Russians 32%, Belarusians 4.3%, Ukrainians 3.3%, Poles 2.2%,…