Latvijas Republika Republic of Latvia
Flag Coat of arms
Motto: "Tēvzemei un Brīvībai"  (Latvian) "For Fatherland and Freedom"
Anthem: Dievs, svētī Latviju!  (Latvian) "God, bless Latvia!"
Location of  Latvia  (dark green) – on the European continent  (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union  (light green)  —  [Legend]
Capital (and largest city)		Riga 56°57′N, 24°6′E
Official languages		Latvian
Ethnic groups		60. List of flags of Latvia The national flag of Latvia was re-adopted on February 27, 1990. The Latvian National Coat of Arms was formed after the proclamation of an independent Republic of Latvia on November 18, 1918, and was especially created A motto (from the Italian word motto, meaning witticism sentence is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. A national anthem is a generally patriotic musical composition that evokes and eulogizes the history traditions and struggles of its people recognized either by a nation's Dievs svētī Latviju! ( God Bless Latvia) is the National anthem of Latvia. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Latvia was ruled by the German Teutonic Knights from the early 13th century until 1583 when after collapse of Livonia the rule was taken over by Polish-Lithunian Commonwealth Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. An official language is a Language that is given a special legal status in a particular Country, State, or other territory Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. 0% Latvians 27. Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which 3% Russians   3. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries 7% Belarusians   2. Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also 5% Ukrainians   6. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens 5% others
Demonym		Latvian
Government		Parliamentary republic
-	President	Valdis Zatlers
-	Prime Minister	Ivars Godmanis
Independence		from Russia and Germany
-	Declared	November 18, 1918
-	Recognized	January 26, 1921
-	Proclaimed2	May 4, 1990
-	Completed	September 6, 1991
EU accession		May 1, 2004
Area
-	Total	64,589 km² (124th) 24,937 sq mi
-	Water (%)	1. A demonym or gentilic is a word that denotes the members of a People or the inhabitants of a place Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which For the government of parliamentary systems see Executive (government. A parliamentary republic or parliamentary constitutional republic is a form of a Republic which operates under a Parliamentary system of government President of Latvia is Head of state and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces of Republic of Latvia. Valdis Zatlers (born March 22, 1955) is the 7th and current president of Latvia. The Prime Minister of Latvia is the most powerful member of the Government of the Republic of Latvia, and presides over the Latvian Cabinet of Ministers Ivars Godmanis (born November 27 1951) is a Latvian politician Prehistory The proto- Baltic forefathers of the Latvian people have lived on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea since the third millennium BC The German Empire is the name commonly used in English to describe Germany from 1871 to 1918 when it was a semi- Constitutional monarchy: beginning with the Unification Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) Events 3114 BC - According to the Proleptic Julian calendar the current era in the Maya Long Count Calendar started Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in A Member State of the European Union is any one of the twenty-seven sovereign Nation states that have acceded the European Union (EU since its De facto Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Area is a Quantity expressing the two- Dimensional size of a defined part of a Surface, typically a region bounded by a closed Curve. To help compare Orders of magnitude of different geographical regions  Areas between 10000 km² and 100000 km² are listed here This is a list of the countries of the world sorted by total area. The square mile is an imperial and US unit of Area equal the area of a square of one statute mile. Water is a common Chemical substance that is essential for the survival of all known forms of Life. In Mathematics, a percentage is a way of expressing a number as a Fraction of 100 ( per cent meaning "per hundred" 5
Population
-	December 2007 estimate	2,270,700 (143rd)
-	2000 census	2 375 000
-	Density	36/km² (166th) 93/sq mi
GDP (PPP)		2007 estimate
-	Total	$41,108 billion (92th)
-	Per capita	$18,103 (46th)
GDP (nominal)		2006 estimate
-	Total	$20,101 billion (83th)
-	Per capita	$8,852 (47st)
Gini (2003)		37. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology List of countries by population in 2005|List of countries by population in 1907This is a list of countries ordered according to Population. Population density (in agriculture standing stock and Standing crop) is a measurement of Population per unit area or unit volume List of countries and dependencies by Population density in inhabitants/km² The purchasing power parity ( PPP) theory uses the long-term equilibrium Exchange rate of two currencies to equalize their Purchasing power. There are three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product (GDP at Purchasing power parity (PPP Per capita PLEASE NO RANDOM FIGURES THERE ARE NO FIGURES BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS IN THIS ARTICLE Per capita is a Latin phrase meaning for each head with Per meaning 'through' or 'by' This article includes three lists of Countries of the world sorted by their Gross domestic product Per capita at Nominal values, the The Gini coefficient is a measure of statistical dispersion most prominently used as a measure of inequality of income distribution or inequality of wealth 7 (medium)
HDI (2007)		▲ 0. The Human Development Index ( HDI) is an index combining normalized measures of Life expectancy, Literacy, Educational attainment, and GDP 855 (high) (45th)
Currency		Lats (Ls) (LVL)
Time zone		EET (UTC+2)
-	Summer (DST)	EEST (UTC+3)
Internet TLD		.lv 3
Calling code		+371
1 Latvia is continuous with the first republic. This is a list of countries by Human Development Index as included in the United Nations Development Program 's Human Development Report 2007 A currency is a unit of exchange, facilitating the transfer of Goods and/or services It is one form of Money, where money is For common abbreviations see LAT (disambiguation The lats (plural lati, ISO 4217 currency code LVL or 428 is the ISO 4217 is the International standard describing three-letter codes (also known as the currency code) to define the names of currencies established Eastern European Time ( EET) is one of the names of UTC+2 Time zone, 2 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. Daylight saving time ( DST Eastern European Summer Time ( EEST) is one of the names of UTC+3 Time zone, 3 hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. A country This is a list of country calling codes defined by ITU-T recommendation E 2 Secession from Soviet Union begun. Secession (derived from the Latin term secessio is the act of withdrawing from an organization union or especially a political entity The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 3 Also .eu, shared with other European Union member states. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

