Eastern Europe, bordering the
Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Lowest point: Baltic Sea 0
m
Highest point: Gaizinkalns
312 m
Capital: Riga
Religion: Lutheran, Roman Catholic,
Russian Orthodox
Languages Spoken: Latvian (official)
58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3%
See also: Languages
spoken in Europe, Languages of
the world
Information & Brief History
After a brief period of independence
between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It
reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet
Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the
Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow.
Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
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Latvia
