Latvia

This article is about the Republic of Latvia. For other uses, see Latvia (disambiguation).

"Lettonia" redirects here. For the Latvian student corporation, see Lettonia (corporation).

Coordinates: 57°N 25°E / 57°N 25°E / 57; 25

Latvia (/ˈlɑːtviə/ or /ˈlætviə/ (listen); Latvian: Latvija [ˈlatvija]; Latgalian: Latveja; Livonian: Lețmō), officially the Republic of Latvia^[14] (Latvian: Latvijas Republika, Latgalian: Latvejas Republika, Livonian: Lețmō Vabāmō), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the Baltic states; and is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,589 km² (24,938 sq mi), with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate.^[15] Its capital and largest city is Riga. Latvians belong to the ethno-linguistic group of the Balts and speak Latvian, one of the only two^[a] surviving Baltic languages. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country, at almost a quarter of the population.

Republic of Latvia Latvijas Republika (Latvian) Latvejas Republika (Latgalian) Lețmō Vabāmō (Livonian)
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Dievs, svētī Latviju! (Latvian) ("God Bless Latvia!")
Location of Latvia (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green)  –  [Legend]
Capital and largest city	Riga 56°57′N 24°6′E / 56.950°N 24.100°E / 56.950; 24.100
Official languages	Latvian^a
Recognized languages	Livonian Latgalian
Ethnic groups (2022^[1])	63.0% Latvians 24.2% Russians 3.1% Belarusians 2.2% Ukrainians 1.9% Poles 1.1% Lithuanians 0.3% Roma 0.2% Jews 4% Others / Unspecified
Religion (2018)^[2]	64% Christianity • 36% Lutheranism • 17% Catholicism • 9% Orthodoxy • 2% Other Christian 35% No religion 1% Others
Demonym(s)	Latvian
Government	Unitary parliamentary republic
• President	Egils Levits
• Prime Minister	Krišjānis Kariņš
• Speaker of the Saeima	Edvards Smiltēns
Legislature	Saeima
Independence  from Germany and the Soviet Union
• Declared^[3]	18 November 1918
• Recognised	26 January 1921
• Constitution adopted	7 November 1922
• Restored after Soviet occupation^[4]	21 August 1991
• Joined the EU	1 May 2004
Area
• Total	64,589 km^2 (24,938 sq mi) (122nd)
• Water (%)	2.09 (2015)^[5]
Population
• 2022 estimate	1,842,226^[6] (153rd)
• Density	29.6/km^2 (76.7/sq mi) (147th)
GDP (PPP)	2022 estimate
• Total	$72.03billion^[7] (105th)
• Per capita	$38,124^[7] (48th)
GDP (nominal)	2022 estimate
• Total	$40.588 billion^[7] (100th)
• Per capita	$21,482^[7] (44th)
Gini (2021)	35.7^[8] medium
HDI (2021)	0.863^[9] very high · 39th
Currency	Euro (€) (EUR)
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Date format	dd/mm/yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+371
ISO 3166 code	LV
Internet TLD	.lv^c
Latvian is the sole official language.^[10]^[11] Livonian is considered an indigenous language and has special legal status.^[12] Latgalian written language and Latvian Sign Language also have special legal status.^[13] Latvia is de jure continuous with its declaration of 18 November 1918. The .eu domain is also used, as it is shared with other European Union member states.

After centuries of Teutonic, Swedish, Polish-Lithuanian and Russian rule, which was mainly executed by the local Baltic German aristocracy, the independent Republic of Latvia was established on 18 November 1918 when it broke away from the German Empire and declared independence in the aftermath of World War I.^[3] However, by the 1930s the country became increasingly autocratic after the coup in 1934 establishing an authoritarian regime under Kārlis Ulmanis.^[16] The country's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II, beginning with Latvia's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union, followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941, and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944 to form the Latvian SSR for the next 45 years. As a result of extensive immigration during the Soviet occupation, ethnic Russians became the most prominent minority in the country, now constituting nearly a quarter of the population. The peaceful Singing Revolution started in 1987, and ended with the restoration of de facto independence on 21 August 1991.^[17] Since then, Latvia has been a democratic unitary parliamentary republic.

Latvia is a developed country, with a high-income advanced economy; ranking very high 39th in the Human Development Index. It performs favorably in measurements of civil liberties, press freedom, internet freedom, democratic governance, living standards, and peacefulness. Latvia is a member of the European Union, Eurozone, NATO, the Council of Europe, the United Nations, the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the International Monetary Fund, the Nordic-Baltic Eight, the Nordic Investment Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the World Trade Organization.

Etymology

The name Latvija is derived from the name of the ancient Latgalians, one of four Indo-European Baltic tribes (along with Curonians, Selonians and Semigallians), which formed the ethnic core of modern Latvians together with the Finnic Livonians.^[18] Henry of Latvia coined the latinisations of the country's name, "Lettigallia" and "Lethia", both derived from the Latgalians. The terms inspired the variations on the country's name in Romance languages from "Letonia" and in several Germanic languages from "Lettland".^[19]

History

Main article: History of Latvia

Around 3000 BC, the proto-Baltic ancestors of the Latvian people settled on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea.^[20] The Balts established trade routes to Rome and Byzantium, trading local amber for precious metals.^[21] By 900 AD, four distinct Baltic tribes inhabited Latvia: Curonians, Latgalians, Selonians, Semigallians (in Latvian: kurši, latgaļi, sēļi and zemgaļi), as well as the Finnic tribe of Livonians (lībieši) speaking a Finnic language.^{[citation needed]}

In the 12th century in the territory of Latvia, there were lands with their rulers: Vanema, Ventava, Bandava, Piemare, Duvzare, Sēlija, Koknese, Jersika, Tālava and Adzele.^[22]

Medieval period

Although the local people had contact with the outside world for centuries, they became more fully integrated into the European socio-political system in the 12th century.^[23] The first missionaries, sent by the Pope, sailed up the Daugava River in the late 12th century, seeking converts.^[24] The local people, however, did not convert to Christianity as readily as the Church had hoped.^[24]

 

Turaida Castle near Sigulda, built in 1214 under Albert of Riga

German crusaders were sent, or more likely decided to go on their own accord as they were known to do. Saint Meinhard of Segeberg arrived in Ikšķile, in 1184, traveling with merchants to Livonia, on a Catholic mission to convert the population from their original pagan beliefs. Pope Celestine III had called for a crusade against pagans in Northern Europe in 1193. When peaceful means of conversion failed to produce results, Meinhard plotted to convert Livonians by force of arms.^[25]

At the beginning of the 13th century, Germans ruled large parts of what is currently Latvia.^[24] The influx of German crusaders in the present-day Latvian territory especially increased in the second half of the 13th century following the decline and fall of the Crusader States in the Middle East.^[26] Together with southern Estonia, these conquered areas formed the crusader state that became known as Terra Mariana (Medieval Latin for "Land of Mary") or Livonia.^[27] In 1282, Riga, and later the cities of Cēsis, Limbaži, Koknese and Valmiera, became part of the Hanseatic League.^[24] Riga became an important point of east–west trading^[24] and formed close cultural links with Western Europe.^[28] The first German settlers were knights from northern Germany and citizens of northern German towns who brought their Low German language to the region, which shaped many loanwords in the Latvian language.^[29]

Reformation period and Polish and Swedish rule

 

The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

Main articles: Swedish Livonia, Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, Duchy of Livonia, and Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth

 

The Swedish Empire (1560–1815).
Riga became the capital of Swedish Livonia and the largest city in the Swedish Empire.

After the Livonian War (1558–1583), Livonia (Northern Latvia & Southern Estonia) fell under Polish and Lithuanian rule.^[24] The southern part of Estonia and the northern part of Latvia were ceded to the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and formed into the Duchy of Livonia (Ducatus Livoniae Ultradunensis). Gotthard Kettler, the last Master of the Order of Livonia, formed the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia.^[30] Though the duchy was a vassal state to Lithuanian Grand Duchy and later of Polish and Lithuanian commonwealth, it retained a considerable degree of autonomy and experienced a golden age in the 16th century. Latgalia, the easternmost region of Latvia, became a part of the Inflanty Voivodeship of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.^[31]

In the 17th and early 18th centuries, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, and Russia struggled for supremacy in the eastern Baltic. After the Polish–Swedish War, northern Livonia (including Vidzeme) came under Swedish rule. Riga became the capital of Swedish Livonia and the largest city in the entire Swedish Empire.^[32] Fighting continued sporadically between Sweden and Poland until the Truce of Altmark in 1629.^{[33][citation needed]} In Latvia, the Swedish period is generally remembered as positive; serfdom was eased, a network of schools was established for the peasantry, and the power of the regional barons was diminished.^[34][35]

Several important cultural changes occurred during this time. Under Swedish and largely German rule, western Latvia adopted Lutheranism as its main religion.^[36] The ancient tribes of the Couronians, Semigallians, Selonians, Livs, and northern Latgallians assimilated to form the Latvian people, speaking one Latvian language.^[37][38] Throughout all the centuries, however, an actual Latvian state had not been established, so the borders and definitions of who exactly fell within that group are largely subjective. Meanwhile, largely isolated from the rest of Latvia, southern Latgallians adopted Catholicism under Polish/Jesuit influence. The native dialect remained distinct, although it acquired many Polish and Russian loanwords.^[39]

Livonia & Courland in the Russian Empire (1795–1917)

During the Great Northern War (1700–1721), up to 40 percent of Latvians died from famine and plague.^[40] Half the residents of Riga were killed by plague in 1710–1711.^[41] The capitulation of Estonia and Livonia in 1710 and the Treaty of Nystad, ending the Great Northern War in 1721, gave Vidzeme to Russia (it became part of the Riga Governorate).^{[citation needed]} The Latgale region remained part of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth as Inflanty Voivodeship until 1772, when it was incorporated into Russia. The Duchy of Courland and Semigallia, a vassal state of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, was annexed by Russia in 1795 in the Third Partition of Poland, bringing all of what is now Latvia into the Russian Empire. All three Baltic provinces preserved local laws, German as the local official language and their own parliament, the Landtag.^{[citation needed]}

The emancipation of the serfs took place in Courland in 1817 and in Vidzeme in 1819.^{[citation needed][42]} In practice, however, the emancipation was actually advantageous to the landowners and nobility,^{[citation needed]} as it dispossessed peasants of their land without compensation, forcing them to return to work at the estates "of their own free will".^{[citation needed]}

During these two centuries Latvia experienced economic and construction boom – ports were expanded (Riga became the largest port in the Russian Empire), railways built; new factories, banks, and a university were established; many residential, public (theatres and museums), and school buildings were erected; new parks formed; and so on. Riga's boulevards and some streets outside the Old Town date from this period.^{[citation needed]}

Numeracy was also higher in the Livonian and Courlandian parts of the Russian Empire, which may have been influenced by the Protestant religion of the inhabitants.^[43]

National awakening

 

Latvians national rally in Dundaga in 1905

During the 19th century, the social structure changed dramatically.^[44] A class of independent farmers established itself after reforms allowed the peasants to repurchase their land, but many landless peasants remained, quite a lot Latvians left for the cities and sought for education, industrial jobs.^[44] There also developed a growing urban proletariat and an increasingly influential Latvian bourgeoisie.^[44] The Young Latvian (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.^[45][46] The rise in use of the Latvian language in literature and society became known as the First National Awakening.^[45] Russification began in Latgale after the Polish led the January Uprising in 1863: this spread to the rest of what is now Latvia by the 1880s.^{[citation needed]} The Young Latvians were largely eclipsed by the New Current, a broad leftist social and political movement, in the 1890s.^[47] Popular discontent exploded in the 1905 Russian Revolution, which took a nationalist character in the Baltic provinces.^[48]

Declaration of independence and interwar period

 

Jānis Čakste (1859–1927), was the first president of Latvia

World War I devastated the territory of what became the state of Latvia, and other western parts of the Russian Empire. Demands for self-determination were initially confined to autonomy, until a power vacuum was created by the Russian Revolution in 1917, followed by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Russia and Germany in March 1918, then the Allied armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918. On 18 November 1918, in Riga, the People's Council of Latvia proclaimed the independence of the new country and Kārlis Ulmanis was entrusted to set up a government and he took the position of Prime Minister.^[49]

The General representative of Germany August Winnig formally handed over political power to the Latvian Provisional Government on 26 November. On 18 November, the Latvian People's Council entrusted him to set up the government. He took the office of Minister of Agriculture from 18 November to 19 December. He took a position of Prime Minister from 19 November 1918 to 13 July 1919.