Latvia (IPA: /ˈlatvə/) (historically Lettonia, or Lettland), officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvija or Latvijas Republika, Livonian: Lețmō), is a country in Northern Europe. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Livonian (Līvõ kēļ belongs to the Baltic Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. In Political geography and International politics, a country is a Political division of a geographical entity Northern Europe is a term for the northern part of Europe. The United Nations defines Northern Europe as (Finland Latvia shares land borders with Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south — and both Russia and Belarus to the east. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east It is separated from Sweden in the west by the Baltic Sea. "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The capital of Latvia is Riga (Latvian: Rīga). Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. Latvia has been a member state of the European Union since May 1, 2004 and a member of NATO since March 29, 2004. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " The North Atlantic Treaty Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Contents 1 History 2 Politics 3 Districts and regions 3.1 Regions 3.2 Districts 4 Geography 4.1 Climate 5 Economy 6 Demographics 6.1 Ethnicities 6.2 Languages 6.3 Religion 7 Culture 8 International rankings 9 See also 10 Bibliography 11 References 12 External links

History

Main article: History of Latvia

The territory of Latvia has been populated since over 9000 BC with the proto-Baltic ancestors of the Latvian people settling on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea around the third millennium BC (3000 BC). Prehistory The proto- Baltic forefathers of the Latvian people have lived on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea since the third millennium BC The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. ^[1] By 900 AD, four Baltic tribal cultures had developed: Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians, Semigallians (in Latvian: kurši, latgaļi, sēļi and zemgaļi), as well as the Livonians (līvi) speaking a Finno-Ugric language. The Kursenieki are also known as Curonians The Curonians ( Curonian: Kursi; Kuren Kurši Kuršiai Kuralased were The term Latgalians (latgalieši latgaļi (also spelt Latgallians and sometimes known as Lettigalls, Latgolans, or Lettigallians) Selonians were a tribe of Baltic peoples who are now extinct The Selonians lived until the 15th century in Selonia, located in southeastern Latvia Semigallians ( Latvian Zemgaļi, also Zemgalians Semigalls Semigalians are one of the Baltic tribes that lived in Zemgale, in the southcentral The Livonians or Livs are the indigenous inhabitants of Livonia, a large part of what is today the northwestern Latvia and southwestern

Across Europe, Latvia's coast was known for its amber. Amber is Fossil tree Resin, which is appreciated for its color and beauty The ancient Balts traded Latvian amber with Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The Balts or Baltic peoples (People who live by the Baltic Sea) defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European The Amber Road was an ancient Trade route for the transfer of Amber. The term ancient Greece refers to the period of Greek history lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca The Roman Empire was the post-Republican phase of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial Even today it is frequently used in traditional Latvian jewellery.

At the end of the 12th century, traders from Western Europe often visited Latvia, setting out on trading journeys along Latvia's longest river, the Daugava, to Russia. The Daugava or Western Dvina (Daugava Западная Двина́ (Zapadnaya Dvina Заходняя Дзвiна za'xodnʲaja dzʲvʲi'na Dźwina Düna Väina

Christian missionaries arrived in 1180. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth A missionary is a member of a Religion who works to convert those who do not share the missionary's faith someone who proselytizes. As the Balts did not readily convert and strongly opposed the christening, German Crusaders were sent into Latvia to convert the pagan population. The Crusades were a series of military campaigns of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe against external and internal opponents ^[2] By 1211, Christianity had effective control with the foundation stone for the Dome Cathedral in Riga laid.

In the 1200s, a confederation of feudal nations called Livonia developed under German rule. Livonia (Līvõmō Latvian and Livonija Estonian: Liivimaa; Finnish: Liivinmaa; German and Swedish: Livland Livonia included today's Latvia and Southern Estonia. In 1282, Riga and later the cities of Cēsis, Limbaži, Koknese and Valmiera were included in the Hanseatic League. Cēsis ( is a Town in Latvia located in the northern part of the Vidzeme central upland Limbaži ( is a city in Northern Latvia, 90 km from the capital Riga. Koknese ( is a Town in Aizkraukle District, Latvia on the right bank of the Daugava river Valmiera ( is the largest city of the historical Vidzeme region Latvia, with a total area of 18 The Hanseatic League (also known as the Hansa) was an alliance of trading cities and their Guilds that established and maintained trade From this time, Riga became an important point in west-east trading. Riga, being the centre of the eastern Baltic region, formed close cultural contacts with Western Europe.

The 1500s were a time of great changes for the inhabitants of Latvia, notable for the reformation and the collapse of the Livonian state. After the Livonian War (1558–1583) today's Latvian territory came under Polish-Lithuanian rule. The Livonian War of 1558–1582 was a lengthy military conflict between the Tsardom of Russia and variable coalition of Denmark–Norway, Grand Duchy of The Lutheran faith was accepted in Kurzeme, Zemgale and Vidzeme, but the Roman Catholic faith maintained its dominance in Latgale and continues to do so today. Lutheranism is a major branch of Western Christianity that identifies with the teachings of the sixteenth-century German reformer Martin Luther Courland (Kurzeme Kurland Latin: Curonia / Couronia; Kuršas Kuramaa Kurlandia Курляндия Курляндія Kuurinmaa is one of the historical Zemgale, also known under Latinized names Semigalia or Semigallia (Zemgale Semgallen Žiemgala is an historical region of Latvia, sometimes also including Vidzeme is one of the cultural and historical Regions of Latvia. Latgale or Latgalia (Latgale Latgale language: Latgolā) is one of the four cultural regions of Latvia recognised in the Constitution

The seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries saw a struggle between Poland, Sweden and Russia for supremacy in the eastern Baltic. Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Most of Polish Livonia, including Vidzeme, came under Swedish rule with the Truce of Altmark in 1629. The six-year Truce of Altmark (or Treaty of Stary Targ) was signed on September 25 or 26 1629 at the Altmarkt ( Stary Targ) near Danzig Under the Swedish rule, serfdom was eased and a network of schools was established for the peasantry.

