Latvia

This article is about the modern state. For other uses, see Latvia (disambiguation).
"Lettonia" redirects here. For the Latvian student corporation, see Lettonia (corporation).

Republic of Latvia
Anthem: Dievs, svētī Latviju! (Latvian)
("God Bless Latvia!")
Location of Latvia (dark green) – in Europe (green & dark grey) – in the European Union (green)  –  [Legend]
Location of Latvia (dark green)

– in Europe (green & dark grey)
– in the European Union (green)  –  [Legend]

Capital
and largest city
Riga
56°57′N 24°6′E / 56.950°N 24.100°E / 56.950; 24.100
Official languagesLatviana
Recognized languagesLivonian
Latgalian
Ethnic groups
(2022[1])
Religion
(2018)[2]
  • 35% no religion
  • 1% others
Demonym(s)Latvian
GovernmentUnitary parliamentary republic
• President
Edgars Rinkēvičs
Evika Siliņa
Daiga Mieriņa
LegislatureSaeima
Independence 
from Germany and Russia
18 November 1918
• Recognised
26 January 1921
7 November 1922
21 August 1991
Area
• Total
64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) (122nd)
• Water (%)
2.09 (2015)[5]
Population
• 2022 estimate
1,842,226[6] (146th)
• Density
29.6/km2 (76.7/sq mi) (147th)
GDP (PPP)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $78.421 billion[7] (104th)
• Per capita
Increase $41,730[7] (51st)
GDP (nominal)2024 estimate
• Total
Increase $45.466 billion[7] (96th)
• Per capita
Increase $24,193[7] (42nd)
Gini (2021)Negative increase 35.7[8]
medium inequality
HDI (2022)Increase 0.879[9]
very high (37th)
CurrencyEuro (€) (EUR)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)
UTC+3 (EEST)
Calling code+371
ISO 3166 codeLV
Internet TLD.lv
  1. Latvian is the sole official language.[10][11] Livonian is considered an indigenous language and has special legal status.[12] Latgalian written language and Latvian Sign Language also have special legal status.[13]
  2. Latvia is de jure continuous with its declaration of 18 November 1918.

Latvia (/ˈlætviə/ ⓘ LAT-vee-ə, sometimes /ˈlɑːtviə/ LAHT-vee-ə; Latvian: Latvija Latvian pronunciation: [ˈlatvija]),[14] officially the Republic of Latvia,[15][16] is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states, along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi), with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate.[17] Its capital and largest city is Riga. Latvians belong to the ethnolinguistic group of the Balts and speak Latvian. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country, at almost a quarter of the population; 37.7% of the population speak Russian as their native tongue.[18]

After centuries of Teutonic, Swedish, Polish-Lithuanian, and Russian rule, the independent Republic of Latvia was established on 18 November 1918 after breaking away from the German Empire in the aftermath of World War I.[3] The country became increasingly autocratic after the coup in 1934 established the dictatorship of Kārlis Ulmanis.[19] Latvia's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II, beginning with Latvia's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union, followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941 and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944, which formed the Latvian SSR for the next 45 years. As a result of extensive immigration during the Soviet occupation, ethnic Russians became the most prominent minority in the country. The peaceful Singing Revolution started in 1987 among the Baltic Soviet republics and ended with the restoration of both de facto and official independence on 21 August 1991.[20] Latvia has since been a democratic unitary parliamentary republic.

Latvia is a developed country with a high-income, advanced economy ranking 39th in the Human Development Index. It is a member of the European Union, Eurozone, NATO, the Council of Europe, the United Nations, the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the International Monetary Fund, the Nordic-Baltic Eight, the Nordic Investment Bank, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the World Trade Organization.

  1. ^ Social Statistics Department of Latvia. "Pastāvīgo iedzīvotāju etniskais sastāvs reģionos un republikas pilsētās gada sākumā". Archived from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2021.
  2. ^ "Latvia". Archived from the original on 28 January 2023. Retrieved 15 October 2022.
  3. ^ a b Ģērmanis, Uldis (2007). Ojārs Kalniņš (ed.). The Latvian Saga (11th ed.). Riga: Atēna. p. 268. ISBN 9789984342917. OCLC 213385330.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference FINemb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Surface water and surface water change". Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Archived from the original on 24 March 2021. Retrieved 11 October 2020.
  6. ^ "Latvia". The World Factbook (2024 ed.). Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved 24 September 2022. (Archived 2022 edition.)
  7. ^ a b c d "World Economic Outlook Database, April 2024 Edition. (Latvia)". IMF.org. International Monetary Fund. 10 April 2024. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
  8. ^ "Gini coefficient of equivalised disposable income". Eurostat. Archived from the original on 9 October 2020. Retrieved 22 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Human Development Report 2023/24" (PDF). United Nations Development Programme. 13 March 2024. Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 March 2024. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
  10. ^ "The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, Chapter 1 (Article 4)". The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 5 December 2013. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  11. ^ "Official Language Law, Section 3 (Article 1)". The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  12. ^ "Official Language Law, Sections 4, 5 and 18 (Article 4)". Likumi.lv. Archived from the original on 5 July 2019. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  13. ^ "Official Language Law, Section 3 (Articles 3 and 4)". The Parliament of the Republic of Latvia. Archived from the original on 4 January 2014. Retrieved 20 November 2013.
  14. ^ Latgalian: Latveja; Livonian: Lețmō
  15. ^ "The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia (Latvijas Republikas Satversme)". Likumi.lv. Archived from the original on 17 April 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  16. ^ (Latvian: Latvijas Republika, Latgalian: Latvejas Republika, Livonian: Lețmō Vabāmō)
  17. ^ "Weather information in Latvia". www.travelsignposts.com. 14 March 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 14 March 2015.
  18. ^ "Latvian is the mother tongue of 64% of the population of Latvia".
  19. ^ "History of Latvia 1918-1940". [Latvia.eu]. 3 December 2015. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  20. ^ On 21 August 1991, after the Soviet coup d'état attempt, the Supreme Council adopted a Constitutional law, "On statehood of the Republic of Latvia", declaring Article 5 of the Declaration to be invalid, thus ending the transitional period and restoring de facto independence.