The war of independence that followed was part of a general chaotic period of civil and new border wars in Eastern Europe. By the spring of 1919, there were actually three governments: the Provisional government headed by Kārlis Ulmanis, supported by the Tautas padome and the Inter-Allied Commission of Control; the Latvian Soviet government led by Pēteris Stučka, supported by the Red Army; and the Provisional government headed by Andrievs Niedra and supported by the Baltische Landeswehr and the German Freikorps unit Iron Division.^{[citation needed]}

Estonian and Latvian forces defeated the Germans at the Battle of Wenden in June 1919,^[50] and a massive attack by a predominantly German force—the West Russian Volunteer Army—under Pavel Bermondt-Avalov was repelled in November. Eastern Latvia was cleared of Red Army forces by Latvian and Polish troops in early 1920 (from the Polish perspective the Battle of Daugavpils was a part of the Polish–Soviet War).^{[citation needed]}

A freely elected Constituent assembly convened on 1 May 1920, and adopted a liberal constitution, the Satversme, in February 1922.^[51] The constitution was partly suspended by Kārlis Ulmanis after his coup in 1934 but reaffirmed in 1990. Since then, it has been amended and is still in effect 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. In 1897, 61.2% of the rural population had been landless; by 1936, that percentage had been reduced to 18%.^[52]

By 1923, the extent of cultivated land surpassed the pre-war level. Innovation and rising productivity led to rapid growth of the economy, but it soon suffered from the effects of the Great Depression. Latvia showed signs of economic recovery, and the electorate had steadily moved toward the centre during the parliamentary period.^{[citation needed]} On 15 May 1934, Ulmanis staged a bloodless coup, establishing a nationalist dictatorship that lasted until 1940.^[53] After 1934, Ulmanis established government corporations to buy up private firms with the aim of "Latvianising" the economy.^[54]

Latvia in World War II

See also: Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, German occupation of Latvia during World War II, The Holocaust in Latvia, Latvian partisans, and Latvian anti-Nazi resistance movement 1941–45

 

Red Army troops enter Riga (1940).

Early in the morning of 24 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed a 10-year non-aggression pact, called the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.^[55] The pact contained a secret protocol, revealed only after Germany's defeat in 1945, according to which the states of Northern and Eastern Europe were divided into German and Soviet "spheres of influence".^[56] In the north, Latvia, Finland and Estonia were assigned to the Soviet sphere.^[56] A week later, on 1 September 1939, Germany invaded Poland; on 17 September, the Soviet Union invaded Poland as well.^[57]: 32

After the conclusion of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, most of the Baltic Germans left Latvia by agreement between Ulmanis's government and Nazi Germany under the Heim ins Reich programme.^[58] In total 50,000 Baltic Germans left by the deadline of December 1939, with 1,600 remaining to conclude business and 13,000 choosing to remain in Latvia.^[58] Most of those who remained left for Germany in summer 1940, when a second resettlement scheme was agreed.^[59] The racially approved being resettled mainly in Poland, being given land and businesses in exchange for the money they had received from the sale of their previous assets.^[57]: 46

On 5 October 1939, Latvia was forced to accept a "mutual assistance" pact with the Soviet Union, granting the Soviets the right to station between 25,000 and 30,000 troops on Latvian territory.^[60] State administrators were murdered and replaced by Soviet cadres.^[61] Elections were held with single pro-Soviet candidates listed for many positions. The resulting people's assembly immediately requested admission into the USSR, which the Soviet Union granted.^[61] Latvia, then a puppet government, was headed by Augusts Kirhenšteins.^[62] The Soviet Union incorporated Latvia on 5 August 1940, as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.

 

German soldiers enter Riga, July 1941

The Soviets dealt harshly with their opponents – prior to Operation Barbarossa, in less than a year, at least 34,250 Latvians were deported or killed.^[63] Most were deported to Siberia where deaths were estimated at 40 percent.^[57]: 48

On 22 June 1941, German troops attacked Soviet forces in Operation Barbarossa.^[64] There were some spontaneous uprisings by Latvians against the Red Army which helped the Germans. By 29 June Riga was reached and with Soviet troops killed, captured or retreating, Latvia was left under the control of German forces by early July.^{[65][57]: 78–96} The occupation was followed immediately by SS Einsatzgruppen troops, who were to act in accordance with the Nazi Generalplan Ost that required the population of Latvia to be cut by 50 percent.^{[57]: 64 [57]: 56}

Under German occupation, Latvia was administered as part of Reichskommissariat Ostland.^[66] Latvian paramilitary and Auxiliary Police units established by the occupation authority participated in the Holocaust and other atrocities.^[53] 30,000 Jews were shot in Latvia in the autumn of 1941.^[57]: 127 Another 30,000 Jews from the Riga ghetto were killed in the Rumbula Forest in November and December 1941, to reduce overpopulation in the ghetto and make room for more Jews being brought in from Germany and the West.^[57]: 128 There was a pause in fighting, apart from partisan activity, until after the siege of Leningrad ended in January 1944, and the Soviet troops advanced, entering Latvia in July and eventually capturing Riga on 13 October 1944.^[57]: 271

More than 200,000 Latvian citizens died during World War II, including approximately 75,000 Latvian Jews murdered during the Nazi occupation.^[53] Latvian soldiers fought on both sides of the conflict, mainly on the German side, with 140,000 men in the Latvian Legion of the Waffen-SS,^[67] The 308th Latvian Rifle Division was formed by the Red Army in 1944. On occasions, especially in 1944, opposing Latvian troops faced each other in battle.^[57]: 299

In the 23rd block of the Vorverker cemetery, a monument was erected after the Second World War for the people of Latvia who had died in Lübeck from 1945 to 1950.

Soviet era (1940–1941, 1944–1991)

Main articles: Occupation of Latvia by Soviet Union 1944–1945, Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, and Stalinism

 

Red Army soldiers in front of the Freedom Monument in Riga in 1944

In 1944, when Soviet military advances reached Latvia, heavy fighting took place in Latvia between German and Soviet troops, which ended in another German defeat. In the course of the war, both occupying forces conscripted Latvians into their armies, in this way increasing the loss of the nation's "live resources". In 1944, part of the Latvian territory once more came under Soviet control. The Soviets immediately began to reinstate the Soviet system. After the German surrender, it became clear that Soviet forces were there to stay, and Latvian national partisans, soon joined by some who had collaborated with the Germans, began to fight against the new occupier.^[68]

Anywhere from 120,000 to as many as 300,000 Latvians took refuge from the Soviet army by fleeing to Germany and Sweden.^[69] Most sources count 200,000 to 250,000 refugees leaving Latvia, with perhaps as many as 80,000 to 100,000 of them recaptured by the Soviets or, during few months immediately after the end of war,^[70] returned by the West.^[71] The Soviets reoccupied the country in 1944–1945, and further deportations followed as the country was collectivised and Sovietised.^[53]

On 25 March 1949, 43,000 rural residents ("kulaks") and Latvian nationalists were deported to Siberia in a sweeping Operation Priboi in all three Baltic states, which was carefully planned and approved in Moscow already on 29 January 1949.^[72] This operation had the desired effect of reducing the anti-Soviet partisan activity.^[57]: 326 Between 136,000 and 190,000 Latvians, depending on the sources, were imprisoned or deported to Soviet concentration camps (the Gulag) in the post-war years from 1945 to 1952.^[73]

 

Reconstruction of a Gulag shack in the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, Riga

In the post-war period, Latvia was made to adopt Soviet farming methods. Rural areas were forced into collectivization.^[74] An extensive program to impose bilingualism was initiated in Latvia, limiting the use of Latvian language in official uses in favor of using Russian as the main language. All of the minority schools (Jewish, Polish, Belarusian, Estonian, Lithuanian) were closed down leaving only two media of instructions in the schools: Latvian and Russian.^[75] An influx of new colonists, including laborers, administrators, military personnel and their dependents from Russia and other Soviet republics started. By 1959 about 400,000 Russian settlers arrived and the ethnic Latvian population had fallen to 62%.^[76]

Since Latvia had maintained a well-developed infrastructure and educated specialists, Moscow decided to base some of the Soviet Union's most advanced manufacturing in Latvia. New industry was created in Latvia, including a major machinery factory RAF in Jelgava, electrotechnical factories in Riga, chemical factories in Daugavpils, Valmiera and Olaine—and some food and oil processing plants.^[77] Latvia manufactured trains, ships, minibuses, mopeds, telephones, radios and hi-fi systems, electrical and diesel engines, textiles, furniture, clothing, bags and luggage, shoes, musical instruments, home appliances, watches, tools and equipment, aviation and agricultural equipment and long list of other goods. Latvia had its own film industry and musical records factory (LPs). However, there were not enough people to operate the newly built factories.^{[citation needed]} To maintain and expand industrial production, skilled workers were migrating from all over the Soviet Union, decreasing the proportion of ethnic Latvians in the republic.^[78] The population of Latvia reached its peak in 1990 at just under 2.7 million people.

In late 2018 the National Archives of Latvia released a full alphabetical index of some 10,000 people recruited as agents or informants by the Soviet KGB. 'The publication, which followed two decades of public debate and the passage of a special law, revealed the names, code names, birthplaces and other data on active and former KGB agents as of 1991, the year Latvia regained its independence from the Soviet Union.'^[79]

Restoration of independence in 1991

Further information: Singing Revolution, Baltic Way, and On the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia

 

Barricade in Riga to prevent the Soviet Army from reaching the Latvian Parliament in July 1991

In the second half of the 1980s, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev started to introduce political and economic reforms in the Soviet Union that were called glasnost and perestroika. In the summer of 1987, the first large demonstrations were held in Riga at the Freedom Monument—a symbol of independence. In the summer of 1988, a national movement, coalescing in the Popular Front of Latvia, was opposed by the Interfront. The Latvian SSR, along with the other Baltic Republics was allowed greater autonomy, and in 1988, the old pre-war Flag of Latvia flew again, replacing the Soviet Latvian flag as the official flag in 1990.^[80][81]

In 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on the Occupation of the Baltic states, in which it declared the occupation "not in accordance with law", and not the "will of the Soviet people". Pro-independence Popular Front of Latvia candidates gained a two-thirds majority in the Supreme Council in the March 1990 democratic elections. On 4 May 1990, the Supreme Council adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, and the Latvian SSR was renamed Republic of Latvia.^[82]

However, the central power in Moscow continued to regard Latvia as a Soviet republic in 1990 and 1991. In January 1991, Soviet political and military forces unsuccessfully tried to overthrow the Republic of Latvia authorities by occupying the central publishing house in Riga and establishing a Committee of National Salvation to usurp governmental functions. During the transitional period, Moscow maintained many central Soviet state authorities in Latvia.^[82]

The Popular Front of Latvia advocated that all permanent residents be eligible for Latvian citizenship, however, universal citizenship for all permanent residents was not adopted. Instead, citizenship was granted to persons who had been citizens of Latvia on the day of loss of independence in 1940 as well as their descendants. As a consequence, the majority of ethnic non-Latvians did not receive Latvian citizenship since neither they nor their parents had ever been citizens of Latvia, becoming non-citizens or citizens of other former Soviet republics. By 2011, more than half of non-citizens had taken naturalization exams and received Latvian citizenship, but in 2015 there were still 290,660 non-citizens in Latvia, which represented 14.1% of the population. They have no citizenship of any country, and cannot participate in the parliamentary elections.^[83] Children born to non-nationals after the re-establishment of independence are automatically entitled to citizenship.