The Treaty of Nystad ending the Great Northern War in 1721 gave Vidzeme to Russia (it became part of the Riga Governorate). The Treaty of Nystad (Ништадтский мир Uudenkaupungin rauha was signed in 1721 in the then Swedish town of Nystad (which is called Uusikaupunki The Great Northern War (1700-21 was fought between Russia and Sweden for supremacy in the Baltic Sea. The Governorate of Livonia (Vidzemes guberņa Liivimaa kubermang Лифляндская губерния Livländisches Gouvernement or Livland, also known as the The Latgale region remained part of Poland as Inflanty until 1772, when it was joined to Russia. The Duchy of Courland became a Russian province (the Courland Governorate) in 1795, bringing all of what is now Latvia into Imperial Russia. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (Ducatus Curlandiæ et Semigalliæ Księstwo Kurlandii i Semigalii,Herzogtum Kurland und Semgallen Kurzemes un Zemgales hercogiste is the name of The Governorate of Courland, also known as the Province of Courland, Governorate of Kurland (Kurzemes guberņa Курля́ндская губерния and The Russian Empire ( Pre-reform Russian: Pоссійская Имперія Modern Russian: Российская Империя translit: Rossiyskaya

The promises Peter the Great made to the Baltic German nobility at the fall of Riga in 1710, confirmed by the Treaty of Nystad and known as "the Capitulations," largely reversed the Swedish reforms. The emancipation of the serfs took place in Courland in 1817 and in Vidzeme in 1819. In practice, the emancipation was actually advantageous to the nobility because it dispossessed the peasants of their land without compensation. The social structure changed dramatically, with a class of independent farmers establishing itself after reforms allowed the peasants to repurchase their land, landless peasants numbering 591 000 in 1897, a growing urban proletariat and an increasingly influential Latvian bourgeoisie. The proletariat (from Latin la ''proles'' "offspring" is a term used to identify a lower Social class; a member of such a class is proletarian The Young Latvians (Latvian: Jaunlatvieši) movement laid the groundwork for nationalism from the middle of the century, many of its leaders looking to the Slavophiles for support against the prevailing German-dominated social order. Young Latvians (jaunlatvieši is the term most often applied to the intellectuals of the first Latvian National Awakening (tautas atmoda active from the 1850s to the 1880s Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. The term nationalism can refer to an Ideology, a sentiment, a form of Culture, or a Social movement that focuses on the Nation A Slavophile is an intellectual movement originating from 19th century that wanted the Russian Empire to be developed upon values and institutions derived from its early history Russification began in Latgale after the Polish led January Uprising in 1863 and spread to the rest of what is now Latvia by the 1880s. Russification (in Russian: русификация rusifikátsiya)is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily The January Uprising ( Polish: powstanie styczniowe, Lithuanian: 1863 m The Young Latvians were largely eclipsed by the New Current, a broad leftist social and political movement, in the 1890s. In the History of Latvia, the New Current (in Latvian Jaunā strāva; participants in the movement are called jaunstrāvnieki) was a broad Leftist Popular discontent exploded in the 1905 Revolution, which took on a nationalist character in the Baltic provinces. See also Russian Revolution (1917 The 1905 Russian Revolution also known as the Failed Russian Revolution of 1905 was an empire-wide struggle of

Main article: United Baltic Duchy

World War I devastated the country. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Demands for self-determination were at first confined to autonomy, but full independence was proclaimed in Riga on November 18, 1918, by the People's Council of Latvia, Kārlis Ulmanis becoming the head of the provisional government. Self-determination is defined as free choice of one’s own acts without external compulsion and especially as the freedom of the people of a given Territory to determine their Autonomy ( Greek: Auto- Nomos - nomos meaning "law" one who gives oneself his/her own Law) is the right to Self-government Events 326 - The old St Peter's Basilica is consecrated 1302 - Pope Boniface VIII issues the Papal bull Year 1918 ( MCMXVIII) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Tautas Padome (Latvia's People's Council was a temporary council which declared Latvia 's Independence in 1918 and then acted as a temporary Parliament Kārlis Vilhelms Augusts Ulmanis (b September 4, 1877 in Bērze, Latvia – d The War of Independence that followed was a very chaotic period in Latvia's history. The Latvian War of Independence, sometimes called the Latvian War of Liberation (Latvijas brīvības cīņas literally the "Struggles for Latvia's freedom" or By the spring of 1919 there were actually three governments — Ulmanis' government; the Soviet Latvian government led by Pēteris Stučka, whose forces, supported by the Red Army, occupied almost all of the country; and the Baltic German government of "Baltic Duchy" headed by Andrievs Niedra and supported by Baltische Landeswehr and German Freikorps unit Iron Division. The Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic (Latvijas Sociālistiskā Padomju Republika LSPR was a short-lived Socialist republic formed during the Latvian War of Pēteris Stučka, sometimes spelt Pyotr Ivanovich Stuchka (Пётр Иванович Стучка Peter Stutschka (in contemporary writings b The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya The Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten or Baltendeutsche) were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today Andrievs Niedra, formerly spelt Andreews Needra ( February 8 1871 in Tirza civil parish near Gulbene, Vidzeme - – September Baltische Landeswehr ("Baltic Land Defence" was the name of the unified Armed forces of The United Baltic Duchy from November 1918 to July 3 The designation of Freikorps ( German for "Free Corps " was originally applied to voluntary armies formed in German lands from the middle of 18th century Estonian and Latvian forces defeated the Germans at the Battle of Cēsis in June 1919, and a massive attack by a German and Russian force under Pavel Bermondt-Avalov was repelled in November. Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region This article is about a 1919 battle See also Battle of Wenden (1601. Pavel Rafalovich Bermondt-Avalov (Avalishvili (Павел Рафалович Бермонт-Авалов Pāvels Bermonts-Avalovs ( 4 March 1877 - 27 January Eastern Latvia was cleared of Red Army forces by Polish, Latvian, and German troops in early 1920. The Red Army ( Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия R aboche- K rest'yanskaya K rasnaya A rmiya The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland.

