Misplaced Pages

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 67.80.35.98 (talk) at 01:30, 23 May 2010 (→History). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources in this article. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Latvia" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republika
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: "God bless Latvia!"   (Template:Lang-lv)
Location of Latvia (dark green) – in Europe (light green & dark grey) – in the European Union (light green)  –  [Legend]
Capitaland largest city	Riga
Official languages	Latvian
Ethnic groups	59.4% Latvians 27.6% Russians   3.6% Belarusians   2.5% Ukrainians   6.9% others
Demonym(s)	Latvian
Government	Parliamentary republic
• President	Valdis Zatlers
• Prime Minister	Valdis Dombrovskis
Independence from Russia
• Declared	November 18, 1918
• Recognized	January 26, 1921
• Soviet occupation	August 5, 1940
• Nazi German occupation	July 10, 1941
• Soviet occupation	1944
• Announced	May 4, 1990
• Restored	September 6, 1991
Area
• Total	64,589 km (24,938 sq mi) (124th)
• Water (%)	1.57% (1,014 km)
Population
• July 2009 estimate	2,231,503 (143rd)
• 2000 ppl census	2,377,383
• Density	34.4/km (89.1/sq mi) (166th)
GDP (PPP)	2009 estimate
• Total	$32.234 billion
• Per capita	$14,254
GDP (nominal)	2009 estimate
• Total	$26.247 billion
• Per capita	$11,607
Gini (2003)	37.7 medium inequality
HDI (2008)	0.866 Error: Invalid HDI value (48th)
Currency	Lats (Ls) (LVL)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Drives on	Right
Calling code	+371
ISO 3166 code	LV
Internet TLD	.lv
Latvia is de jure continuous with its declaration November 18, 1918.

Latvia (/ˈlætviə/; Template:Lang-lv), officially the Republic of Latvia (Template:Lang-lv) is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), to the east by the Russian Federation (276 km), and to the southeast by Belarus (141 km). Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden. The territory of Latvia covers 64,589 km (24,938 sq mi) and it has a temperate seasonal climate.

The Latvians are Baltic people culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian, but not with the Estonian language (a Finno-Ugric language). Today the Latvian and Lithuanian languages are the only surviving members of the Baltic languages of the Indo-European family. The modern name of Latvia is thought to originate from the ancient Latvian name Latvji, which, like the name of Lithuania, may have originated from the river named Latuva.

Latvia is a unitary parliamentary republic and is divided into 118 municipalities (109 counties and 9 cities). The capital and largest city is Riga. With a population of 2.24 million Latvia is one of the least-populous members of the European Union, and its population has declined since 1991. Latvia has been a member of the United Nations since September 17, 1991; of the European Union since May 1, 2004 and of the NATO since March 29, 2004.

Latvia regained independence in 1991. Following years of economic stagnation in the early 1990s, Latvia posted Europe-leading GDP growth figures during the 1998–2006 time period. In the global financial crisis of 2008–2010 Latvia was the hardest hit of the European Union member states, with a GDP decline of 26.54% in that period. Per Capita its GDP is only 57.3% of the EU average, making it one of the poorest member-states. In 2009, Latvia underwent a tempestuous change of government, and as a result, the country is facing renewed political instability.

Faggotry

Government and politics

The 100-seat unicameral Latvian parliament, the Saeima, is elected by direct popular vote every four years. 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 system also existed before World War II. Highest civil servants are sixteen Secretaries of State.

Foreign relations

Membership in the EU and NATO were major policy goals during the 1990s. In a nation-wide referendum on September 20, 2003, 66.9% of those taking part voted in favour of joining the European Union. Latvia became a member of the European Union on May 1, 2004. Latvia has been a NATO member since March 29, 2004.

The Treaty delimiting the boundary with Russia was signed and ratified in 2007. Under the treaty the Abrene district passed to Russia; talks over maritime boundary disputes with Lithuania are ongoing (the primary concern is oil exploration rights).