 

Latvia became a member of the European Union in 2004 and signed the Lisbon Treaty in 2007.

The Republic of Latvia declared the end of the transitional period and restored full independence on 21 August 1991, in the aftermath of the failed Soviet coup attempt.^[4] Latvia resumed diplomatic relations with Western states, including Sweden.^[84] The Saeima, Latvia's parliament, was again elected in 1993. Russia ended its military presence by completing its troop withdrawal in 1994 and shutting down the Skrunda-1 radar station in 1998. The major goals of Latvia in the 1990s, to join NATO and the European Union, were achieved in 2004. The NATO Summit 2006 was held in Riga.^[85] Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga was President of Latvia from 1999 until 2007. She was the first female head of state in the former Soviet block state and was active in Latvia joining both NATO and the European Union in 2004.^[86]

Approximately 72% of Latvian citizens are Latvian, while 20% are Russian; less than 1% of non-citizens are Latvian, while 71% are Russian.^[87] The government denationalized private property confiscated by the Soviets, returning it or compensating the owners for it, and privatized most state-owned industries, reintroducing the prewar currency. Albeit having experienced a difficult transition to a liberal economy and its re-orientation toward Western Europe, Latvia is one of the fastest growing economies in the European Union. In 2014, Riga was the European Capital of Culture,^[88] Latvia joined the eurozone and adopted the EU single currency euro as the currency of the country^[89] and Latvian Valdis Dombrovskis was named vice-president of the European Commission.^[90] In 2015 Latvia held the presidency of Council of the European Union.^[91] Big European events have been celebrated in Riga such as the Eurovision Song Contest 2003^[92] and the European Film Awards 2014.^[93] On 1 July 2016, Latvia became a member of the OECD.^[94]

Geography

Main article: Geography of Latvia

See also: Baltic Sea, Baltic states, and Northern Europe

 

Latvia lies in Northern Europe, on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea.

Latvia lies in Northern Europe, on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea and northwestern part of the East European Craton (EEC), between latitudes 55° and 58° N (a small area is north of 58°), and longitudes 21° and 29° E (a small area is west of 21°). Latvia has a total area of 64,559 km² (24,926 sq mi) of which 62,157 km² (23,999 sq mi) land, 18,159 km² (7,011 sq mi) agricultural land,^[95] 34,964 km² (13,500 sq mi) forest land^[96] and 2,402 km² (927 sq mi) inland water.^[97]

The total length of Latvia's boundary is 1,866 km (1,159 mi). The total length of its land boundary is 1,368 km (850 mi), of which 343 km (213 mi) is shared with Estonia to the north, 276 km (171 mi) with the Russian Federation to the east, 161 km (100 mi) with Belarus to the southeast and 588 km (365 mi) with Lithuania to the south. The total length of its maritime boundary is 498 km (309 mi), which is shared with Estonia, Sweden and Lithuania. Extension from north to south is 210 km (130 mi) and from west to east 450 km (280 mi).^[97]

Most of Latvia's territory is less than 100 m (330 ft) above sea level. Its largest lake, Lubāns, has an area of 80.7 km² (31.2 sq mi), its deepest lake, Drīdzis, is 65.1 m (214 ft) deep. The longest river on Latvian territory is the Gauja, at 452 km (281 mi) in length. The longest river flowing through Latvian territory is the Daugava, which has a total length of 1,005 km (624 mi), of which 352 km (219 mi) is on Latvian territory. Latvia's highest point is Gaiziņkalns, 311.6 m (1,022 ft). The length of Latvia's Baltic coastline is 494 km (307 mi). An inlet of the Baltic Sea, the shallow Gulf of Riga is situated in the northwest of the country.^[98]

Climate

 

  Humid continental climate warm summer subtype

 

  Oceanic climate

Latvia has a temperate climate that has been described in various sources as either humid continental (Köppen Dfb) or oceanic/maritime (Köppen Cfb).^{[99][100][101]}

Coastal regions, especially the western coast of the Courland Peninsula, possess a more maritime climate with cooler summers and milder winters, while eastern parts exhibit a more continental climate with warmer summers and harsher winters.^[99] Nevertheless, the temperature variations are little as the territory of Latvia is relatively small.^[102] Moreover, Latvia's terrain is particularly flat (no more than 350 meters high), thus the Latvian climate is not differentiated by altitude.^[102]

Latvia has four pronounced seasons of near-equal length. Winter starts in mid-December and lasts until mid-March. Winters have average temperatures of −6 °C (21 °F) and are characterized by stable snow cover, bright sunshine, and short days. Severe spells of winter weather with cold winds, extreme temperatures of around −30 °C (−22 °F) and heavy snowfalls are common. Summer starts in June and lasts until August. Summers are usually warm and sunny, with cool evenings and nights. Summers have average temperatures of around 19 °C (66 °F), with extremes of 35 °C (95 °F). Spring and autumn bring fairly mild weather.^[103]

Weather records in Latvia^[104]

Weather record	Value	Location	Date
Highest temperature	37.8 °C (100 °F)	Ventspils	4 August 2014
Lowest temperature	−43.2 °C (−46 °F)	Daugavpils	8 February 1956
Last spring frost	–	Large parts of territory	24 June 1982
First autumn frost	–	Cenas parish	15 August 1975
Highest yearly precipitation	1,007 mm (39.6 in)	Priekuļi parish	1928
Lowest yearly precipitation	384 mm (15.1 in)	Ainaži	1939
Highest daily precipitation	160 mm (6.3 in)	Ventspils	9 July 1973
Highest monthly precipitation	330 mm (13.0 in)	Nīca parish	August 1972
Lowest monthly precipitation	0 mm (0 in)	Large parts of territory	May 1938 and May 1941
Thickest snow cover	126 cm (49.6 in)	Gaiziņkalns	March 1931
Month with the most days with blizzards	19 days	Liepāja	February 1956
The most days with fog in a year	143 days	Gaiziņkalns area	1946
Longest-lasting fog	93 hours	Alūksne	1958
Highest atmospheric pressure	31.5 inHg (1,066.7 mb)	Liepāja	January 1907
Lowest atmospheric pressure	27.5 inHg (931.3 mb)	Vidzeme Upland	13 February 1962
The most days with thunderstorms in a year	52 days	Vidzeme Upland	1954
Strongest wind	34 m/s, up to 48 m/s	Not specified	2 November 1969

2019 was the warmest year in the history of weather observation in Latvia with an average temperature +8.1 °C higher.^[105]

Environment

 

Latvia has the fifth highest proportion of land covered by forests in the European Union.

Most of the country is composed of fertile lowland plains and moderate hills. In a typical Latvian landscape, a mosaic of vast forests alternates with fields, farmsteads, and pastures. Arable land is spotted with birch groves and wooded clusters, which afford a habitat for numerous plants and animals. Latvia has hundreds of kilometres of undeveloped seashore—lined by pine forests, dunes, and continuous white sand beaches.^[98][106]

Latvia has the fifth highest proportion of land covered by forests in the European Union, after Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Slovenia.^[107] Forests account for 3,497,000 ha (8,640,000 acres) or 56% of the total land area.^[96]

Latvia has over 12,500 rivers, which stretch for 38,000 km (24,000 mi). Major rivers include the Daugava River, Lielupe, Gauja, Venta, and Salaca, the largest spawning ground for salmon in the eastern Baltic states. There are 2,256 lakes that are bigger than 1 ha (2.5 acres), with a collective area of 1,000 km² (390 sq mi). Mires occupy 9.9% of Latvia's territory. Of these, 42% are raised bogs; 49% are fens; and 9% are transitional mires. 70% percent of the mires are untouched by civilization, and they are a refuge for many rare species of plants and animals.^[106]

Agricultural areas account for 1,815,900 ha (4,487,000 acres) or 29% of the total land area.^[95] With the dismantling of collective farms, the area devoted to farming decreased dramatically – now farms are predominantly small. Approximately 200 farms, occupying 2,750 ha (6,800 acres), are engaged in ecologically pure farming (using no artificial fertilizers or pesticides).^[106]

Latvia's national parks are Gauja National Park in Vidzeme (since 1973),^[108] Ķemeri National Park in Zemgale (1997), Slītere National Park in Kurzeme (1999), and Rāzna National Park in Latgale (2007).^[109]

Latvia has a long tradition of conservation. The first laws and regulations were promulgated in the 16th and 17th centuries.^[106] There are 706 specially state-level protected natural areas in Latvia: four national parks, one biosphere reserve, 42 nature parks, nine areas of protected landscapes, 260 nature reserves, four strict nature reserves, 355 nature monuments, seven protected marine areas and 24 microreserves.^[110] Nationally protected areas account for 12,790 km² (4,940 sq mi) or around 20% of Latvia's total land area.^[97] Latvia's Red Book (Endangered Species List of Latvia), which was established in 1977, contains 112 plant species and 119 animal species. Latvia has ratified the international Washington, Bern, and Ramsare conventions.^[106]

The 2012 Environmental Performance Index ranks Latvia second, after Switzerland, based on the environmental performance of the country's policies.^[111]

Access to biocapacity in Latvia is much higher than world average. In 2016, Latvia had 8.5 global hectares^[112] of biocapacity per person within its territory, much more than the world average of 1.6 global hectares per person.^[113] In 2016 Latvia used 6.4 global hectares of biocapacity per person - their ecological footprint of consumption. This means they use less biocapacity than Latvia contains. As a result, Latvia is running a biocapacity reserve.^[112]

Biodiversity

 

The white wagtail is the national bird of Latvia.^[114]

Approximately 30,000 species of flora and fauna have been registered in Latvia.^[115] Common species of wildlife in Latvia include deer, wild boar, moose, lynx, bear, fox, beaver and wolves.^[116] Non-marine molluscs of Latvia include 159 species.^{[citation needed]}

Species that are endangered in other European countries but common in Latvia include: black stork (Ciconia nigra), corncrake (Crex crex), lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), white-backed woodpecker (Picoides leucotos), Eurasian crane (Grus grus), Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber), Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), European wolf (Canis lupus) and European lynx (Felis lynx).^[106]

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. 56 percent^[96] of Latvia's territory is covered by forests, mostly Scots pine, birch, and Norway spruce.^{[citation needed]} It had a 2019 Forest Landscape Integrity Index mean score of 2.09/10, ranking it 159th globally out of 172 countries.^[117]

Several species of flora and fauna are considered national symbols. Oak (Quercus robur, Latvian: ozols), and linden (Tilia cordata, Latvian: liepa) are Latvia's national trees and the daisy (Leucanthemum vulgare, Latvian: pīpene) its national flower. The white wagtail (Motacilla alba, Latvian: baltā cielava) is Latvia's national bird. Its national insect is the two-spot ladybird (Adalia bipunctata, Latvian: divpunktu mārīte). Amber, fossilized tree resin, is one of Latvia's most important cultural symbols. In ancient times, amber found along the Baltic Sea coast was sought by Vikings as well as traders from Egypt, Greece and the Roman Empire. This led to the development of the Amber Road.^[118]

Several nature reserves protect unspoiled landscapes with a variety of large animals. At Pape Nature Reserve, where European bison, wild horses, and recreated aurochs have been reintroduced, there is now an almost complete Holocene megafauna also including moose, deer, and wolf.^[119]

Politics

Main articles: Politics of Latvia, Parliament of Latvia, and Government of Latvia

Egils Levits President	Krišjānis Kariņš Prime Minister

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.^[120] The most senior civil servants are the thirteen Secretaries of State.^[121]

 

The building of the Saeima, the parliament of Latvia, in Riga

Administrative divisions

 

Historical regions:
  Courland
  Semigallia
  Vidzeme
  Latgale
  Selonia

 

Administrative divisions of Latvia

Main article: Administrative divisions of Latvia

See also: List of cities in Latvia, Planning regions of Latvia, Statistical regions of Latvia, and Historical regions of Latvia

Latvia is a unitary state, currently divided into 43 local government units consisting of 36 municipalities (Latvian: novadi) and 7 state cities (Latvian: valstspilsētas) with their own city council and administration: Daugavpils, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Liepāja, Rēzekne, Riga, and Ventspils. There are four historical and cultural regions in Latvia – Courland, Latgale, Vidzeme, Zemgale, which are recognised in Constitution of Latvia. Selonia, a part of Zemgale, is sometimes considered culturally distinct region, but it is not part of any formal division. The borders of historical and cultural regions usually are not explicitly defined and in several sources may vary. In formal divisions, Riga region, which includes the capital and parts of other regions that have a strong relationship with the capital, is also often included in regional divisions; e.g., there are five planning regions of Latvia (Latvian: plānošanas reģioni), which were created in 2009 to promote balanced development of all regions. Under this division Riga region includes large parts of what traditionally is considered Vidzeme, Courland, and Zemgale. Statistical regions of Latvia, established in accordance with the EU Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics, duplicate this division, but divides Riga region into two parts with the capital alone being a separate region.^{[citation needed]} The largest city in Latvia is Riga, the second largest city is Daugavpils and the third largest city is Liepaja.