A freely elected Constituent Assembly was convened on May 1, 1920 and adopted a liberal constitution, the Satversme, in February 1922. A constituent assembly is a body elected with the purpose of drafting and in some cases adopting a Constitution. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1920 ( MCMXX) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display 1920 of the Gregorian calendar A constitution is a system for government often Codified as a written document that establishes the rules and principles of an autonomous political entity The Constitution of Latvia (Satversme is the fundamental law of the Republic of Latvia. This was partly suspended by Ulmanis after his coup in 1934, but reaffirmed in 1990. Since then it has been amended and is the constitution still in use in Latvia today. With most of Latvia's industrial base evacuated to the interior of Russia in 1915, radical land reform was the central political question for the young state. Land reforms (also Agrarian reform, though that can have a broader meaning is an often- controversial alteration in the societal arrangements whereby government In 1897, 61. 2% of the rural population had been landless; by 1930 that percentage had been reduced to 23. 2%. The extent of cultivated land surpassed the pre-war level already in 1923. Innovation and rising productivity led to rapid growth of economy, but it soon suffered the effects of the Great Depression. Though Latvia showed signs of economic recovery and the electorate had steadily moved toward the centre during the parliamentary period, Ulmanis staged a bloodless coup on May 15, 1934, establishing a nationalist dictatorship that lasted until 1940. Events 1252 - Pope Innocent IV issues the Papal bull Ad exstirpanda, which authorizes but also limits the Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. A dictatorship is usually defined as an autocratic Form of government in which the Government is ruled by a Dictator. Most of the Baltic Germans left Latvia by agreement between Ulmanis' government and Nazi Germany after the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. Nazi Germany and the Third Reich are the common English names for Germany under the regime of Adolf Hitler and the National Socialist German Workers On October 5, 1939, Latvia was forced to accept a "mutual assistance" pact with the Soviet Union, granting the Soviets the right to station 25,000 troops on Latvian territory. Events 869 - The Fourth Council of Constantinople is convened to decide about what to do about Patriarch Photius of Constantinople Year 1939 ( MCMXXXIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 On June 16, 1940, Vyacheslav Molotov presented the Latvian representative in Moscow with an ultimatum accusing Latvia of violations of that pact, and on June 17 great numbers of Soviet forces occupied the country. Events 1487 - Battle of Stoke Field, the last dying breath of the Wars of the Roses. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Molotov redirects here For other uses see Molotov (disambiguation. Moscow (Москва́ romanised: Moskvá, IPA: see also other names) is the Capital and the largest city of Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat Occupations of Latvia may refer to Soviet occupations of Latvia Occupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany See also Latvian Еlections for the "People's Saeima" were held, and a puppet government headed by Augusts Kirhenšteins led Latvia into the USSR. Augusts Kirhenšteins formerly spelt Kirchenšteins ( September 18 1872 in Mazsalaca – November 3 1963 in Riga The annexation was formalised on August 5, 1940. Events 642 - Battle of Maserfield - Penda of Mercia defeats and kills Oswald of Bernicia. Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.

The Soviets dealt harshly with their opponents — prior to the German invasion, in less than a year, at least 27,586 persons were arrested; most were deported, and about 945 persons were shot. The term enemy of the people is a fluid designation of political or class opponents of the group using the term Operation Barbarossa ( Unternehmen Barbarossa) was the Codename for Nazi Germany 's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II While under German occupation, Latvia was administered as part of Reichskommissariat Ostland. Reichskommissariat Ostland was the German name for the Nazi civil administration of part of the occupied Eastern territories of the Third Reich, occupied Latvian paramilitary and Auxiliary Police units established by occupation authority actively participated in the Holocaust as well. The Arajs Kommando (also Sonderkommando Arajs) lead by SS - Sturmbannführer Viktors Arājs, was a unit of Latvian Auxiliary Police The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as More than 200,000 Latvian citizens died during World War II, including approximately 70,000 Latvian Jews murdered during the Nazi occupation. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Latvian soldiers fought on both sides of the conflict, including in the Latvian Legion of the Waffen-SS, most of them conscripted by the occupying Nazi and Soviet authorities. The Latvian Legion was a formation of the Waffen-SS consisting primarily of ethnic Latvians. The Waffen-SS ( German for "Armed SS" literally "Weapons SS" was the Combat arm of the Schutzstaffel ("Protective Squadron" Refusal to join the occupying army resulted in imprisonment, threats to relatives, or even death.

The Soviets reoccupied the country in 1944–1945, and further mass deportations followed as the country was forcibly collectivised and Sovietised; 42,975 persons were deported in 1949. The Freedom Monument (Brīvības piemineklis is a memorial located in Riga, Latvia honoring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918-1920 Collectivization in the Soviet Union was a policy pursued under Stalin, between 1928 and 1940(much later for areas further away from capital to consolidate individual Russification (in Russian: русификация rusifikátsiya)is an adoption of the Russian language or some other Russian attribute (whether voluntarily Influx of labourers, administrators, military personnel and their dependents from Russia and other Soviet republics started, and by 1959 the ethnic Latvian population had fallen to 62%. During the Khrushchev Thaw, attempts by national communists led by Eduards Berklavs to gain a degree of autonomy for the republic and protect the rapidly deteriorating position of the Latvian language were suppressed. Khrushchev's Thaw or the Khrushchev Thaw refers to the period from the mid 1950s to the early 1960s when repression and Censorship in the Soviet Union Communism is a Socioeconomic structure that promotes the establishment of an egalitarian, classless, stateless Society based Eduards Berklavs ( June 15, 1914 - November 25, 2004) was a Latvian politician Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. In 1989 the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on the "Occupation of the Baltic States," in which it declared that the occupation was "not in accordance with law," and not the "will of the Soviet people". The Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Верхо́вный Сове́т СССР Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in A national movement coalescing in the Popular Front of Latvia took advantage of glasnost under Mikhail Gorbachev, opposed by the Interfront. The Popular Front of Latvia ( Latvijas Tautas Fronte in Latvian) was a political organization in Latvia in late 1980s and early 1990s which led Latvia to (Гла́сность)is literally defined as publicity and sometimes figuratively interpreted as "tipping a vase to let someone see into the vase but not the bottom of the vase" Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev ( Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachyov;; born 2 March 1931 in Privolnoye Stavropol Krai) is a Russian politician The International Front of the Working People of the Latvian SSR or Interfront (Latvijas PSR Internacionālā Darbaļaužu fronte Interfronte Интернациональный On May 4, 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR adopted the Declaration of the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, subject to a transition period that came to an end with Latvian independence on August 21, 1991, after the failure of the August Putsch. Events 1256 - The Augustinian monastic order is constituted at the Lecceto Monastery when Pope Alexander IV Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The Supreme Soviet of the USSR (Верхо́вный Сове́т СССР Verkhóvnyj Sovét SSSR) was the highest legislative body in the Soviet Union in The Declaration On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia (Deklarācija Par Latvijas Republikas neatkarības atjaunošanu was adopted on 4 May 1990 Events 1192 - Minamoto Yoritomo becomes Seii Tai Shōgun and the De facto ruler of Japan. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. The 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt ( August 19 - August 21, 1991) also known as the August Putsch or August Coup was a three-day The Saeima, Latvia's parliament, was again elected in 1993, and Russia completed its military withdrawal in 1994. Saeima is the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a Unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by Proportional representation