Military

Latvia's defense concept is based upon the Swedish-Finnish model of a rapid response force composed of a mobilization base and a small group of career professionals. The armed forces consists of mobile riflemen, an air force, and a navy. Latvia cooperates with Estonia and Lithuania in the joint infantry battalion BALTBAT and naval squadron BALTRON which are available for peacekeeping operations.

As of March 29, 2004, Latvia officially joined NATO. Currently, NATO is involved in the patrolling and protection of the Latvian air space as the Latvian army does not have the means to do so effectively. For this goal a rotating force of four NATO fighters, which comes from different nations and switches at two or three month intervals, is based in Lithuania to cover all three Baltic states (see Baltic Air Policing).

Administrative divisions

Since 2009 Latvia has one-level municipalities – 9 republican cities (Latvian: republikas pilsētas) (Daugavpils, Jēkabpils, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Liepāja, Rēzekne, Riga, Valmiera, Ventspils) and 109 municipalities (Latvian: novadi). There are four historical and cultural regions in Latvia - Courland, Latgalia, Vidzeme, Zemgale. Their borders usually are not explicit definite and in several sources may vary. To promote balanced development of all regions, in 2009 five planning regions of Latvia (Template:Lang-lv) were created:

Geography

Located on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, Latvia lies on the East European Plain. However, in vegetation is much different than the rest of the plain and shares many similarities with the boreal biome. It consists of fertile, low-lying plains, largely covered by forest, mostly pines, the highest point being the Gaiziņkalns at 311.6 m (1,022 ft).

Phytogeographically, Latvia is shared between the Central European and Northern European provinces of the Circumboreal Region within the Boreal Kingdom. According to the WWF, the territory of Latvia belongs to the ecoregion of Sarmatic mixed forests. The major rivers include the Daugava River, the Lielupe, the Gauja, the Venta, and the Salaca. An inlet of the Baltic Sea, the shallow Gulf of Riga is situated in the northwest of the country. Latvia's coastline extends for 531 kilometres.

Fauna

Common species of wildlife in Latvia include deer, wild boar, moose, lynx, bear, fox, beaver and wolves. Non-marine molluscs of Latvia include 159 species.

Climate

The Latvian climate is humid, continental and temperate owing to the maritime influence of the Baltic Sea. 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 in July. During severe spells of winter weather, Latvia is dominated by cold winds from the interior of Russia, and severe snowfalls are very common.

Latvia's national trees, bird, flower and insect

Latvia's national trees are oak (Quercus robur), Latvian: ozols, and linden (Tilia cordata), Latvian: liepa. Oaks and Lindens are considered the national trees of Latvia. The oak and the linden tree are characteristic elements of the Latvian landscape. Both trees are still widely used for medical purposes. Medicinal infusions are made of linden blossoms as well as oak bark. Latvian dainas (folk songs) often reflect ethical and moral concepts of earlier times. Amongst other trees, these folk songs most often mention the oak and linden tree. In traditional Latvian folk beliefs and folklore the linden tree is looked upon as a female symbol, but the oak – a male symbol. The nation's reverence for these trees, which in earlier times were considered sacred, can be witnessed, for example, in a landscape where, in the middle of a cultivated field there still remains a lone large, sacred oak or linden tree.

Latvia's national bird is the White Wagtail (Motacilla alba), Latvian: baltā cielava. This slender and graceful bird is found in Latvia from April till October. The White Wagtail can usually be seen running briskly along the ground, wagging its tail up and down. This bird typically nests in the rafters and eaves of buildings, woodpiles, stone piles, and birdhouses. During the winter it migrates to Southern Europe and North Africa. The White Wagtail was affirmed the national bird of Latvia in 1960 by the International Bird Protection Council.

Latvia's national flower is the oxeye daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare also known as Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), Latvian: pīpene. In Latvian conditions, the common or wild daisy blossoms from June till September. Daisies are a very popular flower and are often used in flower arrangements or given as gifts.