Political culture

In 2010 parliamentary election ruling centre-right coalition won 63 out of 100 parliamentary seats. Left-wing opposition Harmony Centre supported by Latvia's Russian-speaking minority got 29 seats.^[122] In November 2013, Latvian Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis, in office since 2009, resigned after at least 54 people were killed and dozens injured in the collapse at a supermarket in Riga.^[123]

In 2014 parliamentary election was won again by the ruling centre-right coalition formed by the Latvian Unity Party, the National Alliance and the Union of Greens and Farmers. They got 61 seats and Harmony got 24.^[124] In December 2015, country's first female Prime Minister, in office since January 2014, Laimdota Straujuma resigned.^[125] In February 2016, a coalition of Union of Greens and Farmers, The Unity and National Alliance was formed by new Prime Minister Maris Kucinskis.^[126]

In 2018 parliamentary election pro-Russian Harmony was again the biggest party securing 23 out of 100 seats, the second and third were the new populist parties KPV LV and New Conservative Party. Ruling coalition, comprising the Union of Greens and Farmers, the National Alliance and the Unity party, lost.^[127] In January 2019, Latvia got a government led by new Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins of the centre-right New Unity. Karins' coalition was formed by five of the seven parties in parliament, excluding only the pro-Russia Harmony party and the Union of Greens and Farmers.^[128]

Foreign relations

Main article: Foreign relations of Latvia

 

The building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Riga

Latvia is a member of the United Nations, European Union, Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, OSCE, IMF, and WTO. It is also a member of the Council of the Baltic Sea States and Nordic Investment Bank. It was a member of the League of Nations (1921–1946). Latvia is part of the Schengen Area and joined the Eurozone on 1 January 2014.

Latvia has established diplomatic relations with 158 countries. It has 44 diplomatic and consular missions and maintains 34 embassies and 9 permanent representations abroad. There are 37 foreign embassies and 11 international organisations in Latvia's capital Riga. Latvia hosts one European Union institution, the Body of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC).^[129]

Latvia's foreign policy priorities include co-operation in the Baltic Sea region, European integration, active involvement in international organisations, contribution to European and transatlantic security and defence structures, participation in international civilian and military peacekeeping operations, and development co-operation, particularly the strengthening of stability and democracy in the EU's Eastern Partnership countries.^{[130][131][132]}

 

Foreign ministers of the Nordic and Baltic countries in Helsinki, 2011

Since the early 1990s, Latvia has been involved in active trilateral Baltic states co-operation with its neighbours Estonia and Lithuania, and Nordic-Baltic co-operation with the Nordic countries. Latvia is a member of the interparliamentary Baltic Assembly, the intergovernmental Baltic Council of Ministers and the Council of the Baltic Sea States.^[133] Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB-8) is the joint co-operation of the governments of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.^[134] Nordic-Baltic Six (NB-6), comprising Nordic-Baltic countries that are European Union member states, is a framework for meetings on EU-related issues. Interparliamentary co-operation between the Baltic Assembly and Nordic Council was signed in 1992 and since 2006 annual meetings are held as well as regular meetings on other levels.^[134] Joint Nordic-Baltic co-operation initiatives include the education programme NordPlus^[135] and mobility programmes for public administration,^[136] business and industry^[137] and culture.^[138] The Nordic Council of Ministers has an office in Riga.^[139]

Latvia participates in the Northern Dimension and Baltic Sea Region Programme, European Union initiatives to foster cross-border co-operation in the Baltic Sea region and Northern Europe. The secretariat of the Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC) will be located in Riga.^[140] In 2013 Riga hosted the annual Northern Future Forum, a two-day informal meeting of the prime ministers of the Nordic-Baltic countries and the UK.^[141] The Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe or e-Pine is the U.S. Department of State diplomatic framework for co-operation with the Nordic-Baltic countries.^[142]

Latvia hosted the 2006 NATO Summit and since then the annual Riga Conference has become a leading foreign and security policy forum in Northern Europe.^[143] Latvia held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2015.^[144]

On 29 April 2022, in an official ceremony in Vaduz, the Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia to the Principality of Liechtenstein, Guna Japiņa, presented her credentials to His Serene Highness Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein.^[145]

Military

Main article: Military of Latvia

 

Naval Forces minehunter Imanta

 

CVR(T) Scimitar in Latvian service

The National Armed Forces (Latvian: Nacionālie bruņotie spēki (NAF)) of Latvia consists of the Land Forces, Naval Forces, Air Force, National Guard, Special Tasks Unit, Military Police, NAF staff Battalion, Training and Doctrine Command, and Logistics Command. Latvia's defence concept is based upon the Swedish-Finnish model of a rapid response force composed of a mobilisation base and a small group of career professionals. From 1 January 2007, Latvia switched to a professional fully contract-based army.^[146]

Latvia participates in international peacekeeping and security operations. Latvian armed forces have contributed to NATO and EU military operations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996–2009), Albania (1999), Kosovo (2000–2009), Macedonia (2003), Iraq (2005–2006), Afghanistan (since 2003), Somalia (since 2011) and Mali (since 2013).^{[147][148][149]} Latvia also took part in the US-led Multi-National Force operation in Iraq (2003–2008)^[150] and OSCE missions in Georgia, Kosovo and Macedonia.^[151] Latvian armed forces contributed to a UK-led Battlegroup in 2013 and the Nordic Battlegroup in 2015 under the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) of the European Union.^[152] Latvia acts as the lead nation in the coordination of the Northern Distribution Network for transportation of non-lethal ISAF cargo by air and rail to Afghanistan.^{[153][154][155]} It is part of the Nordic Transition Support Unit (NTSU), which renders joint force contributions in support of Afghan security structures ahead of the withdrawal of Nordic and Baltic ISAF forces in 2014.^[156] Since 1996 more than 3600 military personnel have participated in international operations,^[148] of whom 7 soldiers perished.^[157] Per capita, Latvia is one of the largest contributors to international military operations.^[158]

Latvian civilian experts have contributed to EU civilian missions: border assistance mission to Moldova and Ukraine (2005–2009), rule of law missions in Iraq (2006 and 2007) and Kosovo (since 2008), police mission in Afghanistan (since 2007) and monitoring mission in Georgia (since 2008).^[147]

Since March 2004, when the Baltic states joined NATO, fighter jets of NATO members have been deployed on a rotational basis for the Baltic Air Policing mission at Šiauliai Airport in Lithuania to guard the Baltic airspace. Latvia participates in several NATO Centres of Excellence: Civil-Military Co-operation in the Netherlands, Cooperative Cyber Defence in Estonia and Energy Security in Lithuania. It plans to establish the NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence in Riga.^[159]

Latvia co-operates with Estonia and Lithuania in several trilateral Baltic defence co-operation initiatives:

• Baltic Battalion (BALTBAT) – infantry battalion for participation in international peace support operations, headquartered near Riga, Latvia;
• Baltic Naval Squadron (BALTRON) – naval force with mine countermeasures capabilities, headquartered near Tallinn, Estonia;
• Baltic Air Surveillance Network (BALTNET) – air surveillance information system, headquartered near Kaunas, Lithuania;
• Joint military educational institutions: Baltic Defence College in Tartu, Estonia, Baltic Diving Training Centre in Liepāja, Latvia and Baltic Naval Communications Training Centre in Tallinn, Estonia.^[160]

Future co-operation will include sharing of national infrastructures for training purposes and specialisation of training areas (BALTTRAIN) and collective formation of battalion-sized contingents for use in the NATO rapid-response force.^[161] In January 2011, the Baltic states were invited to join Nordic Defence Cooperation, the defence framework of the Nordic countries.^[162] In November 2012, the three countries agreed to create a joint military staff in 2013.^[163]

On 21 April 2022, Latvian Saeima passed amendments developed by the Ministry of Defence for the legislative draft Amendments to the Law on Financing of National Defence, which provide for gradual increase in the defence budget to 2.5% of the country's GDP over the course of the next three year.^[164]

Human rights

Main article: Human rights in Latvia

See also: LGBT rights in Latvia

 

Europride 2015 in Riga.

According to the reports by Freedom House and the US Department of State, human rights in Latvia are generally respected by the government:^[165][166] Latvia is ranked above-average among the world's sovereign states in democracy,^[167] press freedom,^[168] privacy^[169] and human development.^[170]

More than 56% of leading positions are held by women in Latvia, which ranks first in Europe; Latvia ranks first in the world in women's rights sharing the position with five other European countries according to World Bank.^[171]

The country has a large ethnic Russian community, which was guaranteed basic rights under the constitution and international human rights laws ratified by the Latvian government.^[165][172]

Approximately 206,000 non-citizens^[173] – including stateless persons – have limited access to some political rights – only citizens are allowed to participate in parliamentary or municipal elections, although there are no limitations in regards to joining political parties or other political organizations.^[174][175] In 2011, the OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities "urged Latvia to allow non-citizens to vote in municipal elections."^[176] Additionally, there have been reports of police abuse of detainees and arrestees, poor prison conditions and overcrowding, judicial corruption, incidents of violence against ethnic minorities, and societal violence and incidents of government discrimination against homosexuals.^{[165][177][178]}

Economy

Main article: Economy of Latvia

 

Latvia is part of the EU single market (light blue), Eurozone (dark blue) and Schengen Area (not shown).

 

Real GPD per capita development of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania

 

A proportional representation of Latvia exports, 2019

Latvia is a member of the World Trade Organization (1999) and the European Union (2004). On 1 January 2014, the euro became the country's currency, superseding the Lats. According to statistics in late 2013, 45% of the population supported the introduction of the euro, while 52% opposed it.^[179] Following the introduction of the Euro, Eurobarometer surveys in January 2014 showed support for the euro to be around 53%, close to the European average.^[180]

Since the year 2000, Latvia has had one of the highest (GDP) growth rates in Europe.^[181] However, the chiefly consumption-driven growth in Latvia resulted in the collapse of Latvian GDP in late 2008 and early 2009, exacerbated by the global economic crisis, shortage of credit and huge money resources used for the bailout of Parex Bank.^[182] The Latvian economy fell 18% in the first three months of 2009, the biggest fall in the European Union.^[183][184]

The economic crisis of 2009 proved 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 rose 150% from 2004 to 2006, was a significant contributor to the economic bubble.^[185]

Privatisation in Latvia is almost complete. Virtually all of the previously state-owned small and medium companies have been privatised, leaving only a small number of politically sensitive large state companies. The private sector accounted for 70% of the country's GDP in 2006. ^[186]

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 of America 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.^[187][188]

In 2010 Latvia launched a Residence by Investment program (Golden Visa) in order to attract foreign investors and make local economy benefit from it. This program allows investors to get a Latvian residence permit by investing at least €250,000 in property or in an enterprise with at least 50 employees and an annual turnover of at least €10M.

