Latvia ( ; , officially Republic of Latvia ( ) is a North European Baltic country in the European Union. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), and to the east both by Belarus (141 km) and the Russian Federation (276 km). Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden. The territory of Latvia covers 64,589 km² and has a temperate seasonal climate.
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Latvia information for travelers - prices, people, places, maps, events and stuff you need ... Latvia information blog. Prices, maps, people, places. HOME ...startlatvia.com/Latvia Travel Blogs, Photos, Accommodation, Reviews, Forum
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 ...www.travelblog.org/Europe/Latvia/Argonaut Hostel Riga Latvia Blog
Argonaut Hostel Riga Latvia Blog. Travellers Blog for the Baltics. ... Beach Party Liepaja Latvia ... Travelling from or to Tallinn from or to Riga Latvia ...argonauthostel.blogspot.com/All About Latvia
The world's first blog about Latvia ... Latvia in the News. ECOFIN Council doubles non-euro area aid - di-ve.com ... Scott Adams Blog: Swine Flu Greeting 04/29/2009 ...www.allaboutlatvia.com/Latvia Travel: Latvia Travel Blogs and Forums
A guide to Latvia travel blogs, forums, and travel essays: read insider opinions on Latvia travel, or share your own travel stories.www.findingdulcinea.com/guides/Travel/Latvia-Travel.html?pg=...Latvia ( ; , officially Republic of Latvia ( ) is a North European Baltic country in the European Union. It is bordered to the north by Estonia (343 km), to the south by Lithuania (588 km), and to the east both by Belarus (141 km) and the Russian Federation (276 km). Across the Baltic Sea to the west lies Sweden. The territory of Latvia covers 64,589 km² and has a temperate seasonal climate.
The Latvians are a Baltic people culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language having many similarities with Lithuanian, but not with the Estonian language. Today the Latvian and Lithuanian languages are the only surviving members of the Baltic languages of the Indo-European family. The modern name of Latvia is thought to originate from the ancient Latvian name Latvji, which, like the name of Lithuania, may have originated from the river named Latva or Latuva, which may be today's Lates upe.
Latvia is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic and is divided into 26 districts. The capital and largest city is Riga. Latvia has been a member of the United Nations since 17 September 1991, of the European Union since 1 May 2004 and of NATO since 29 March 2004.
History
main: History of Latvia
The territory of Latvia has been populated since 9000 BC, after the Ice Age glaciers retreated. Around the beginning of the third millennium BC (3000 BC) the proto-Baltic ancestors of the Latvian people settled on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea. The Balts established trade routes to Rome and Byzantium, trading local amber for precious metals. By 900 AD, four distinct Baltic tribes inhabited Latvia: Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians, Semigallians (in Latvian: kurši, latgaļi, sēļi and zemgaļi), as well as the Livonians (lībieši) speaking a Finno-Ugric language.
The Medieval period
Although the Balts had previous contacts with the outside world for centuries, they were more fully integrated into European society in the 12th century. The first missionaries, sent by the Pope sailed up the Daugava river by 1180, seeking converts. The Balts, however, did not convert so readily as hoped, and strongly opposed their Christianization. German crusaders were sent into Latvia to convert the pagan population by force of arms.
In the thirteenth century, a confederation of feudal nations called Livonia developed under German rule. Livonia included today's Latvia and Southern Estonia. In 1282, Riga and later the cities of Cēsis, Limbaži, Koknese and Valmiera were included in the Hanseatic League. From this time, Riga became an important point in west-east trading. Riga, being the centre of the eastern Baltic region, formed close cultural contacts with Western Europe.
The Reformation period
The 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries were a time of great changes for the inhabitants of Latvia, notable for the reformation, the collapse of the Livonian state, and time when the Latvian territory was carved up among foreign powers.

