Latvia's national insect is the Two-spot ladybird (Adalia bipunctata), Latvian: mārīte. The two-spot ladybird is familiar as a useful insect that protects plants from parasites. Although rather slow by nature, it can defend itself well. Due to its appearance and behaviour it is widely known and liked throughout Latvia. The insect's Latvian name – marite – is a synonym for the ancient Latvian goddess Mara, who embodies the power of the earth. The two-spot ladybird was designated the national insect of Latvia by the Entomological Society of Latvia.

Economy

Latvia is a member of the World Trade Organization (1999) and the European Union (2004).

Since the year 2000 Latvia has had one of the highest (GDP) growth rates in Europe. However, the chiefly consumption-driven growth in Latvia resulted in the collapse of the Latvian GDP in late 2008 and early 2009, exacerbated by the global economic crisis and shortage of credit. Latvian economy fell 18% in the first three months of 2009, the biggest fall in the European Union. According to Eurostat data, Latvian PPS GDP per capita stood at 56 per cent of the EU average in 2008.

This latest scenario has proven the earlier assumptions that the fast growing economy was heading for implosion of the economic bubble, because it was driven mainly by growth of domestic consumption, financed by a serious increase of private debt, as well as a negative foreign trade balance. The prices of real estate, which were at some points appreciating at approximately 5% a month, were long perceived to be too high for the economy, which mainly produces low-value goods and raw materials. Since 2001, Latvia's chief export has been domestic livestock.

Latvia plans to introduce the Euro as the country's currency but, due to the inflation being above EMU's guidelines, the government's official target is now January 1, 2012. However in October 2007, with inflation above 11%, the head of the National Bank of Latvia suggested that 2013 may be a more realistic date.

Privatization in Latvia is almost complete. Virtually all of the previously state-owned small and medium companies have been successfully privatized, leaving only a small number of politically sensitive large state companies. Latvian privatization efforts have led to the development of a dynamic and prosperous private sector, which accounted for nearly 68% of GDP in 2000.

Foreign investment in Latvia is still modest compared with the levels in north-central Europe. A law expanding the scope for selling land, including to foreigners, was passed in 1997. Representing 10.2% of Latvia's total foreign direct investment, American companies invested $127 million in 1999. In the same year, the United States exported $58.2 million of goods and services to Latvia and imported $87.9 million. Eager to join Western economic institutions like the World Trade Organization, OECD, and the European Union, Latvia signed a Europe Agreement with the EU in 1995—with a 4-year transition period. Latvia and the United States have signed treaties on investment, trade, and intellectual property protection and avoidance of double taxation.

Economic contraction 2008

The Latvian economy entered a phase of fiscal contraction during the second half of 2008 after an extended period of credit-based speculation and unrealistic inflation of real estate values. The national account deficit for 2007, for example, represented more than 22% of the GDP for the year while inflation was running at 10%.

Paul Krugman, the Nobel Laureate in economics for 2008, wrote in his New York Times Op-Ed column for December 15, 2008:

"The most acute problems are on Europe’s periphery, where many smaller economies are experiencing crises strongly reminiscent of past crises in Latin America and Asia: Latvia is the new Argentina "

However by 2010 commentators noted signs of stabilisation in the Latvian economy. Rating agency Standard & Poor's raised its outlook on Latvia's debt from negative to stable. Latvia's current account, which had been in deficit by 27% in late 2006 was in surplus in February 2010. Kenneth Orchard, senior analyst at Moody's investors service argued that:

"The strengthening regional economy is supporting Latvian production and exports, while the sharp swing in the current account balance suggests that the country’s ‘internal devaluation’ is working."

Infrastructure

The transport sector is around 14% of GDP. Transit between Russia and the West is large.

Key ports are in Riga, Ventspils, and Liepāja. Most transit traffic uses these and half the cargo is crude oil and oil products.