Economic contraction and recovery (2008–12)

Main article: 2008–2010 Latvian financial crisis

 

An airBaltic Boeing 757−200WL takes off at Riga International Airport (RIX)

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 appreciation in 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%.^[189]

Latvia's unemployment rate rose sharply in this period from a low of 5.4% in November 2007 to over 22%.^[190] In April 2010 Latvia had the highest unemployment rate in the EU, at 22.5%, ahead of Spain, which had 19.7%.^[191]

Paul Krugman, the Nobel Laureate in economics for 2008, wrote in his New York Times Op-Ed column on 15 December 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^[192]

However, by 2010, commentators^[193][194] noted signs of stabilisation in the Latvian economy. Rating agency Standard & Poor's raised its outlook on Latvia's debt from negative to stable.^[193] Latvia's current account, which had been in deficit by 27% in late 2006 was in surplus in February 2010.^[193] 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.^[195]

The IMF concluded the First Post-Program Monitoring Discussions with the Republic of Latvia in July 2012 announcing that Latvia's economy has been recovering strongly since 2010, following the deep downturn in 2008–09. Real GDP growth of 5.5 percent in 2011 was underpinned by export growth and a recovery in domestic demand. The growth momentum has continued into 2012 and 2013 despite deteriorating external conditions, and the economy is expected to expand by 4.1 percent in 2014. The unemployment rate has receded from its peak of more than 20 percent in 2010 to around 9.3 percent in 2014.^[196]

Infrastructure

 

The Port of Ventspils is one of the busiest ports in the Baltic states.

Main article: Transport in Latvia

The transport sector is around 14% of GDP. Transit between Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan as well as other Asian countries and the West is large.^[197]

The four biggest ports of Latvia are located in Riga, Ventspils, Liepāja and Skulte. Most transit traffic uses these and half the cargo is crude oil and oil products.^[197] Free port of Ventspils is one of the busiest ports in the Baltic states. Apart from road and railway connections, Ventspils is also linked to oil extraction fields and transportation routes of Russian Federation via system of two pipelines from Polotsk, Belarus.^{[citation needed]}

Riga International Airport is the busiest airport in the Baltic states with 7.8 million passengers in 2019. It has direct flight to over 80 destinations in 30 countries. The only other airport handling regular commercial flights is Liepāja International Airport. airBaltic is the Latvian flag carrier airline and a low-cost carrier with hubs in all three Baltic States, but main base in Riga, Latvia.^[198]

Latvian Railway's main network consists of 1,860 km of which 1,826 km is 1,520 mm Russian gauge railway of which 251 km are electrified, making it the longest railway network in the Baltic States. Latvia's railway network is currently incompatible with European standard gauge lines.^[199] However, Rail Baltica railway, linking Helsinki-Tallinn-Riga-Kaunas-Warsaw is under construction and is set to be completed in 2026.^[200]

National road network in Latvia totals 1675 km of main roads, 5473 km of regional roads and 13 064 km of local roads. Municipal roads in Latvia totals 30 439 km of roads and 8039 km of streets.^[201] The best known roads are A1 (European route E67), connecting Warsaw and Tallinn, as well as European route E22, connecting Ventspils and Terehova. In 2017 there were a total of 803,546 licensed vehicles in Latvia.^[202]

Latvia has three large hydroelectric power stations in Pļaviņu HES (908 MW), Rīgas HES (402 MW) and Ķeguma HES-2 (248 MW).^[203] In recent years a couple of dozen of wind farms as well as biogas or biomass power stations of different scale have been built in Latvia.^[204] In 2022, the Latvian Prime Minister announced about the planned investments of 1 billion euros in the new wind farms and the completed project will expectedly provide additional 800 MW of capacity.^[205]

Latvia operates Inčukalns underground gas storage facility, one of the largest underground gas storage facilities in Europe and the only one in the Baltic states. Unique geological conditions at Inčukalns and other locations in Latvia are particularly suitable for underground gas storage.^[206]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Latvia

 

Riga, capital and largest city of Latvia

Residents of Latvia by ethnicity (2021)^[1]
Latvians			62.7%
Russians			24.4%
Belarusians			3.1%
Ukrainians			2.2%
Poles			2.0%
Lithuanians			1.1%
Others			4.1%

 

Population of Latvia (in millions) from 1920 to 2014

The total fertility rate (TFR) in 2018 was estimated to be 1.61 children born/woman, which is lower than the replacement rate of 2.1. In 2012, 45.0% of births were to unmarried women.^[207] The life expectancy in 2013 was estimated at 73.19 years (68.13 years male, 78.53 years female).^[189] As of 2015, Latvia is estimated to have the lowest male-to-female ratio in the world, at 0.85 males per female.^[208] In 2017, there were 1,054,433 females and 895,683 males living in Latvian territory. Every year, more boys are born than girls. Until the age of 39, there are more males than females. From the age of 70, there are 2.3 times as many females as males.

Ethnic groups

As of March 2011, Latvians formed about 62.1% of the population, while 26.9% were Russians, Belarusians 3.3%, Ukrainians 2.2%, Poles 2.2%, Lithuanians 1.2%, Jews 0.3%, Romani people 0.3%, Germans 0.1%, Estonians 0.1% and others 1.3%. 250 people identify as Livonians (Baltic Finnic people native to Latvia).^[209] There were 290,660 "non-citizens" living in Latvia or 14.1% of Latvian residents, mainly Russian settlers who arrived after the occupation of 1940 and their descendants.^[210]

In some cities, including Daugavpils and Rēzekne, ethnic Latvians constitute a minority of the total population. Despite a steadily increasing proportion of ethnic Latvians for more than a decade, ethnic Latvians also still make up slightly less than a half of the population of the capital city of Latvia – Riga.^{[citation needed]}

The share of ethnic Latvians declined from 77% (1,467,035) in 1935 to 52% (1,387,757) in 1989.^[211] In the context of a decreasing overall population, there were fewer Latvians in 2011 than in 1989, but their share of the population was larger – 1,285,136 (62.1% of the population).^[212]

Language

Further information: Language policy in Latvia

The sole official language of Latvia is Latvian, which belongs to the Baltic language sub-group of the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family. Another notable language of Latvia is the nearly extinct Livonian language of the Finnic branch of the Uralic language family, which enjoys protection by law; Latgalian – as a dialect of Latvian is also protected by Latvian law but as a historical variation of the Latvian language. Russian, which was widely spoken during the Soviet period, is still the most widely used minority language by far (in 2011, 34% spoke it at home, including people who were not ethnically Russian).^[213] While it is now required that all school students learn Latvian, schools also include English, German, French and Russian in their curricula. English is also widely accepted in Latvia in business and tourism. As of 2014^[update] there were 109 schools for minorities that use Russian as the language of instruction (27% of all students) for 40% of subjects (the remaining 60% of subjects are taught in Latvian).

On 18 February 2012, Latvia held a constitutional referendum on whether to adopt Russian as a second official language.^[214] According to the Central Election Commission, 74.8% voted against, 24.9% voted for and the voter turnout was 71.1%.^[215]

From 2019, instruction in the Russian language was gradually discontinued in private colleges and universities in Latvia, as well as general instruction in Latvian public high schools,^[216][217] except for subjects related to culture and history of the Russian minority, such as Russian language and literature classes.^[218]

Religion

Main article: Religion in Latvia

Religion in Latvia (2011)^[219]
Lutheranism			34.2%
Roman Catholicism			24.1%
Russian Orthodox			17.8%
Old Believers			1.6%
Other Christian			1.2%
Other or none			21.1%

The largest religion in Latvia is Christianity (79%).^[189][219] The largest groups as of 2011^[update] were:

• Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia – 708,773^[219]
• Roman Catholic – 500,000^[219]
• Russian Orthodox – 370,000^[219]

 

Riga Cathedral

In the Eurobarometer Poll 2010, 38% of Latvian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", while 48% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 11% stated that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force".

Lutheranism was more prominent before the Soviet occupation, when it was adhered to by about 60% of the population, a reflection of the country's strong historical links with the Nordic countries, and to the influence of the Hansa in particular and Germany in general. Since then, Lutheranism has declined to a slightly greater extent than Roman Catholicism in all three Baltic states. The Evangelical Lutheran Church, with an estimated 600,000 members in 1956, was affected most adversely. An internal document of 18 March 1987, near the end of communist rule, spoke of an active membership that had shrunk to only 25,000 in Latvia, but the faith has since experienced a revival.^[220]

The country's Orthodox Christians belong to the Latvian Orthodox Church, a semi-autonomous body within the Russian Orthodox Church. In 2011, there were 416 religious Jews in Latvia and 319 Muslims in Latvia.^[219] As of 2004, there were more than 600 Latvian neopagans, Dievturi (The Godskeepers), whose religion is based on Latvian mythology.^[221][222] About 21% of the total population is not affiliated with a specific religion.^[219]

Education and science

Main article: Education in Latvia

See also: List of universities in Latvia

 

University of Latvia

The University of Latvia and Riga Technical University are two major universities in the country, both established on the basis of Riga Polytechnical Institute, which was evacuated to Moscow in 1914 when the World War I was started, and located in Riga.^[223] Other important universities, which were established on the base of State University of Latvia, include the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (established in 1939 on the basis of the Faculty of Agriculture) and Riga Stradiņš University (established in 1950 on the basis of the Faculty of Medicine). Both nowadays cover a variety of different fields. The University of Daugavpils is another significant centre of education.

Latvia closed 131 schools between 2006 and 2010, which is a 12.9% decline, and in the same period enrolment in educational institutions has fallen by over 54,000 people, a 10.3% decline.^[224]

Latvian policy in science and technology has set out the long-term goal of transitioning from labor-consuming economy to knowledge-based economy.^[225] By 2020 the government aims to spend 1.5% of GDP on research and development, with half of the investments coming from the private sector. Latvia plans to base the development of its scientific potential on existing scientific traditions, particularly in organic chemistry, medical chemistry, genetic engineering, physics, materials science and information technologies.^[226] The greatest number of patents, both nationwide and abroad, are in medical chemistry.^[227] Latvia was ranked 38th in the Global Innovation Index in 2021, down from 34th in 2019.^{[228][229][230][231]}

Health

Main article: Health in Latvia

The Latvian healthcare system is a universal programme, largely funded through government taxation.^[232] It is among the lowest-ranked healthcare systems in Europe, due to excessive waiting times for treatment, insufficient access to the latest medicines, and other factors.^[233] There were 59 hospitals in Latvia in 2009, down from 94 in 2007 and 121 in 2006.^{[234][235][236]}

Culture

Main article: Culture of Latvia

 

Historic Centre of Riga was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1997

Traditional Latvian folklore, especially the dance of the folk songs, dates back well over a thousand years. More than 1.2 million texts and 30,000 melodies of folk songs have been identified.^[237]

Between the 13th and 19th centuries, Baltic Germans, many of whom were originally of non-German ancestry but had been assimilated into German culture, formed the upper class.^{[citation needed]} 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 United States, Canada and other countries in the early 20th century. However, most indigenous Latvians did not participate in this particular cultural life.^{[citation needed]} Thus, the mostly peasant local pagan heritage was preserved, partly merging with Christian traditions. For example, one of the most popular celebrations is Jāņi, a pagan celebration of the summer solstice—which Latvians celebrate on the feast day of St. John the Baptist.^{[citation needed]}

In the 19th century, Latvian nationalist movements emerged. They promoted Latvian culture and encouraged Latvians to take part in cultural activities. The 19th century and beginning of the 20th century is often regarded by Latvians 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.^{[citation needed]} 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.^[238]

 

Participants of the Latvian Song and Dance Festival in 2018

The Latvian Song and Dance Festival is an important event in Latvian culture and social life. It has been held since 1873, normally every five years. Approximately 30,000 performers altogether participate in the event.^[239] Folk songs and classical choir songs are sung, with emphasis on a cappella singing, though modern popular songs have recently been incorporated into the repertoire as well.^[240]

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.^[241]

During July 2014, Riga hosted the eighth World Choir Games as it played host to over 27,000 choristers representing over 450 choirs and over 70 countries. The festival is the biggest of its kind in the world and is held every two years in a different host city.^[242]

Starting in 2019 Latvia hosts the inaugural Riga Jurmala Music Festival, a new festival in which world-famous orchestras and conductors perform across four weekends during the summer. The festival takes place at the Latvian National Opera, the Great Guild, and the Great and Small Halls of the Dzintari Concert Hall. This year features the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra and the Russian National Orchestra.^[243]

Cuisine

Main article: Latvian cuisine

Latvian cuisine typically consists of agricultural products, with meat featuring in most main meal dishes. Fish is commonly consumed due to Latvia's location on the Baltic Sea. Latvian cuisine has been influenced by neighbouring countries. Common ingredients in Latvian recipes are found locally, such as potatoes, wheat, barley, cabbage, onions, eggs, and pork. Latvian food is generally quite fatty and uses few spices.^[244]

Grey peas with speck are generally considered as staple foods of Latvians. Sorrel soup (skābeņu zupa) is also consumed by Latvians.^[245] Rye bread is considered the national staple.^[246]

Sport

Main article: Sport in Latvia

 

Arena Riga during the 2006 IIHF World Championship

Ice hockey is usually considered the most popular sport in Latvia. Latvia has had many famous hockey stars like Helmuts Balderis, Artūrs Irbe, Kārlis Skrastiņš and Sandis Ozoliņš and more recently Zemgus Girgensons, whom the Latvian people have strongly supported in international and NHL play, expressed through the dedication of using the NHL's All Star Voting to bring Zemgus to number one in voting.^[247] Dinamo Riga is the country's strongest hockey club, playing in the Latvian Hockey Higher League. The national tournament is the Latvian Hockey Higher League, held since 1931. The 2006 IIHF World Championship was held in Riga.

