Latvia Geopolitics

Latvia Geopolitics

Europe
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…
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Latvia Country Overview

Latvia Country Overview

Europe
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…
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Latvia 2007

Latvia 2007

Europe
Yearbook 2007 Latvia. In February, at least 22 people were killed in a fire in a substandard care home for disabled people in western Latvia. The disaster triggered harsh criticism against the government, which was accused of wanting to shine on the EU's highest GDP growth rate but failed to provide sufficient resources for the care of people with disabilities. According to CountryAAH, Riga is the capital city of Latvia. Many demanded the departure of the Minister of Social Affairs, and after she had dealt with the aftermath of the disaster, she resigned in the fall. After record growth of almost 12 percent in 2006, the Latvian economy was plagued by overheating, labor shortages, sharp wage increases in some industries, rising inflation and price increases. Rumors of devaluation of the…
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