Riga International Airport is the largest airport with 3.7 million passengers in 2008.

Demographics

Ethnic and cultural diversity

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. According to the Russian Empire Census of 1897, the Latvians formed 68.3% of the total population of 1.93 million; Russians accounted for 12%, Jews for 7.4%, Germans for 6.2%, and Poles for 3.4%.

Latvians and Livonians, the indigenous peoples of Latvia, now form about 60.2% of the population; 27,57% of the inhabitants are Russians , Belorussians 3.57%, Ukrainians 2.47% , Poles 2.32%, Lithuanians 1.33%, Jews 0.43%, Roma people 0.38%, Germans 0.2, Estonians 0.1% and others 2.22. Approximately 56% of the ethnic Russians living in Latvia are citizens of Latvia.

In some large cities, e.g. Riga, Daugavpils and Rēzekne, Russians and other minorities outnumber Latvians. Minorities from other countries such as Belarus, Ukraine, Poland, Lithuania, etc., also live in Latvia. The share of ethnic Latvians had fallen from 77% (1,467,035) in 1935 to 52% (1,387,757) in 1989. In 2005 there were even fewer Latvians than in 1989, though their share of the population was larger — 1,357,099 (60.% of the inhabitants).

Language

The official language of Latvia is Latvian, which belongs to the Baltic language group of the Indo-European language family. 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 — a dialect of Latvian — is also protected by Latvian law as a historical variation of the Latvian language. Russian which was widely spoken during the Soviet period, and also during the Russian Imperial period is by far the most widely used minority language and is also understood by virtually all Latvians who started their education during the Soviet period.

Religion

There are significant numbers of atheists, perhaps a majority of the population. The largest religion is Christianity. About 7% of the population attends religious services regularly. The largest groups in 2006 are:

• Roman Catholic – 500,000
• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia – 450,000
• Latvian Orthodox – 350,000

According to the most recent Eurobarometer Poll 2005, 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". 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 country's Orthodox Christians belong to the Latvian Orthodox Church, a semi-autonomous body within the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2006, there were 9,743 Jews and 182 Muslims living in Latvia.

There are more than 600 Latvian neopagans, Dievturi (The Godskeepers), whose religion is based on Latvian mythology. About 40% of the total population is not affiliated with a specific religion.

Education

The University of Latvia is the oldest university in Latvia, having been established on September 28, 1919, and is located in Riga. Daugavpils University is the second largest university. Because of a decreasing population Latvia has closed an average of 13 schools a year since 2006–2009, and in the same period enrollment in educational institutions has fallen by 31,000 people. Another well know university in Latvia is LLU(Latvias lauksaimniecibas universitate)(Latvian university of Agriculture). It is located in Jelgava.

Public health

Latvian healthcare system is a universal program, largely funded through government taxation. It is consistently ranked as one of the worst health care systems in Europe, and the developed world. This is because waiting time for treatment remains excessive, there are significant shortcomings in the sector of pharmacy – residents often do not have access to the latest medicines, and the pharmaceutical sector in Latvia lags behind.

Corruption is widespread in the Latvian healthcare system, though it has improved somewhat since the early 1990s. It has been noted that government janitors have higher salaries than nurses, and factory laborers can earn more than some doctors in Latvia. This results in brain drain, mostly to other (western) EU nations, and health care corruption. It is not uncommon for Latvians to bribe doctors in order to treat them. Most notably, the current president of Latvia, Valdis Zatlers, was suspected of taking bribes from his patients, while he was a doctor in Riga, and was investigated multiple times by the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB), as well as Transparency International.. It must be noted, that it is common in Latvia to tip doctors and nurses after treatment, especially, when patients know, that tips are one of few reasons to keep working in this industry.

