Latvia

Several eastern Baltic tribes merged in medieval times to form the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I, but the USSR annexed it in 1940 -- an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991 after the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 25% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow.

Capital

Riga

Government

parliamentary republic

Population

1,888,439

Area

64,589 sq km

Location

Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania

Climate

maritime; wet, moderate winters

Natural resources

peat; limestone; dolomite; amber; hydropower; timber…

Languages

Latvian (official) 56.3%; Russian 33.8%; other 0.6% (includes Polish; Ukrainian…

Religions

Lutheran 36.2%; Roman Catholic 19.5%; Orthodox 19.1%; other Christian 1.6%…

Independence

18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia); 4 May 1990 (declared from the Soviet Union);

Administrative divisions

36 municipalities (novadi, singular - novads) and 7 state cities (valstpilsetu pasvaldibas, singular - valstspilsetas pa…

Currency

euros (EUR)

Export partners

Lithuania 19%; Estonia 6%; Russia 6%; Germany 6%…

Import partners

Lithuania 18%; Germany 11%; Poland 10%; Estonia 8%…

Source: CIA World Factbook — a work of the US government, in the public domain

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