 

Kristaps Porziņģis

The second most popular sport is basketball. Latvia has a long basketball tradition, as the Latvian national basketball team won the first ever EuroBasket in 1935 and silver medals in 1939, after losing the final to Lithuania by one point. Latvia has had many European basketball stars like Jānis Krūmiņš, Maigonis Valdmanis, Valdis Muižnieks, Valdis Valters, Igors Miglinieks, as well as the first Latvian NBA player Gundars Vētra. Andris Biedriņš is one of the most well-known Latvian basketball players, who played in the NBA for the Golden State Warriors and the Utah Jazz. Current NBA players include Kristaps Porziņģis, who plays for the Washington Wizards, Dāvis Bertāns, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks, and Rodions Kurucs, who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks. Former Latvian basketball club Rīgas ASK won the Euroleague tournament three times in a row before becoming defunct. Currently, VEF Rīga, which competes in EuroCup, is the strongest professional basketball club in Latvia. BK Ventspils, which participates in EuroChallenge, is the second strongest basketball club in Latvia, previously winning LBL eight times and BBL in 2013.^{[citation needed]} Latvia was one of the EuroBasket 2015 hosts.

Other popular sports include football, floorball, tennis, volleyball, cycling, bobsleigh and skeleton. The Latvian national football team's only major FIFA tournament participation has been the 2004 UEFA European Championship.^[248]

Latvia has participated successfully in both Winter and Summer Olympics. The most successful Olympic athlete in the history of independent Latvia has been Māris Štrombergs, who became a two-time Olympic champion in 2008 and 2012 at Men's BMX.^[249]

In Boxing, Mairis Briedis is the first and only Latvian to date, to win a boxing world title, having held the WBC cruiserweight title from 2017 to 2018, the WBO cruiserweight title in 2019, and the IBF / The Ring magazine cruiserweight titles in 2020.

In 2017, Latvian tennis player Jeļena Ostapenko won the 2017 French Open Women's singles title, being the first unseeded player to do so in the open era.