As of 2007, there are approximately 10,000 (0.8%) inhabitants of Latvia who are living with HIV/AIDS. Average life expectancy at birth is 72.7 years, second lowest in the European Union. There were 59 Hospitals in Latvia in 2009, down from 94 in 2007, and 121 in 2006. Ivars Eglitis, the former Health minister of Latvia, estimated that by 2013 only 24 hospitals would still be in operation in Latvia. There were 32,376 individual instances of clinically reported alcoholism in 2008, in Latvia, or 1.44% of the population. There were several further addictions to other substances. Latvia had a suicide rate of 24.5 per 100,000 citizens in 2005, thus making it the 7th highest rate in the world. This rate has declined from the 1995 rate of 40.7 per 100,000.

Culture and arts

Traditional Latvian folklore, especially the dance of the Nabiha folk songs date back well over a thousand years. More than 1.2 million texts and 30,000 melodies of folk songs have been identified.

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. They developed 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. John the Baptist.

In the nineteenth century Latvian nationalist movements emerged promoting Latvian culture and encouraging Latvians to take part in cultural activities. The nineteenth century and beginning of the twentieth century is often regarded as a classical era of Latvian culture. 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. With the onset of World War II, many Latvian artists and other members of the cultural elite fled the country yet continued to produce their work, largely for a Latvian émigré audience.

After incorporation into the Soviet Union, Latvian artists and writers were forced to follow the Socialist realism style of art. 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, choir music and classical music have become the most notable branches of Latvian culture.

International rankings

See also

• Telecommunications in Latvia
• Scouting and Guiding in Latvia
• Latvian Television
• Tourism in the Baltics
• LGBT rights in Latvia
• Sport in Latvia

References

Notes

1. ^ "2008 Resident population by ethnicity at the beginning of the year". Centrālās statistikas pārvaldes datu bāzes. Retrieved 2008-01-25.
2. ^ CIA Factbook: Latvia, Template:En icon
3. ^ "Latvia". International Monetary Fund. Retrieved 2010-04-21.
4. Latvijas Statistikas
5. http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9ECFF2G0.htm
6. http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2009/02/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=59&pr.y=12&sy=2007&ey=2014&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=941&s=NGDP_RPCH&grp=0&a=
7. http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tsieb010
8. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/2eb15a02-2d60-11df-a262-00144feabdc0.html?nclick_check=1
9. Template:Lv iconConstitution of the Republic of Latvia with amendments and revisions (Official english translation) (Retrieved on December 24, 2006)
10. "List of species". Nature of Latvia. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
11. "Growth rate of real GDP per capita". Eurostat. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
12. Latvian GDP Shrank 18% in First Quarter, EU’s Biggest Fall – Bloomberg.com
13. "Latvian economy in rapid decline". BBC News. 2009-05-11. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
14. "GDP per capita in PPS" (PDF). Eurostat. Retrieved 2009-06-25.
15. "Bank targets 2013 as Latvia's 'E-day'". Baltictimes.com. 2009-01-05. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
16. "Latvia". CIA. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
17. Krugman, Paul (2008-12-15). "European Crass Warfare". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-12-15.
18. ^ "Baltic Thaw, Aegean freeze", The Economist, 27 February 2010, p59
19. Baltic Business News, 8 February 2010
20. ^ Latvia, World Bank
21. "Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia --RESIDENT POPULATION BY ETHNICITY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR 2009". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 2009-02-12.
22. Latvia – Population. Source: U.S. Library of Congress.
23. "About Latvia". Latvian Academy of Culture. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
25. Eunice K. Y. Or (2004-09-23). "Trust in Religious Institutions does not convey to Church Attendance". Christian Today. Retrieved 2007-07-28.
26. ^ "Na Łotwie działa ponad 1,2 tys. wspólnot religijnych" (in Polish). Retrieved 2007-07-28.
27. "Eurobarometer on Social Values, Science and technology 2005 – page 11" (PDF). Retrieved 2007-05-05.
28. "Statistics of approved parishes in Latvia". Reliģiju Enciklopēdija (in Latvian). The Latvian Bible Society. 2004-01-01. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
29. University of Latvia
30. Education
31. "Latvia's Healthcare System is Funded by General Taxation and All Latvians and Foreign Residents Are Guaranteed Medical Care | Business Wire | Find Articles at BNET". Findarticles.com. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
32. The Baltic Course – Балтийский курс (2008-11-14). "Latvia has worst health care system in Europe :: The Baltic Course | Baltic States news & analytics". The Baltic Course. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
33. "Fighting Corruption in Health Care Services by David Hayhurst". Worldbank.org. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
34. "Delna.Lv". Delna.Lv. 1998-08-27. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
35. CIA – The World Factbook – Latvia
36. United Nations World Population Prospects: 2006 revision – Table A.17 for 2005–2010
37. ^ Jolly, David (2009-06-18). "Latvian Health Official Resigns Over Cuts". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-04-04.
38. "Latvijas Statistika". Csb.gov.lv. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
39. "The Baltic States and their health systems – From Soviet to EU". European-Hospital. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
40. "Latvijas Statistika". Csb.gov.lv. 2010-01-22. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
41. "WHO | Country reports and charts available". Who.int. 2009-12-07. Retrieved 2010-02-05.
42. Welcome to Latvia – Folk Songs
43. "Latvianart.org, "Historical Background"".

