Latvia
The
Republic of Latvia (
Latvian:
Latvijas Republika), or
Latvia (
Latvian:
Latvija), is a
republic in
Northeastern Europe. Bordering the
Baltic Sea, Latvia is known as one of the
Baltic States, together with
Estonia and
Lithuania, which border the nation in the north and south, respectively. In the east, it shares borders with
Russia and
Belarus.
On
20 September 2003, in a nationwide referendum, the Latvians voted to join the
European Union and Latvia's EU membership took effect on
1 May 2004. Latvia became the member state of
NATO on
March 29 2004.
History
\nMain article: History of Latvia
Known for the most part as Livonia, the area that now constitues Latvia was under the influence of the German Sword Brethren from the 13th century onward. However, in the 18th and 19th century, Russia gained control over Latvia and neighbouring regions. With Russia devastated by revolution and World War I, Latvia declared its independence in November 18 1918. From 1934 was an authoritarian state. This period of independence lasted only briefly, as the Soviet Union annexed the country on 17 June 1940 in accordance with the Soviet-Nazi agreement (Ribbentrop-Molotov pact) of 1939.
Except for a brief period of German occupation during World War II, Latvia remained Soviet territory until reforms in Soviet communism such as glasnost stimulated the Latvian independence movement, and Latvia regained its independence on 21 August 1991. It has since followed a course to reinforce its links with the West, and became a member of both NATO and the European Union in 2004.
Politics
\nMain article: Politics of Latvia
The 100-seat unicameral Latvian parliament, the Saeima, is elected by direct, popular vote every four years. The presidential elections are held separately, also every four years. The president is elected by Saeima. The president appoints a prime minister who, together with his cabinet, forms the executive branch of the government.
Counties
\nMain article: Counties of Latvia
Latvia is divided into 26 counties called rajons. 7 cities have a separate status.
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Geography
\nMain article: Geography of Latvia
Large parts of Latvia are covered by forests, and the country has over 12,000 small rivers and over 3,000 lakes. Most of the country consists of fertile, low-lying plains with some hills in the east, the highest point being the Gaizinkalns at 312 m.
An inlet of the Baltic Sea, the shallow Gulf of Riga is situated in the northwest of the country. The capital city Riga is located on the shores of this inlet, where the
Daugava river flows into it. Other major cities include
Daugavpils further upriver and
Liepaja along the Baltic coast.
The Latvian
climate is maritime and
temperate in nature, with cool summers and wet, moderate winters.
Economy
\nMain article: Economy of Latvia
Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the previous government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward
EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been
privatised. Latvia officially joined the
World Trade Organisation in February
1999 and the
European Union in May
2004. The high current account deficit remains a major concern.
Demographics
\nMain article: Demographics of Latvia
Less than 60% of the population of Latvia are ethnic Latvians. About 30% is Russian, whose wellbeing is a continuing concern for Russia. In the larger cities, such as Riga and Daugavpils, Russians outnumber Latvians. Sizeable minorities from other countries such as
Belarus,
Ukraine and
Poland also live in Latvia.
Latvian, a member of the
Baltic languages, is the country's only official language, but
Russian is also widely spoken. The population is largely Christian, divided between the
Lutheran,
Catholic and
Russian Orthodox Churches. Another religion is
Dievturi (The Godkeepers), which has historical roots based on preChristian era mythology.
Culture
\nMain article: Culture of Latvia
International rankings
Miscellaneous topics
External links
Government
Other
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Category:EU countries\nCategory:Baltic states
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