Notes

1. Not including Latgalian and Samogitian, which by some counts are separate languages.

References

1. Social Statistics Department of Latvia. "Pastāvīgo iedzīvotāju etniskais sastāvs reģionos un republikas pilsētās gada sākumā".
2. "Latvia".
3. Ģērmanis, Uldis (2007). Ojārs Kalniņš (ed.). The Latvian Saga (11th ed.). Riga: Atēna. p. 268. ISBN 9789984342917. OCLC 213385330.
4. . Embassy of Finland, Riga. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2010. Latvia declared independence on 21 August 1991...The decision to restore diplomatic relations took effect on 29 August 1991
5. "Surface water and surface water change". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Retrieved 11 October 2020.
6. "Latvia". The World Factbook (2023 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 24 September 2022.
7. "World Economic Outlook Database, October 2022". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. October 2022. Retrieved 11 October 2022.
8. "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income". Eurostat. from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
9. "Human Development Report 2021/2022" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
10. . The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
11. . The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
12. "Official Language Law, Sections 4, 5 and 18 (Article 4)". Likumi.lv. from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
13. . The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
14. "The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republikas Satversme)". Likumi.lv. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
15. "Weather information in Latvia". www.travelsignposts.com. 14 March 2015. from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
16. . [Latvia.eu]. 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
17. On 21 August 1991, after the Soviet coup d'état attempt, the Supreme Council adopted a Constitutional law, "On statehood of the Republic of Latvia", declaring Article 5 of the Declaration to be invalid, thus ending the transitional period and restoring de facto independence.
18. (PDF). Latvian Institute. 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
19. "Baltic Online". The University of Texas at Austin. from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 12 May 2011.
20. . The European Ethnohistory Database. The Ethnohistory Project. Archived from the original on 22 June 2006. Retrieved 6 August 2006.
21. A History of Rome, M Cary and HH Scullard, p455-457, Macmillan Press, ISBN 0-333-27830-5
22. Latvijas vēstures atlants, Jānis Turlajs, page 12, Karšu izdevniecība Jāņa sēta, ISBN 978-9984-07-614-0
23. . Kingdoms of Northern Europe – Latvia. The History Files. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 25 April 2010.
24. "Latvian History, Lonely Planet". Lonelyplanet.com. from the original on 1 April 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
25. . City Paper. 22 March 2006. Archived from the original on 22 December 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
26. Žemaitis, Augustinas. "German crusader states (until 1561)". OnLatvia.com. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
27. "Terra Mariana. 1186 – 1888 (2015)". Manabiblioteka.lv. Retrieved 26 August 2022.
28. "History of Latvia - Lonely Planet Travel Information". www.lonelyplanet.com. from the original on 26 March 2020. Retrieved 23 December 2019.
29. Johann Sehwers (1918). Die deutschen Lehnwörter im Lettischen: Inaugural-Dissertation zur Erlangung der Doktorwürde der hohen philosophischen Fakultät I der Universität Zürich (in German). Berichthaus.
30. Ceaser, Ray A. (June 2001). . University of Washington. Archived from the original on 2 March 2003. Retrieved 11 September 2017.
31. O'Connor, Kevin (3 October 2006). Culture and Customs of the Baltic States. Greenwood Publishing Group. ISBN 978-0-313-33125-1 – via Google Books.
32. Kasekamp, p. 47
33. Rickard, J. "Truce of Altmark, 12 September 1629". www.historyofwar.org. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
34. H. Strods, "'Dobrye Shvedskie Vremena' v Istoriografii Latvii (Konets XVIII V. – 70-E Gg. XX V.). ["'The good Swedish times' in Latvian historiography: from the late 18th century to the 1970s"] Skandinavskiy Sbornik, 1985, Vol. 29, pp. 188–199
35. J. T. Kotilaine (1999). "Riga's Trade With its Muscovite Hinterland in the Seventeenth Century". Journal of Baltic Studies. 30 (2): 129–161. doi:10.1080/01629779900000031.
36. Žemaitis, Augustinas. "Lutherans". OnLatvia.com. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
37. Ereminas, Gintautas. "Latviai". Vle.lt. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
38. "Latvian language". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 27 August 2022.
39. V. Stanley Vardys (1987). "The Role of the Churches in the Maintenance of Regional and National Identity in the Baltic Republics". Journal of Baltic Studies. 18 (3): 287–300. doi:10.1080/01629778700000141.
40. Kevin O'Connor (1 January 2003). The History of the Baltic States. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 29–. ISBN 978-0-313-32355-3. from the original on 27 April 2016. Retrieved 11 October 2015.
41. . Archived from the original on 19 July 2010. Retrieved 19 July 2010.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link). Bank of Latvia.
42. Lazdins, Janiz (2 July 2011). "THE ORIGINS OF A CIVIL SOCIETY BASED ON DEMOCRATICALLY LEGITIMATE VALUES IN BALTICS AFTER ABOLITION OF SERFDOM" (PDF). doi.org.
43. Baten, Jörg (2016). A History of the Global Economy. From 1500 to the Present. Cambridge University Press. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-107-50718-0.
44. "Latvian national awakening (1860-1918)". OnLatvia.com. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
45. "Latvians in the Second Half of the 19th Century and the Early 20th Century: National Identity, Culture and Social Life". National History Museum of Latvia. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
46. Ijabs, Ivars (20 November 2018). "Another Baltic Postcolonialism: Young Latvians, Baltic Germans, and the emergence of Latvian National Movement". Nationalities Papers. Cambridge University Press. 42 (1): 88–107. doi:10.1080/00905992.2013.823391. S2CID 129003059. Retrieved 19 March 2022.
47. Šiliņš, Jānis. "Jaunā strāva". Latvian National Encyclopedia (in Latvian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
48. Lapa, Līga. "1905. gada revolūcija Latvijā". Nacionālā enciklopēdija (in Latvian). Retrieved 19 March 2022.
49. "Kārlis Ulmanis | Valsts prezidenta kanceleja". www.president.lv. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
50. . Archived from the original on 23 February 2019. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
51. Bleiere, p. 155
52. Bleiere, p. 195
53. "Timeline: Latvia". BBC News. 20 January 2010. from the original on 20 April 2010. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
54. Nicholas Balabkins; Arnolds P. Aizsilnieks (1975). Entrepreneur in a small country: a case study against the background of the Latvian economy, 1919–1940. Exposition Press. pp. xiv, 143. ISBN 978-0-682-48158-8. JSTOR 2119564. from the original on 12 November 2012. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
55. "The Molotov-Ribbentrop pact – archive, August 1939". the Guardian. 24 July 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
56. Text of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact 14 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine, executed 23 August 1939
57. Buttar, Prit (21 May 2013). Between Giants. ISBN 978-1-78096-163-7.
58. Lumans, pp. 71–74
59. Lumans pp. 110–111
60. Lumans, p. 79
61. Wettig, Gerhard, Stalin and the Cold War in Europe, Rowman & Littlefield, Landham, Md, 2008, ISBN 0-7425-5542-9, pp. 20–21
62. Lumans, pp. 98–99
63. Simon Sebag Montefiore. Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar. p. 334.
64. "Operation Barbarossa". HISTORY. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
65. . www.mfa.gov.lv. Archived from the original on 3 March 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
66. "Estonia - RomArchive". www.romarchive.eu. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
67. "Patriots or Nazi collaborators? Latvians march to commemorate SS veterans. 21 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine" The Guardian. 16 March 2010
68. Lumans, pp. 395–396
69. Lumans, p. 349
70. Lumans, pp. 384–385
71. Lumans, p. 391
72. Strods, Heinrihs; Kott, Matthew (2002). "The File on Operation 'Priboi': A Re-Assessment of the Mass Deportations of 1949". Journal of Baltic Studies. 33 (1): 1–36. doi:10.1080/01629770100000191. S2CID 143180209.
73. Lumans, pp. 398–399
74. Bleiere, p. 384
75. Bleiere, p. 411
76. Bleiere, p. 418
77. Bleiere, p. 379
78. Lumans, p. 400
79. Vladimir Kara-Murza. "Latvia opens its KGB archives — while Russia continues to whitewash its past". Opinion. Washington Post. from the original on 9 January 2019. Retrieved 9 January 2019.
80. "Flag Log's World Flag Chart 1991". flaglog.com. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
81. More-detailed discussion in Daina Stukuls Eglitis, Imagining the Nation: History, Modernity, and Revolution in Latvia State College PA: Pennsylvania State Press, 2010), 41-46. ISBN 9780271045627
82. Eglitis, Daina Stukuls (1 November 2010). Imagining the Nation: History, Modernity, and Revolution in Latvia. Penn State Press. ISBN 978-0-271-04562-7.
83. "Stories of Statelessness: Latvia and Estonia – IBELONG". 12 January 2015. Archived from the original on 27 November 2015.
84. . Swedish Royal Court. Archived from the original on 26 August 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
85. . www.nato.int. Archived from the original on 12 March 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
86. "From child refugee to president: Latvia's Vaira Vike-Freiberga". BBC News. 4 August 2019.
87. Commercio Michele E (2003). "Emotion and Blame in Collective Action: Russian Voice in Kyrgyzstan and Latvia". Political Science Quarterly. 124 (3): 489–512. doi:10.1002/j.1538-165X.2009.tb00657.x. S2CID 55002696.
88. "Riga – European Capital of Culture (ECoC) in 2014". Diversity of Cultural Expressions. 29 April 2016.
89. Traykov, Peter (15 February 2014). . Nouvelle-europe.eu. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 1 April 2021.
90. "Valdis Dombrovskis Named as European Commission's Vice President". [Latvia.eu]. 10 September 2014.
91. "Latvian Presidency of the Council of the European Union" (PDF). Global Agricultural Information Network. 26 January 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2021.
92. "Final of Riga 2003". Eurovision.tv.
93. "European Film Academy: European Film Awards 2014 go to Riga". www.europeanfilmacademy.org.
94. "Latvia's accession to the OECD". OECD. 1 July 2016. from the original on 21 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
95. . Central Statistical Bureau Republic of Latvia. 28 April 2012. Archived from the original on 27 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
96. . Central Statistical Bureau Republic of Latvia. 18 August 2011. Archived from the original on 12 October 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
97. . Central Statistical Bureau Republic of Latvia. 5 October 2011. Archived from the original on 2 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
98. . Latvian Institute. Archived from the original on 23 September 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
99. . Liepājas Universitāte. Archived from the original on 27 February 2013.
100. . Global Water Partnership. Archived from the original on 1 November 2012.
101. . RPIVA. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
102. "Climate and weather in Latvia". OnLatvia.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
103. . Latvia.travel. Archived from the original on 8 January 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
104. Latvijas ģeogrāfijas atlants. Rīga: Jāņa sēta. 2004. p. 13. ISBN 9984073637.
105. "2019 the warmest year". www.lvportals. from the original on 6 February 2020. Retrieved 6 February 2020.
106. . Latvian Institute. 2002. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
107. "Land Use/Cover Area frame Survey 2012 Buildings, roads and other artificial areas cover 5% of the EU …and forests 40%". Eurostat Commission. 25 October 2013. from the original on 31 October 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
108. Planet, Lonely. "Gauja National Park travel – Lonely Planet". Lonely Planet. from the original on 11 October 2017. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
109. "Rāzna National Park | Latvia Travel". www.latvia.travel. from the original on 22 February 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2019.
110. "Protected areas". Nature Conservation Agency Republic of Latvia. from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
111. "2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI)". Yale University and Columbia University in collaboration with The World Economic Forum and European Commission. Archived from the original on 5 June 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
112. "Country Trends". Global Footprint Network. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
113. Lin, David; Hanscom, Laurel; Murthy, Adeline; Galli, Alessandro; Evans, Mikel; Neill, Evan; Mancini, MariaSerena; Martindill, Jon; Medouar, FatimeZahra; Huang, Shiyu; Wackernagel, Mathis (2018). "Ecological Footprint Accounting for Countries: Updates and Results of the National Footprint Accounts, 2012-2018". Resources. 7 (3): 58. doi:10.3390/resources7030058.
114. . rianova.narod.ru. Archived from the original on 11 February 2015. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
115. Latvijas enciklopēdija (in Latvian). Vol. 3rd volume. Riga, Latvia: Valērija Belokoņa izdevniecība. 2005. p. 695. ISBN 9984-9482-3-4.
116. . Nature of Latvia. Archived from the original on 7 February 2006. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
117. Grantham, H. S.; et al. (2020). "Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity - Supplementary Material". Nature Communications. 11 (1): 5978. Bibcode:2020NatCo..11.5978G. doi:10.1038/s41467-020-19493-3. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 7723057. PMID 33293507.
118. . Latvian Institute. Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
119. . Archived from the original on 4 June 2015.
120. (in Latvian) Constitution of the Republic of Latvia with amendments and revisions 25 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine (Official English translation) 5 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine (Retrieved on 18 November 2011)
121. "Politics". [Latvia.eu]. 9 January 2015. from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
122. "Latvia's ruling centre-right coalition wins elections". BBC News. 3 October 2010.
123. "Latvia's prime minister resigns over deadly supermarket collapse". Los Angeles Times. 27 November 2013.
124. "Latvia election: Coalition keeps strong Russian party out". BBC News. 6 October 2014.
125. Kaža, Juris (5 December 2015). "Latvia's Prime Minister Laimdota Straujuma Steps Down". Wall Street Journal – via www.wsj.com.
126. Reuters Staff (11 February 2016). "Latvia parliament approves PM Maris Kucinskis new government". Reuters – via www.reuters.com. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
127. "Pro-Russia party wins Latvia election but tough talks loom". BBC News. 8 October 2018.
128. Reuters Staff (23 January 2019). "Latvia's Karins confirmed as PM, ending lengthy political deadlock". Reuters – via www.reuters.com. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
129. . Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 1 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
130. "Foreign policy". Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Latvia. from the original on 28 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
131. "A foreign policy based on co-operation and constructive engagement". Latvian Institute. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
132. "Background Note: Latvia". U.S. Department of State. 18 November 2011. from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
133. . Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
134. . Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 5 April 2012. Retrieved 13 May 2012.
135. . Nordic Council of Ministers. Archived from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
136. "Nordic-Baltic mobility programme for public administration". Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia. from the original on 13 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
137. . Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
138. . Nordic Council of Ministers. Archived from the original on 18 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
139. "Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia". Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Latvia. from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
140. . Northern Dimension Partnership on Culture (NDPC). 6 November 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
141. . State Chancellery, Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 1 March 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
142. "Enhanced Partnership in Northern Europe (e-PINE)". U.S. Department of State. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
143. "About Rīga Conference". Rīga Conference. from the original on 8 November 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
144. "Latvia". europa.eu. European Union. 5 July 2016. from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
145. "Ambassador Guna Japiņa presents her credentials to the Hereditary Prince of Liechtenstein | Press Releases | LETA". www.leta.lv. Retrieved 30 April 2022.
146. . mod.gov.lv. Archived from the original on 27 April 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
147. . Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 8 February 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
148. (in Latvian). Latvian National Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
149. . Ministry of National Defence Republic of Latvia. 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
150. "US-led coalition forces operation in OIF (Operation Iraqi Freedom)" (in Latvian). Latvian National Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
151. "Other operations" (in Latvian). Latvian National Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 5 August 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
152. "EU Battlegroup Offers and Commitments" (PDF). Council of the European Union. 26 September 2012. (PDF) from the original on 22 September 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
153. "Dombrovskis and US Ambassador Garber visit Riga Airport to inspect cargo plane to Afghanistan". The Baltic Course. 2012. from the original on 12 July 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
154. "One year on: ISAF's trans-European supply routes are a success". NATO. 2011. from the original on 15 May 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
155. "NATO opens new communication lines to Afghanistan". NATO. 2010. from the original on 16 May 2013. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
156. Gerard O'Dwyer (13 September 2012). "Nordic Military Alliance With Latvia in Afghanistan". DefenseNews. Archived from the original on 21 January 2013. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
157. (in Latvian). Latvian National Armed Forces. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
158. "Background Note: Latvia". U.S. Department of State. 18 November 2011. from the original on 22 January 2017. Retrieved 12 May 2012.
159. . The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Latvia. 6 November 2013. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
160. . Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 2002. Archived from the original on 5 August 2011. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
161. "Baltic Defence Ministers announced new defence cooperation initiatives". Ministry of National Defence Republic of Lithuania. 2011. from the original on 23 July 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
162. . Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 21 January 2011. Archived from the original on 8 June 2012. Retrieved 28 April 2012.
163. . Estonian Public Broadcasting. 9 November 2012. Archived from the original on 11 November 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2012.
164. "Latvian parliament approves of increasing defence budget". Baltic News Network - News from Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. 22 April 2022. Retrieved 22 April 2022.
165. "2008 Human Rights Report: Latvia". United States Department of State. 25 February 2009. Retrieved 9 June 2009.
166. "Freedom in the World – Latvia (2008)". Freedom House. 2008. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
167. (PDF). The Economist. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 14 December 2008. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
168. . Reporters Without Borders. 2010. Archived from the original on 24 November 2010. Retrieved 3 March 2011.
169. . Privacy International. 2007. Archived from the original on 2 March 2011. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
170. "Statistics of the Human Development Report". United Nations Development Programme. 2008. from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2009.
171. Women, Business and the Law 2019: A Decade of Reform. World Bank (Report). 27 February 2019. from the original on 14 October 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2019.
172. "Country Report 2008 Edition". Freedom House. 2008. Archived from the original on 24 June 2011. Retrieved 6 June 2009.
173. "Datubāze - izvēlēties tabulu". data1.csb.gov.lv. from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 19 December 2019.
174. Concluding observations of the Human Rights Committee: Latvia. CCPR/CO/79/LVA, 1 December 2003 29 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine See Paras. 16, 18
175. ECRI Third Report on Latvia 9 May 2009 at the Wayback Machine, CRI(2008)2. See paras. 118, 132
176. "A new kind of citizenship accepted by EU? Latvian non-citizens and the citizenship debates". University of Twente Student Theses. 2011. from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 18 August 2014.
177. . Amnesty International. 2009. Archived from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
178. "Latvia: Investigate Attacks on Gay Activists". Human rights watch. 2006. from the original on 10 June 2009. Retrieved 8 June 2009.
179. Apollo, [e-mail] (2 December 2013). "Turpina pieaugt iedzīvotāju atbalsts eiro ieviešanai". Apollo.lv. from the original on 4 April 2014. Retrieved 23 April 2014.
180. "New currency, new leader". The Economist. 14 January 2014. from the original on 1 July 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
181. . Eurostat. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
182. . The Baltic Course. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2013.
183. Aaron Eglitis (11 May 2009). . Bloomberg L.P. Archived from the original on 2 December 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
184. "Latvian economy in rapid decline". BBC News. 11 May 2009. from the original on 30 September 2009. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
185. "A bubble burst: the downfall of Latvian real estate". www.baltictimes.com. Retrieved 6 April 2022.
186. Commercio, Michele E. (1 March 2008). "Systems of Partial Control: Ethnic Dynamics in Post-Soviet Estonia and Latvia". Studies in Comparative International Development. 43 (1): 81–100. doi:10.1007/s12116-007-9013-5. ISSN 1936-6167. S2CID 26143200.
187. "TAX CONVENTION WITH LATVIA" (PDF). Internal Revenue Service. (PDF) from the original on 5 May 2017. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
188. "Agreement between the United States of America and the Republic of Latvia on Trade Relations and Intellectual Property Rights Protection". World Intellectual Property Organization. from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 19 May 2018.
189. "Latvia". CIA. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
190. . Europa (web portal). 1 October 2010. Archived from the original on 20 July 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
191. "Eurostat – Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table". European Commission. from the original on 1 November 2014. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
192. Paul Krugman (15 December 2008). "European Crass Warfare". The New York Times. from the original on 28 April 2019. Retrieved 15 December 2008.
193. "Baltic Thaw, Aegean freeze", The Economist, 27 February 2010, p59
194. Patrick Lannin and Aija Braslina "UPDATE 2-IMF hails Latvia effort but sees risks ahead" 11 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Reuters, 15 March 2010. Retrieved 31 July 2010
195. Toomas Hõbemägi. . Bbn.ee. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
196. Public Information Notice (PIN) No. 12/76 by IMF. "IMF Executive Board Concludes First Post-Program Monitoring Discussions with the Republic of Latvia, July 16, 2012". imf.org. from the original on 17 August 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2012.
197. . Archived from the original on 8 September 2008. Retrieved 8 September 2008., World Bank
198. "Basic company information | airBaltic". www.airbaltic.com. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
199. "Satiksmes ceļu garums gada beigās (kilometros)". Centrālais Statistikas Birojs. Retrieved 7 March 2018.^{[permanent dead link]}
200. . Rail Baltica. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
201. . Latvijas Valsts ceļi. Archived from the original on 26 August 2018. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
202. . Centrālais Statistikas Birojs. Archived from the original on 9 April 2022. Retrieved 7 March 2021.
203. "Daugava hydropower plants". Latvenergo.lv. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
204. "Development of wind parks is possible in whole Latvia's territory - LVM". The Baltic Times. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
205. "Prime Minister: investment in wind farms to reach one billion euros". Baltic News Network. 8 August 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
206. "The Outlook of Latvian Potential Underground Gas Storages and Prospects of Utilization of this Potential for Securing of Reliable Gas Supply to Europe" (PDF). UNECE. 24 January 2007. (PDF) from the original on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
207. . Eurostat – Tables, Graphs and Maps Interface (TGM) table. 17 October 2013. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 3 January 2014.
208. . Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency. Archived from the original on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 1 August 2016.
209. "Ethnic Groups in Latvia: Majority and Minorities". OnLatvia.com. Retrieved 3 September 2022.
210. Population Census 2011 – Key Indicators 10 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Csb.gov.lv. Retrieved 19 February 2012.
211. . Latvian Academy of Culture. Archived from the original on 29 June 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2007.
212. "TSG11-06. RESIDENT POPULATION ON MARCH 1, 2011 BY ETHNICITY, SEX AND AGE GROUP". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 27 February 2017.^{[permanent dead link]}
213. "THNICITIES OF RESIDENT POPULATION IN STATISTICAL REGIONS, CITIES UNDER STATE JURISDICTION AND COUNTIES BY LANGUAGE MOSTLY SPOKEN AT HOME; ON 1 MARCH 2011". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Archived from the original on 17 May 2016. Retrieved 1 January 2014.
214. . Central Election Commission of Latvia. 2012. Archived from the original on 2 May 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
215. (in Latvian). Central Election Commission of Latvia. 2012. Archived from the original on 15 April 2012. Retrieved 2 May 2012.
216. "Latvia pushes majority language in schools, leaving parents miffed". Deutsche Welle. 8 September 2018. from the original on 23 January 2019. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
217. "Moscow threatens sanctions against Latvia over removal of Russian from secondary schools". The Daily Telegraph. 3 April 2018. from the original on 27 December 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
218. "Government okays transition to Latvian as sole language at schools in 2019". Public Broadcasting of Latvia. 23 January 2018. from the original on 16 August 2018. Retrieved 23 January 2019.
219. (in Latvian). Archived from the original on 26 November 2012. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
220. "Latvia – SOCIETY". Mongabay.com. 18 March 1987. from the original on 19 September 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2010.
221. . Reliģiju Enciklopēdija (in Latvian). The Latvian Bible Society. 1 January 2004. Archived from the original on 5 February 2007. Retrieved 7 March 2007.
222. Žemaitis, Augustinas. "Dievturība (neo-paganism)". OnLatvia.com. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
223. . Rtu.lv. Archived from the original on 20 October 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
224. "Latvijas Statistika". Csb.gov.lv. 17 May 2010. Retrieved 6 June 2010.^{[dead link]}
225. "Science". Izglītības un zinātnes ministrija. from the original on 29 January 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
226. "Latvijas Zinātņu Akadēmija". www.lza.lv. from the original on 13 August 2019. Retrieved 3 October 2019.
227. . inventions.lza.lv. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 29 April 2016.
228. "Global Innovation Index 2021". World Intellectual Property Organization. United Nations. Retrieved 5 March 2022.
229. "Global Innovation Index 2019". www.wipo.int. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
230. "RTD - Item". ec.europa.eu. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
231. . INSEAD Knowledge. 28 October 2013. Archived from the original on 2 September 2021. Retrieved 2 September 2021.
232. "Latvia's Healthcare System is Funded by General Taxation and All Latvians and Foreign Residents Are Guaranteed Medical Care | Find Articles at BNET". Findarticles.com. 18 November 2005. Archived from the original on 11 July 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
233. "Latvia has worst health care system in Europe". The Baltic Course. 14 November 2008. from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
234. David Jolly (18 June 2009). "Latvian Health Official Resigns Over Cuts". The New York Times. from the original on 11 May 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2010.
235. . Csb.gov.lv. 22 January 2010. Archived from the original on 16 December 2007. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
236. "The Baltic States and their health systems – From Soviet to EU". Healthcare-in-Europea. Retrieved 5 February 2010.
237. . Li.lv. 1 May 2006. Archived from the original on 15 May 2011. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
238. . Global Society for Latvian Art. Archived from the original on 29 October 2009.
239. 23rd All Latvian Song Festival 22 September 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 7 March 2007
240. "Music". Latvian Song & Dance Festival. from the original on 6 April 2020. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
241. Smith Graham, ed. The Baltic States: The National Self-Determination of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Basingstoke: Macmillan, 1994. Latvia has artistically-diverse curricula and, thus, more-diverse public arts compared to the other Baltic countries; Latvia and the UK are among the European countries where there are requirements for a musically diverse curriculum. Richard Letts et al., The Protection and Promotion of Musical Diversity (UNESCO: International Music Council, 2006), 95. Online at http://www.imc-cim.org/programmes/imc_diversity_report.pdf 29 April 2019 at the Wayback Machine
242. . Archived from the original on 5 February 2014.
243. "About Festival". from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 8 April 2020.
244. Maija., Auliciema, Marianna; Raimonds., Cerūzis (2004). The cuisine of Latvia. Latvian Institute. ISBN 998473627X. OCLC 660594947.
245. Ošiņa, Sandra; Ošiņš, Valdis (2014). Traditional and modern Latvian foods and beverages (PDF). The Association of Latvian Rural Tourism.
246. Gross, Daina (10 June 2016). "Rye Bread". Latvian Culture Canon. Retrieved 20 August 2019.
247. "Sabres' Girgensons expands lead as top vote-getter in 2015 NHL All-Star Fan Vote presented by SiriusXM". nhl.com. from the original on 11 December 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
248. "Latvia team profile". Uefa.com. 6 January 2014. from the original on 5 February 2016. Retrieved 3 November 2015.
249. "Pajon, Strombergs win Olympic BMX Finals". ESPN.com. from the original on 18 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.