Bibliography

• Commercio, Michele E. Russian Minority Politics in Post-Soviet Latvia and Kyrgyzstan (University of Pennsylvania Press; 2010) 248 Examines Russian minorities' responses to policies favoring Latvian majorities
• Giuseppe D'Amato Travel to the Baltic Hansa. The European Union and its enlargement to the East. Book in Italian. Viaggio nell’Hansa baltica. L’Unione europea e l’allargamento ad Est. Greco&Greco editori, Milano, 2004. ISBN 88-7980-355-7
• Dreifelds, Juris (1996). Latvia in Transition. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521555371.
• Rutkis, Jānis (ed.) (1967). Latvia: Country & People. Stockholm: Latvian National Foundation. OCLC 457313. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
• Arveds, Švābe (1949). The Story of Latvia: A Historical Survey. Stockholm: Latvian National Foundation. OCLC 2961684.
• These names accuse : nominal list of Latvians deported to Soviet Russia in 1940–41 : with supplementary list (second edition ed.). Stockholm: Latvian National Foundation in cooperation with the World Federation and Free Latvians. 1982. OCLC 10403023. Retrieved 2007-07-30. {{cite book}}: |edition= has extra text (help)

External links

• The President of Latvia
• Chief of State and Cabinet Members
• National Statistics Agency statistical information on economical, demographic, social, and environmental phenomena and processes
• Historical maps online from Museum of the Occupation of Latvia.
• "Latvia". The World Factbook (2025 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency.
• Latvia from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Template:Dmoz
• Wikimedia Atlas of Latvia
• Template:Wikitravel

• "Na Łotwie działa ponad 1,2 tys. wspólnot religijnych" (in Polish). http://ekai.pl/wydarzenia/x12470/na-lotwie-dziala-ponad-tys-wspolnot-religijnych/. Retrieved 2007-07-28. • "Na Łotwie działa ponad 1,2 tys. wspólnot religijnych" (in Polish). http://ekai.pl/wydarzenia/x12470/na-lotwie-dziala-ponad-tys-wspolnot-religijnych/. Retrieved 2007-07-28. • "Na Łotwie działa ponad 1,2 tys. wspólnot religijnych" (in Polish). http://ekai.pl/wydarzenia/x12470/na-lotwie-dziala-ponad-tys-wspolnot-religijnych/. Retrieved 2007-07-28.

