Tag: Latvia

Latvia, like the other two Baltic republics (Estonia and Lithuania), is a small country that became independent from the Soviet Union in 1991. During the two world wars it had already experienced a troubled period of independence (1918-40) and for this reason the Constitution in force today is still that of the first republican era (1920-34), albeit partially amended. Given its small size, especially compared to Russia, its geographic location and the fact that more than a quarter of the country's residents are ethnic Russians, relations between Riga and Moscow have been the focus of the country's foreign policy, as well as a important source of contrasts. Tensions between Riga and Moscow re-emerged with the status referendum of the Russian language (February 2012) and with the joint Russian-Belarusian military exercises…

Latvia. The Republic of Latvia is one of the Baltic states. It was an independent republic from the end of World War I until 1940. It is located on the northeastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It is bordered to the north by Estonia, to the east by the Russian Federation, to the southeast by Belarus and to the south by Lithuania. Latvia is divided into five regions: Kurzeme, Latgale, Riga, Vidzeme and Zemgale. History According to mathgeneral.com, Latvia was occupied by Finns and other Baltic ethnic groups. The latgales, under the Finnish denomination of "letos", gave their name to the territory. By the 11th century, the Latgales were vassals of the Russian prince of Polostk, a time when they abandoned paganism for Christianity. The Archbishopric of Livonia was established in 1199. By 1158 the Germans had reached the mouth of the Dvina River. At the end of the 13th…

According to ezinereligion, in 2007, the population of Latvia was estimated to be around 2.2 million people, with Latvians making up approximately 57% of the population and other ethnic minorities such as Russians, Belarusians, Ukrainians and Poles making up the remaining 43%. The economy in 2007 was largely based on manufacturing and services, although there had been a steady increase in foreign direct investment due to its strategic location between eastern Europe and Scandinavia. In terms of foreign relations, Latvia had strong ties with its European neighbors, as well as with Russia. Politically, Latvia was a parliamentary republic led by the Prime Minister; the Saeima served as the legislature and elections were held every four years for both offices. In 2007, Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis was re-elected amid allegations of…