Bibliography

Latvia

• Arveds, Švābe (1949). The Story of Latvia: A Historical Survey. Stockholm: Latvian National Foundation. OCLC 2961684.
• Bleiere, Daina; and Ilgvars Butulis; Antonijs Zunda; Aivars Stranga; Inesis Feldmanis (2006). History of Latvia: the 20th century. Rīga: Jumava. ISBN 9984-38-038-6. OCLC 70240317.
• Cimdiņa, Ausma; Deniss Hanovs, eds. (2011). Latvia and Latvians: A People and a State in Ideas, Images and Symbols. Rīga: Zinātne Publishers. ISBN 978-9984-808-83-3.
• Dreifelds, Juris (1996). Latvia in Transition. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-55537-1.
• Dzenovska, Dace. School of Europeanness: Tolerance and other lessons in political liberalism in Latvia (Cornell University Press, 2018).
• Ģērmanis, Uldis (2007). The Latvian Saga. Rīga: Atēna. ISBN 978-9984-34-291-7.
• Hazans, Mihails. "Emigration from Latvia: Recent trends and economic impact." in Coping with emigration in Baltic and East European countries (2013) pp: 65–110. online
• Lumans, Valdis O. (2006). Latvia in World War II. Fordham University Press. ISBN 0-8232-2627-1.
• Meyendorff, Alexander Feliksovich (1922). "Latvia" . In Chisholm, Hugh (ed.). Encyclopædia Britannica (12th ed.). London & New York: The Encyclopædia Britannica Company.
• Plakans, Andrejs (1998). Historical Dictionary of Latvia (2nd ed.). Lanham: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-5515-1.
• Plakans, Andrejs (2010). The A to Z of Latvia. Lanham: The Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-7209-7.
• Plakans, Andrejs (1995). The Latvians: A Short History. Stanford: Hoover Institution Press. ISBN 978-0-8179-9302-3.
• Pabriks, Artis, and Aldis Purs. Latvia: the challenges of change (Routledge, 2013).
• Rutkis, Jānis, ed. (1967). Latvia: Country & People. Stockholm: Latvian National Foundation. OCLC 457313.
• Turlajs, Jānis (2012). Latvijas vēstures atlants. Rīga: Karšu izdevniecība Jāņa sēta. ISBN 978-9984-07-614-0.

Baltic states

• Auers, Daunis. Comparative politics and government of the Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the 21st century (Springer, 2015).
• Bojtár, Endre (1999). Forward to the Past – A Cultural History of the Baltic People. Budapest: Central European University Press. ISBN 978-963-9116-42-9.
• Hiden, John; Patrick Salmon (1991). The Baltic Nations and Europe: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in the Twentieth Century. London: Longman. ISBN 0-582-08246-3.
• Hiden, John; Vahur Made; David J. Smith (2008). The Baltic Question during the Cold War. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-56934-7.
• Kasekamp, Andres (2010). A History of the Baltic States. London: Palgrave Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-230-01940-9.
• Jacobsson, Bengt (2009). The European Union and the Baltic States: Changing forms of governance. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-48276-9.
• Lane, Thomas, et al. The Baltic States: Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (Routledge, 2013).
• Lehti, Marko; David J. Smith, eds. (2003). Post-Cold War Identity Politics – Northern and Baltic Experiences. London/Portland: Frank Cass Publishers. ISBN 0-7146-8351-5.
• Lieven, Anatol (1994). The Baltic Revolution: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and the Path to Independence (2nd ed.). New Haven/London: Yale University Press. ISBN 0-300-05552-8.
• Naylor, Aliide (2020). The Shadow in the East: Vladimir Putin and the New Baltic Front. London: Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9781788312523.
• Plakans, Andrejs (2011). A Concise History of the Baltic States. Cambridge: Cambridge UP. ISBN 978-0-521-54155-8.
• Smith, Graham, ed. (1994). The Baltic States: The National Self-determination of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-12060-5.
• Steen, Anton. Between past and future: elites, democracy and the state in post-communist countries: a comparison of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (Routledge, 2019).
• Williams, Nicola; Debra Herrmann; Cathryn Kemp (2003). Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania (3rd ed.). London: Lonely Planet. ISBN 1-74059-132-1.

Russia connection

• Cheskin, Ammon. "Exploring Russian-speaking identity from below: The case of Latvia." Journal of Baltic Studies 44.3 (2013): 287–312. online 25 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• Cheskin, Ammon. Russian-Speakers in Post-Soviet Latvia: Discursive Identity Strategies (Edinburgh University Press, 2016).
• Commercio, Michele E. (2010). Russian Minority Politics in Post-Soviet Latvia and Kyrgyzstan: The Transformative Power of Informal Networks. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0-8122-4221-8.
• Šleivyte, Janina (2010). Russia's European Agenda and the Baltic States. London: Routledge. ISBN 978-0-415-55400-8.

External links

Government

• President of Latvia
• Parliament of Latvia
• Government of Latvia
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia
• Statistical Office of Latvia
• Latvian Institute
• Bank of Latvia

General information

• Latvia Online
• European Union country profile
• Britannica Online Encyclopedia
• BBC News country profile
• Latvia. The World Factbook. Central Intelligence Agency.
• from UCB Libraries GovPubs
• Latvia at Curlie
• Key Development Forecasts for Latvia from International Futures

Culture

• Latvian Cultural Canon
• Latvian Culture Map
• Livonian Culture Portal
• State Agency of Cultural Heritage
• National Library of Latvia 1 June 2021 at the Wayback Machine
• Latvian Heritage
• Latvian Music Information Centre

Travel

• Official Latvian Tourism Portal

Maps

•   Wikimedia Atlas of Latvia
•   Geographic data related to Latvia at OpenStreetMap