The major goals of Latvia in the 1990s, to join NATO and the European Union, were achieved in 2004. The North Atlantic Treaty The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Language and citizenship laws have been opposed by many Russophones, although a majority have now become citizens. See also Russophone (novel A Russophone (or russophone; русскоговорящий русскоязычный russkogovoryashchy (Citizenship was not automatically extended to former Soviet citizens who settled during the Soviet occupation or to their subsequent offspring. Children born to non-nationals after the reestablishment of independence are automatically entitled to citizenship. ) The government denationalised private property confiscated by the Soviet rule, returning it or compensating the owners for it, and privatised most state-owned industries, reintroducing the prewar currency. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business For common abbreviations see LAT (disambiguation The lats (plural lati, ISO 4217 currency code LVL or 428 is the After a difficult transition to a liberal economy and its re-orientation toward Western Europe, though its economy has one of the highest growth rates.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Latvia

The 100-seat unicameral Latvian parliament, the Saeima, is elected by direct popular vote every four years. The politics of Latvia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic Republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the Unicameralism is the practice of having only one legislative or Parliamentary chamber TalkParliament#Screen-size. -->A  parliament is a Legislature, especially in those Saeima is the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a Unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by Proportional representation A general election is an Election in which all or most members of a given political body are up for election The president is elected by the Saeima in a separate election, also held every four years. The president appoints a prime minister who, together with his cabinet, forms the executive branch of the government, which has to receive a confidence vote by the Saeima. This article is about the government position For other uses see Prime Minister (disambiguation. A cabinet is a body of high-ranking members of Government, typically representing the executive branch. In Political science and Constitutional law, the executive is the branch of government responsible for the day-to-day management of the State. Saeima is the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a Unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by Proportional representation This system also existed before the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including ^[3] Highest civil servants are sixteen Secretaries of state.

Membership of the EU and NATO were major policy goals during the 1990s. In a nation-wide referendum on September 20, 2003, 66. A referendum (plural referendums or referenda) ballot question, or plebiscite (from Latin plebiscita Events 451 - The Battle of Chalons takes place in North Eastern France. Year 2003 ( MMIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. 9% of those taking part voted in favour of joining the European Union. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Latvia became a member of the European Union on May 1, 2004. The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Latvia has been a NATO member since March 29, 2004. The North Atlantic Treaty Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again "

Latvia has had strained relations with the Russian Federation due to Russian discontent with Latvian language and citizenship policies, as well as Latvia's requests for Russia to recognise it as continuous with the first Latvian Republic and acknowledge consequences of Soviet occupation. Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia.

Districts and regions

Main articles: Districts of Latvia, Regions of Latvia, and Subdivisions of Latvia

Latvia is divided into 26 districts (rajoni). |||} Latvia is divided into 26 districts ( rajons; pl rajoni) and 7 cities ( lielpilsētas; singular lielpilsēta) indicated with asterisks Latvia is divided into several historical and cultural regions The districts of Latvia are divided into 77 cities ( Latv: pilsētas, plur |||} Latvia is divided into 26 districts ( rajons; pl rajoni) and 7 cities ( lielpilsētas; singular lielpilsēta) indicated with asterisks There are also seven cities (lielpilsētas) that have a separate status. Latvia is also divided into five planning regions. ^[4]

Regions

• Kurzeme
• Latgale
• Riga
• Vidzeme
• Zemgale

Districts

Aizkraukle District Alūksne District Balvi District Bauska District Cēsis District Daugavpils District Daugavpils (city) Dobele District Gulbene District Jēkabpils District Jelgava District Jelgava (city) Jūrmala (city) Krāslava District Kuldīga District Liepāja District Liepāja (city)

Limbaži District Ludza District Madona District Ogre District Preiļi District Rēzekne District Rēzekne (city) Rīga District Rīga (city) Saldus District Talsi District Tukums District Valka District Valmiera District Ventspils District Ventspils (city)

50km

• Abrene District (1919 – 1940), the eastern part of which was annexed to Russia in 1944. The Aizkraukle District (Aizkraukles rajons a͡izkra͡ukles raju͡ons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme and Selonia The Alūksne district (Alūksnes rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east 202 Km The Balvi District (Balvu rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Latgale region in the country's east The Bauska District (Bauskas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Semigallia region in the country's centre The Cēsis District (Cēsu rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east The Daugavpils District (Daugavpils rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Latgale region in the country's south-east Daugavpils (daugavpils) is the second largest City in Latvia. The Dobele District (Dobeles rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland and Semigallia regions in the country's The Gulbene District (Gulbenes rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east The Jēkabpils district (Jēkabpils rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Latgale region in the country's east The Jelgava District (Jelgavas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Semigallia region in the country's centre Jelgava (jælgava) is a Town in central Latvia about 41 km southwest of Riga with 66087 inhabitants (2006 Jūrmala (jurmala) meaning "seaside" or "beach" in Latvian, is a city in Latvia, not far from Riga. The Krāslava District (Krāslavas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Latgale region in the country's east The Kuldīga District (Kuldīgas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland region in the country's west The Liepāja District (Liepājas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland region in the country's west Liepāja (liepaja) is a city in western Latvia on the Baltic sea and the administrative center of Liepāja district. The Limbaži District (Limbažu rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east at the shore The Ludza District (Ludzas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Latgale region in the country's east The Madona District (Madonas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme and Latgale regions in the country's east The Ogre District (Ogres rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Semigallia and Vidzeme regions in the country's centre The Preiļi District (Preiļu rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Latgale region in the country's east The Rēzekne District (Rēzeknes rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Latgale region in the country's east Rēzekne (ræzekne) is a city in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia, 242 km east of Riga. The Riga District (Rīgas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Semigallia and Vidzeme regions in the centre of the Riga (Rīga riːga) the Capital of Latvia, is situated on the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. The Saldus District (Saldus rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland region in the country's west The Talsi District (Talsu rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland region in the country's west The Tukums District (Tukuma rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland region in the country's west The Valka district (Valkas rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east The Valmiera district (Valmieras rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Vidzeme region in the country's north-east The Ventspils District (Ventspils rajons is an administrative division of Latvia, located in the Courland region in the country's west Ventspils (ventspils; Windau is a City in northwestern Latvia on the coast of the Baltic Sea. The Abrene district (Abrenes apriņķis was an administrative district in the Republic of Latvia with an area of 4292 square kilometers formed in 1925 from the northern part Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending
  The legal status of the annexed portion is disputed — the western part of the former district is now in Balvi District.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Latvia