• Virtual World of Latvia (Latvian Institute)
• The Latvian Institute publications on Latvian society, economy, culture and history
• Latvia Travel Guide
• Map browser balticmaps.eu
• Currency Rates in Latvia, by city/town and regions
• vifanord – a digital library that provides scientific information on the Nordic and Baltic countries as well as the Baltic region as a whole

Geographic locale

v t e Countries and dependencies of Europe Sovereign states Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Kazakhstan Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Vatican City States with limited recognition Abkhazia Kosovo Northern Cyprus South Ossetia Transnistria Dependent territories Denmark Faroe Islands autonomous country of the Kingdom of Denmark United Kingdom Akrotiri and Dhekelia (Sovereign Base Areas) Gibraltar (British Overseas Territory) Crown Dependencies Bailiwick of Guernsey Alderney Guernsey Sark Bailiwick of Jersey Isle of Man Special areas of internal sovereignty Finland Åland (autonomous region subject to the Åland convention of 1921) Norway Svalbard (unincorporated area subject to the Svalbard Treaty) United Kingdom England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland (country of the United Kingdom subject to the British-Irish Agreement) Spans the conventional boundary between Europe and another continent. Considered European for cultural, political and historical reasons but is geographically in Western Asia. Oceanic islands within the vicinity of Europe are usually grouped with the continent even though they are not situated on its continental shelf. Governed by the Holy See which has sovereignty over Vatican City. Category Europe portal v t e Countries bordering the Baltic Sea Denmark Estonia Finland Åland Lapland Germany Schleswig-Holstein Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Latvia Lithuania Poland West Pomeranian Voivodeship Pomeranian Voivodeship Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship Russia Kaliningrad Oblast Leningrad Oblast Sweden v t e Baltic states  Estonia  Latvia  Lithuania History Territorial changes Baltic Entente United Baltic Duchy Occupation Timeline Background by the Soviet Union (1940) by Nazi Germany by the Soviet Union (1944) Deportations June deportation (1941) Operation Priboi (1949) State continuity Diplomatic services Under Soviet rule (1944-91) Guerrilla war Sovietization Singing Revolution Baltic Way Geography Largest cities tallest buildings National parks Politics Baltic Assembly Baltic Council of Ministers Military Air Policing Air Surveillance Network Defence College Naval Squadron Economy Baltic Tiger Busiest airports Housing bubble Regions Gross regional product Human Development Index OMX Baltic 10 Sport Baltic Cup Baltic Basketball League Swimming Championships Baltic Chain Tour Records in athletics in swimming Category Commons

