The Eastern European country of Latvia lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. For much of its history Latvia has been controlled by foreign powers. For a brief period between the two world wars, Latvia was an independent state with a democratic government. In 1940, however, it became a republic of the Soviet Union. Latvia achieved independence once again in 1991.
Latvia covers an area of 24,946 square miles (64,610 square kilometers). It is the middle of the three Baltic states, with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. Russia lies to the east of Latvia, Belarus to the southeast, and the Baltic Sea to the west. More than a quarter of Latvia's borders are coastal, with long stretches of sandy beaches.
Roughly half of Latvia's coastline faces the Baltic. The rest fronts the Gulf of Riga. The capital and major port, Riga, lies on the gulf, just above the mouth of the Daugava River. The other major rivers are the Gauja, the Venta, and the Lielupe. These rivers and numerous smaller ones that cross the country occasionally cause flooding problems.
Latvia consists mainly of fairly flat lowlands alternating with hills. Amid the hills are numerous lakes. Forests dominate the landscape, covering more than two fifths of Latvia's total area. The most common trees are pine and spruce. Animals of the forests include elk, wild boars, foxes, hare, lynx, badgers, and ermines.
The Atlantic Ocean affects the climate of Latvia. Summers are cool and rainy. Winter sets in slowly and lasts from mid-December to mid-March. It is generally warmer on the coast than in the inland areas.
In the late 1990s ethnic Latvians, or Letts, made up about 56 percent of the country's population. They speak Latvian, one of two surviving Baltic languages, the other being Lithuanian. Nearly one third of the population is Russian. Most of the people live in cities.
Photograph:Monument commemorating the Latvian poet and dramatist Rainis (Jānis Pliekšāns) …
* Monument commemorating the Latvian poet and dramatist Rainis (Jānis Pliekšāns) …
Latvia has a rich folk heritage. Folk festivals are held throughout the country, with dances, music, and song performed in the colorful costumes of the region. Rainis, the national poet of Latvia, based his modern plays and poems on Latvian legends and folk music.
Latvia is the most heavily industrialized of the Baltic states. Its leading industries include food processing, wood and wood products, textiles and clothing, machinery, metalworking, electrical equipment, chemicals, and construction materials. Latvia has few natural resources. Most of its energy and the raw materials needed for industry are imported.
Because of Latvia's poor soils and cool climate, growing crops is less important than raising livestock—mainly pigs, dairy cattle, sheep, and poultry. The crops that are grown include potatoes, sugar beets, wheat, barley, rye, and grasses for feeding livestock. Forestry and fishing are also important to the economy.
Foreign trade is conducted through the seaports of Riga, Ventspils, and Liepaja. Riga has an international airport.
The original inhabitants of Latvia were an ancient people known as Balts. In the 9th century the Vikings took control of the region. The Germans conquered Latvia in the early 13th century. German rule continued until the mid-16th century, when Latvia was divided between Poland and Sweden. For the next 200 years the Poles, Swedes, and Russians fought for control of the region. By the end of the 18th century Russia controlled all of Latvia.
After the Russian Revolution of 1917, Latvia declared its independence. Democracy briefly reigned, but the new government was unstable. In 1940 Soviet troops invaded Latvia and made it part of the Soviet Union. During World War II Nazi Germany held Latvia from 1941 to 1944. The Soviets reclaimed Latvia in 1944.
Latvia was one of the most prosperous and highly industrialized parts of the Soviet Union. It also suffered under Soviet rule, however. Some 100,000 ethnic Latvians were deported to Siberia during the Soviet era. In the late 1980s, as Soviet rule was starting to crumble, Latvians again campaigned for independence. Latvia finally attained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Population (2001 estimate), 2,358,000.