Located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Latvia lies on the East European Plain. Geographic coordinates: Latvia lies on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea on the level northwestern part of the rising East European platform between The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The East European Plain (also Russian Plain) is a Plain comprised of a series of river basins in Eastern Europe. It consists of fertile, low-lying plains, largely covered by forest, mostly pines, the highest point being the Gaiziņkalns at 311. A forest is an area with a high density of Trees There are many definitions of a forest based on various criteria This article is about the tree For other uses of the term "pine" see Pine (disambiguation. Gaiziņkalns, at 312 m above sea level constitutes the highest point in Latvia. 6 m (1,020 ft). A foot (plural feet or foot; symbol or abbreviation ft or sometimes &prime – the prime symbol) is a non-SI unit Phytogeographically, Latvia is shared between the Central European and Eastern European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. Phytogeography, also called geobotany is the branch of Biogeography that is concerned with the geographic distribution of Plant Species, or more generally Vaccinium vitis-idaea 20060824 003jpg|thumb|right| Vaccinium vitis-idaea ]]Alnus-viridis Rhododendron-palustreJPG|thumb|right| Rhododendron tomentosum ]]The Boreal Kingdom or Holarctic Kingdom ( Holarctis) is a Floristic kingdom According to the WWF, the territory of Latvia belongs to the ecoregion of Sarmatic mixed forests. An ecoregion ( ecological region) sometimes called a bioregion, is an ecologically and geographically defined area smaller than a "realm" or " Sarmatic mixed forests constitute an Ecoregion within the Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests zone according to the WWF classification (ecoregion PA0436 Common species of wildlife in Latvia include deer, wild boar, fox, beaver and wolves. A deer is a Ruminant Mammal belonging to the family Cervidae. The boar or wild boar ( Sus scrofa) is an Omnivorous, gregarious Mammal of the biological family Suidae. A fox is an Animal belonging to any one of about 27 Species (of which only 12 actually belong to the Vulpes genus or 'true foxes' of small Beavers are two primarily nocturnal semi-aquatic species of Rodent, one native to North America and one to Europe The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora ^[5] The major rivers include the Daugava, the Lielupe, the Gauja, the Venta, and the Salaca. The Daugava or Western Dvina (Daugava Западная Двина́ (Zapadnaya Dvina Заходняя Дзвiна za'xodnʲaja dzʲvʲi'na Dźwina Düna Väina The Lielupe The Gauja ( Estonian and Livonian: Koiva; German: Livländische Aa, see Aa River) is one of the longest Rivers The Salaca ( Estonian Salatsi) is a river in Latvia, which flows into the Gulf of Riga. An inlet of the Baltic Sea, the shallow Gulf of Riga is situated in the northwest of the country. The Baltic Sea is a Brackish inland sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N Latitude and from 20°E to 26°E Longitude. The Gulf of Riga, or Bay of Riga, is a bay of the Baltic Sea between Latvia and Estonia. Latvia's coastline extends for 531 kilometers. Its neighbors include Estonia to the north (267 kilometers of common border), Lithuania to the south (453 kilometers), Belarus to the southeast (141 kilometers), and Russia to the east (217 kilometers). Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia ( Eesti or Eesti Vabariik) is a Country in Northern Europe in the Baltic region Lithuania, officially the Republic of Lithuania (Lietuvos Respublika is a Country in Eastern often referred to as Northern Europe or in the Belarus ( Belarusian Беларусь / Biełaruś is a Landlocked country in Eastern Europe, bordered by Russia to the north and east Russia (Россия Rossiya) or the Russian Federation ( Rossiyskaya Federatsiya) is a transcontinental Country extending Prior to World War II, Latvia bordered eastern Poland, but as a result of boundary changes by the Soviet Union, this part of Poland was attached to Belarus. Latvia ceded a part of the former Abrene District (2% of its territory) to Russia in the 2007. The Abrene district (Abrenes apriņķis was an administrative district in the Republic of Latvia with an area of 4292 square kilometers formed in 1925 from the northern part

Climate

The Latvian climate is humid, continental and temperate owing to the maritime influence of the Baltic Sea. Climate encompasses the temperatures humidity rainfall atmospheric particle count and numerous other meteorogical factors in a given region over long periods of The humid continental climate is a Climate found over large areas of land masses in the temperate regions of the mid-latitudes where there is a zone of conflict between Summers are warm and the weather in spring and autumn fairly mild, however, the winters can be extreme due to the northern location. Precipitation is common throughout the year with the heaviest rainfall falling in August. During severe spells of winter weather in Latvia is dominated by cold winds from the interior of Russia and severe snowfalls are common.

