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Latvia in 10 points
| 1. |
Capital: |
Riga |
| 2. |
Population: |
2.346,000 |
| 3. |
Ethnic profile: |
Latvian origin 58.2%, Russian origin 29.2%, other origins (Belarussian, Ukrainian, Polish, Lithuanian, others) |
| 4. |
Borders: |
Lithuania , Estonia , Russia and Belarus |
| 5. |
Main language: |
Latvian. Russian and English are widely used in business |
| 6. |
Currency: |
Lats |
| 7. |
Local delicacy: |
Plenty of smoked fish. Soup and sausages are also popular and at the right time of year you will get fantastic berry pies. One for the brave is the Riga Black Balsam - a thick, black 45% proof liquor. |
| 8. |
Country profile: |
Situated in North-East Europe, Latvia is the small, flat, largely forested (and somewhat boggy) middle of the 3 Baltic countriesth a vibrant capital, Riga, on the Baltic coast and plenty of music festivals. Latvia is a prime example of a country undergoing rapid transformation yet retains graceful heritage with photogenic castles, scenic river valleys and Art Deco buildings in abundance.
Latvia lies on the Eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, in between Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south and Russia and Belarus to the east. It is as large in area as Belgium and the Netherlands together. The highest point is 311 meters. The climate is temperate with long, sunny and warm days in summer. The main river is the Daugava, which played an important role in trade.
After the second world war, Latvia became fully integrated into the Soviet Union. As the country had a solid agricultural and industrial tradition, much of its production from collectivised farms and new factories was destined for other parts of the Soviet Union. A significant migration took place and Russian became the predominant language. As a result, by the late eighties, native Latvians formed only just over half of the population. With the new policies and openness introduced by Mr Gorbatchev, the Soviet Republics, including Latvia, obtained some economic autonomy and Latvian identity gradually manifested itself again.
Finally in August 1991, Latvia regained its independence. Democracy returned to the country, along with the introduction of a market economy. Starved of democracy and freedom Latvia embarked on an intense level of interaction with other democratic nations, starting the journey that would culm inate in EU membership.
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| 9. |
Culture: |
Music and songs are very important in the life of Latvians. The country has had several composers who took their inspiration from folk music. Outstanding performers in recent times include violinist Baiba Skride and Marija Naumova who won the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest. Works of painters and sculptors, including contemporary artists, can be admired and bought in the many galleries of Riga. In the early nineteenhundreds, many art-nouveau buildings were erected in Riga. Today most of them can still be admired, some of them beautifully restored. One of the architects was Latvian born Mikael Eisenstein, father of the famous filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein. Latvians scored high in several Olympic disciplines. Romans Vansteins was the World champion cycling in 2000. Friedrich Cander, an engineer and inventor born in Riga in 1887, was one of the pioneers of rocket building and jet propulsion, and was the first to precisely calculate the distance to Mars. His contemporary, Vilhelm Ostwald, received the Nobel Prize for developing nitrogen mineral fertilizers.
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| 10. |
Did you know that? : |
The origins of the film Crocodile Dundee can be traced back to Dundaga Village in Latvia. |
Interesting links
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Wales |
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Wales lies on the mid-west coast of the United Kingdom. The geology of Wales has shaped the country's history with its mountainous terrain providing a natural fort against...
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