International membership

v t e Member states of the European Union Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden See also: Potential enlargement and Former members v t e North Atlantic Treaty Organization Symbols Animus in consulendo liber Flag of NATO "The NATO Hymn" NATO Day NATO Medal NATO Star History North Atlantic Treaty Summits Operations List of exercises Enlargement potential withdrawal Opposition to NATO .nato Internet domain Structure NATO headquarters Council International Staff International Military Staff Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe Air Command Land Command Maritime Command JFC Brunssum JFC Naples JFC Norfolk Joint Support and Enabling Command STRIKFORNATO SHAPE International Band Allied Command Transformation Parliamentary Assembly Standardization agreement People Secretary General Chair of the Military Committee Supreme Allied Commander Europe Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Members Albania Belgium Bulgaria Canada Croatia Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Turkey United Kingdom United States Multilateral relations Atlantic Treaty Association Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council Mediterranean Dialogue Individual Partnership Action Plan Istanbul Cooperation Initiative Major non-NATO ally NATO global partners Open door policy Partnership for Peace Relationship with the European Union Relationship with Russia eastward NATO expansion issues Science for Peace and Security (SPS) See also Baghdad Pact (METO/CENTO) Balkan Pact Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) Suwałki Gap v t e World Trade Organization System Accession and membership Appellate Body Dispute Settlement Body International Trade Centre Chronology of key events Issues Criticism Doha Development Round Singapore issues Quota Elimination Peace Clause Agreements General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade Agriculture Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures Technical Barriers to Trade Trade-Related Investment Measures Trade in Services Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights Government Procurement Information Technology Marrakesh Agreement Doha Declaration Bali Package Ministerial Conferences 1st (1996) 2nd (1998) 3rd (1999) 4th (2001) 5th (2003) 6th (2005) 7th (2009) 8th (2011) 9th (2013) 10th (2015) 11th (2017) 12th (2022) People Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala (Director-General) Roberto Azevêdo Pascal Lamy Supachai Panitchpakdi Alejandro Jara Rufus Yerxa Members Afghanistan Albania Algeria Angola Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Australia Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belize Benin Bolivia Botswana Brazil Brunei Burkina Faso Myanmar Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Chile China Colombia Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Costa Rica Ivory Coast Cuba Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eswatini Fiji Gabon The Gambia Georgia Ghana Grenada Guatemala Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Iceland India Indonesia Israel Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya South Korea Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Lesotho Liberia Liechtenstein Macau Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Mauritania Mauritius Mexico Moldova Mongolia Montenegro Morocco Mozambique Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria North Macedonia Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Qatar Russia Rwanda St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa Saudi Arabia Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Solomon Islands South Africa Sri Lanka Suriname Switzerland Tajikistan Taiwan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Uruguay Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe European Union Austria Belgium Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China, participating as "Hong Kong, China" and "Macao, China". Officially the Republic of China, participates as "Separate Customs Territory of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen and Matsu", and "Chinese Taipei" in short. World portal v t e Council of Europe Institutions Secretary General Committee of Ministers Parliamentary Assembly Congress Court of Human Rights Commissioner for Human Rights Commission for the Efficiency of Justice Commission against Racism and Intolerance Venice Commission Pompidou Group Members Albania Andorra Armenia Austria Azerbaijan Belgium Bosnia and Herzegovina Bulgaria Croatia Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Georgia Germany Greece Hungary Iceland Ireland Italy Latvia Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Moldova Monaco Montenegro Netherlands North Macedonia Norway Poland Portugal Romania San Marino Serbia Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey Ukraine United Kingdom Observers Canada Holy See Israel Japan Mexico United States EU relations Former members Czechoslovakia (1991–1992) Russia (1996–2022) Saar (assoc. 1950–1956) Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006) v t e Organisation internationale de la Francophonie Members Members Albania Andorra Armenia Belgium Benin Bulgaria Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Cyprus Democratic Republic of the Congo Republic of the Congo Djibouti Dominica Egypt Equatorial Guinea France Gabon Ghana Greece Guinea-Bissau Haiti Ivory Coast Laos Lebanon Luxembourg North Macedonia Madagascar Mauritania Mauritius Moldova Monaco Morocco Qatar Romania Rwanda Saint Lucia São Tomé and Príncipe Senegal Seychelles Switzerland Togo Tunisia Vanuatu Vietnam National/regional members French Community of Belgium New Brunswick Quebec Associate members Kosovo New Caledonia Qatar Serbia United Arab Emirates Observers Angola Argentina Austria Bosnia and Herzegovina Chile Costa Rica Croatia Czechia Dominican Republic Estonia French Polynesia Gambia Georgia Hungary Ireland Latvia Lithuania Louisiana Malta Mexico Montenegro Mozambique Nova Scotia Ontario Poland Saarland Slovakia Slovenia South Korea Thailand Ukraine Uruguay Suspended members Burkina Faso Guinea Mali Niger Organization Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie Agence de Coopération Culturelle et Technique Agence universitaire de la Francophonie Culture French language UN French Language Day International Francophonie Day Jeux de la Francophonie Prix des cinq continents de la francophonie AFFOI TV5Monde LGBT rights Related Francophone economy Senghor University Category

57°00′N 25°00′E / 57.000°N 25.000°E / 57.000; 25.000

• Latvia
• European Union member states
• European countries
• Baltic states
• Countries bordering the Baltic Sea
• Republics
• Liberal democracies
• States and territories established in 1918
• States and territories established in 1991
• Northern Europe
• Member states of the Union for the Mediterranean