Economy

Main article: Economy of Latvia

Since the year 2000 Latvia has had one of the highest (GDP) growth rates in Europe. Latvia has the fastest growing economy in Europe It has had high GDP growth since 2000. ^[6] In 2006, annual GDP growth was 11. 9% and inflation was 6. In economics inflation or price inflation is a rise in the general level of prices of goods and services over a period of time 2%. Unemployment was 8. Unemployment occurs when a person is available to work and currently seeking work but the person is without work. 5% — almost unchanged compared to the previous two years. However, it has recently dropped to 6. 1%, partly due to active economic migration, mostly to Ireland and the United Kingdom. Human migration denotes any movement by Humans from one locality to another sometimes over long distances or Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located Some believe that Latvia's flat tax is responsible for its high growth rate, but this is not universally accepted. A flat tax (short for flat rate tax is a Tax system with a constant tax rate Privatisation is mostly complete, except for some of the large state-owned utilities. Privatization is the incidence or process of transferring ownership of business from the Public sector (government to the Private sector (business Public ownership (also called government ownership, state ownership or state property) refers to Government Ownership of any Latvia is a member of the World Trade Organization (1999) and the European Union (2004). The European Union ( EU) is a political and economic union of twenty-seven member states, located primarily in

The fast growing economy is regarded as a possible economic bubble, because it is driven mainly by growth of domestic consumption, financed by a serious increase of private debt, as well as a negative foreign trade balance. An economic bubble (sometimes referred to as a speculative bubble, a market bubble, a price bubble, a financial bubble, or a speculative In economics consumption is the primary motivating force in the wealth or utility maximizing paradigm Debt is that which is owed usually referencing Assets owed but the term can cover other obligations The balance of trade (or net exports, sometimes symbolized as NX) is the difference between the monetary value of Exports and imports in an The prices of real estate, which were appreciating at approximately 5% a month, are perceived to be too high for the economy, which mainly produces low valued goods and raw materials. Real estate is a legal term (in some jurisdictions notably in the USA, United Kingdom A raw material is something that is acted upon or used by Organisms, or by human labour or Industry, for use as a Building material to create some product As stated by Ober-Haus, a real estate company operating in Poland and the Baltics, the prices of some segments of the real estate market have stabilised as of summer 2006 and some experts expect serious reduction of prices in the near future. The government has recently introduced a special program to reduce inflation and retain high growth rates. The main points of the plan are:

• To create a non-deficit country budget for the current 2007 year and a budget with a surplus for 2008 and beyond;
• to tax any transaction concerning real estate that has been in a person's possession less than three years;
• to increase control of credit;
• to increase energy effectiveness in homes and business to guard against possible rises in energy costs, and
• to increase work productivity and stimulate competition in business.

Latvia plans to introduce the Euro as the country's currency but, due to the inflation being above EMU's guidelines, this is unlikely to happen before 2010. Please update other articles as well to avoid contradiction within Wikipedia e In economics a Monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency amongst themselves

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Latvia

-

Latvians	60. Latvia was ruled by the German Teutonic Knights from the early 13th century until 1583 when after collapse of Livonia the rule was taken over by Polish-Lithunian Commonwealth Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which 0%
Russians	27. The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries 3%
Belarusians	3. Belarusians or Belorussians (Беларусы Biełarusy previously also spelled Belarussians, Byelorussians and Belorusians, also 7%
Ukrainians	2. Ukrainians (Українці Ukrayintsi,) are an East Slavic Ethnic group primarily living in Ukraine, or more broadly— Citizens 5%
Poles	2. The Polish people, or Poles, (Polacy) are a Western Slavic Ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. 4%
Lithuanians	1. Lithuanians are the Baltic Ethnic group native to Lithuania, where they number a little over 3 million 4%
Jews	0. Ashkenazi Jews, also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim ( Hebrew: אַשְׁכֲּנָזִים, ˌaʃkəˈnazim sing 5%
Roma	0. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins 4%
Germans	0. The Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten or Baltendeutsche) were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today 2%
Estonians	0. Estonians ( Estonian: eestlased, previously maarahvas) are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting primarily the country 1%
Others	1. 5%

Ethnicities

Latvia's population has been multiethnic for centuries, though the demographics shifted dramatically in the twentieth century due to the World Wars, the emigration and removal of Baltic Germans, the Holocaust, and occupation by the Soviet Union. In Biology a population is the collection of inter-breeding organisms of a particular Species; in Sociology Multi-ethnic societies, in contrast to single ethnic societies integrate different Ethnic groups irrespective of differences in culture race and history under a common Demographics or demographic data refers to selected population characteristics as used in government Marketing or opinion research or the Demographic profiles The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten or Baltendeutsche) were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today The Holocaust (from the Greek el ''ὁλόκαυστον'' (el-Latn holókauston holos, "completely" and kaustos, "burnt" also known as The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991

Latvians and Livonians, the indigenous peoples of Latvia, now form about 60% of the population; 28% of the inhabitants are Russian. Latvians or Letts (latvieši the indigenous Baltic people of Latvia, occasionally refer to themselves by the ancient name of Latvji, which The Livonians or Livs are the indigenous inhabitants of Livonia, a large part of what is today the northwestern Latvia and southwestern The Russian people (Русские— Russkie) are an East Slavic Ethnic group, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries ^[7] Approximately 56% of the ethnic Russians living in Latvia are citizens of Latvia. ^[7] In 2005 there were even fewer Latvians than in 1989, though their share of the population was larger — 1,357,099 (58. 8% of the inhabitants).

Languages

Main article: Languages of Latvia

The official language of Latvia is Latvian, which belongs to the Baltic language group of the Indo-European language family. Latvian language (latviešu valoda is the official state language of Latvia. The Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Another notable language of Latvia is the nearly extinct Livonian language of the Baltic-Finnic subbranch of the Uralic language family, which enjoys protection by law; Latgalian language — a dialect of Latvian — is also protected by Latvian law as historical variation of Latvian language. Livonian (Līvõ kēļ belongs to the Baltic Finnic branch of the Uralic languages. The Baltic-Finnic languages, spoken around the Baltic Sea by about 7 million people are a branch of Finnic languages belonging to the Finno-Ugric group The Uralic languages (jʊˈrælɨk constitute a language family of 39 Languages spoken by approximately 20 million people Latgalian language can mean one of the following It was a language spoken by Latgalians in a great part of the area which is now Latvia. Russian which was official during the Soviet occupation is by far the most widespread minority language and also known by the majority of Latvians. Russian ( transliteration:,) is the most geographically widespread language of Eurasia, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages The occupation of the Baltic states refers to the occupation of the Baltic states ( Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) first by the In fact, knowledge of Russian is more widespread than knowledge of Latvian, 81% of all inhabitants know Russian, while only 79% know Latvian. ^[8]

Religion

The largest religion is Christianity, although only 7% of population attend religious services regularly. Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings ^[9] The largest groups in 2006 are:

• Lutheran — 400,000
• Roman Catholic — 450,000^[10]
• Eastern Orthodox — 350,000^[11]

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005,^[12] 37% of Latvian citizens responded that "they believe there is a god", whereas 49% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 10% that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, god, or life force". The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB is a Lutheran Protestant church in Latvia. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world Eurobarometer is a series of surveys regularly performed on behalf of the European Commission since 1973

Lutheranism was much stronger before the Soviet occupation, when it was a majority religion, but since then Lutheranism in all the Baltic States has declined to a much greater extent than Roman Catholicism has. The Baltic states (Balti riigid Baltijas valstis Baltijos valstybės or Baltic countries are three countries in Northern Europe, all members of the The country's Orthodox Christians belong to the Latvian Orthodox Church, a semi-autonomous body within the Russian Orthodox Church. The Latvian Orthodox Church (Latvijas Pareizticīgā Baznīca Латвийская Православная Церковь is a semi-autonomous Eastern Orthodox See also Eastern Orthodox Church Structure and organization The Slavic Orthodox Church is organized in a hierarchical structure There are 182 known Muslims living in Latvia though the total number is estimated to be much larger: from 500 to 5,000. The presence of Muslims in Latvia was first recorded in the early 1800s There are also Jews (9,743 in 2006) in Latvia. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut

There are more than 600 Latvian neopagans, Dievturi (The Godskeepers), whose religion is based on Latvian mythology. Neopaganism or Neo-Paganism is an Umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements particularly those influenced by historical Dievturība is a Neopagan religious movement a modern revival of the Ethnic religion of the Latvians before Christianization in the ^[13] About 40% of the total population is not affiliated with a specific religion.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Latvia

Between the thirteenth and nineteenth century, Baltic Germans, many of whom were originally of non-German ancestry but had been assimilated into German culture, formed the upper class. The culture of Latvia combines traditional Latvian and Livonian heritage with influences of the country's varied historical heritage. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The Baltic Germans (Deutschbalten or Baltendeutsche) were mostly ethnically German inhabitants of the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, which today They developed a distinct cultural heritage, characterised by both Latvian and German influences. It has survived in German Baltic families to this day, in spite of their dispersal to Germany, the USA, Canada and other countries in the early 20th century. However, most indigenous Latvians did not participate in this particular cultural life. Thus, the mostly peasant local pagan heritage was preserved, partly merging with Christian traditions, for example in one of the most popular celebrations today which is Jāņi, a pagan celebration of the summer solstice, celebrated on the feast day of St. Paganism (from Latin paganus, meaning "country dweller rustic" is a word used to refer to various religions and religious beliefs from across the world Jāņi (jaːɲi is a Latvian festival held in the night from 23 June to 24 June to celebrate the summer Solstice, the shortest night and longest Solstices occur twice a year when the tilt of the Earth's axis is most oriented toward or away from the Sun, causing the Sun to reach its northernmost and southernmost extremes John the Baptist. Saint John the Baptist ( heb. Jochanan ben Sacharja, arab. يحيى Yaḥyā or يوحنا Yūḥanna, aram.

In the nineteenth century Latvian nationalist movements emerged promoting Latvian culture and encouraging Latvians to take part in cultural activities. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century is often regarded as a classical era of Latvian culture. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on Posters show the influence of other European cultures, for example, works of artists such as the Baltic-German artist Bernhard Borchert and the French Raoul Dufy. Bernhard Borchert (1863-1945 was a Baltic-German artist who spent the greatest part of his life in Latvia. Raoul Dufy ( 3 June 1877 – 23 March 1953) was a French Fauvist painter

After incorporation into the USSR, Latvian artists and writers were forced to follow the Socialist realism style of art. The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR was a constitutionally Socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991 Socialist realism is a teleologically -oriented style of realistic art which has as its purpose the furtherance of the goals of Socialism and Communism During the Soviet era, music became increasingly popular, with the most popular being songs from the 1980s. At this time, songs often made fun of the characteristics of Soviet life and were concerned about preserving Latvian identity. This aroused popular protests against the USSR and also gave rise to an increasing popularity of poetry. Since independence, theatre, scenography and classical music have become the most notable branches of Latvian culture. Theatre (or theater, see spelling differences) is the branch of the Performing arts defined by Bernard Beckerman as what "occurs when one Scenography is the practice of making Theatre including sets costumes and texts from a theoretical and practical point of view Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to mainstream music produced in or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and Secular music

International rankings

• Environmental Sustainability Index: 15/146
• Reporters Without Borders World-wide press freedom index: 12/168
• Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index: 49/163
• Heritage Foundation/The Wall Street Journal Index of Economic Freedom: 39/157

See also

Communications in Latvia Foreign relations of Latvia History of Russians in Latvia History of the Jews in Latvia Scouting and Guiding in Latvia Latvijas Televīzija

Latvian humour List of cities in Latvia List of museums in Latvia Military of Latvia Islam in Latvia National Roads in Latvia

Public holidays in Latvia Regions of Latvia Sports in Latvia Tourism in the Baltics Transportation in Latvia LGBT rights in Latvia

Bibliography

References

External links

Government

Country profiles

Other

Saeima is the Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. It is a Unicameral parliament consisting of 100 members who are elected by Proportional representation The United States of America —commonly referred to as the The Library of Congress is the De facto National library of the United States and the research arm of the United States Congress The World Factbook ( ISSN; also known as the CIA World Factbook) is an annual publication of the Central Intelligence Agency of the Lonely Planet Publications (usually known as Lonely Planet or LP) is one of the largest travel Guidebook publishers in the world Wikitravel is a Web -based project "to create a free, complete up-to-date and reliable worldwide travel guide. University of Latvia (LU (Latvijas Universitāte is the oldest University in Latvia located in Riga, Latvia. The Open Directory Project ( ODP) also known as dmoz (from directory

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