Latvia

Accession to the EU: 2004
Accession to the Council of Europe: 1995
Surface area: 64 589 km2
Population: 2,24 million(Eurostat-January 2010)
Capital city: Riga (788 000 inhabitants)
Official languages: Latvian
Listen to Latvian
Main religion: Protestant
Currency: Lat
Political system: Republic
Head of state: Andris Berzins (Président elected june 2, 2011)
Head of government: Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis (since March 2009)
International code: + 371
National holiday: 18 November
The Latvian members of the European Parliament

History

Statue of Liberty,
Riga
©Latvian Tourism Development Agency

Up to the 20th century, Latvia had been dominated in succession by the Germans, the Poles, the Swedes and the Russians. Thanks to German defeat in World War I, the country was finally freed from foreign domination. Latvia proclaimed its independence on November 18,1918, immediately after the end of the First World War. This independence, however, was short-lived as the Soviet Union reintegrated the country by force.

1940 Latvia is under Soviet domination. This sees the start of a period of deportations and plundering.
1941 Germany occupies the country. Deportation of large numbers of Jews.
1944 The USSR liberates Latvia only to occupy the country itself. A socialist Republic is re-established. On the surface, the country is fully integrated into the Soviet Union although a strong undercurrent of national feeling remains.
1988 The struggle for independence begins with the creation of the Popular Front of Latvia.
1991 Break-up of the USSR and Latvia’s second official proclamation of independence on August 21st 1991.
1991-2002 Period of political instability: Latvia has nine different governments in 11 years. The country seeks to forge an identity.
1999 Vaira Vike-Freiberga is elected President of Latvia. Her priorities are to ensure governmental stability and the entry of Latvia into the European Union. She is re-elected in 2003.
2004 Latvia joins NATO and the European Union.
2006 M Kalvitis won the parliamentary elections with the previous coalition.
2007 Valdis Zatlers becomes follower of former Head of state Vaira Vike-Freiberer in July.
Because of demonstrations in october and november, Aigars Kalvitis resigns from office and is replaced by Ivar Godmanis.
2009 Valdis Dombrovskis (New Time) is elected as Head of government.

Riga

Daugava Bridge, Riga
Riga

©Latvian Tourism Development Agency

Founded in 1201 on the banks of the Gaugava not far from the coast, Riga is Latvia’s oldest town. It is also the largest city in the Baltic States and one of the largest maritime ports on the Baltic Sea. Often referred to as the “Pearl of the Baltic” or the “Paris of the North”, old Riga includes a large number of historical monuments, which are souvenirs of a turbulent past and of successive occupations. A maze of small streets around the Dome Cathedral provides an excellent opportunity for visitors to stroll and discover the town’s diverse architectural styles, ranging from the Gothic to the modern, not forgetting the Renaissance. Art Nouveau is also well represented in the city with a large collection of very well preserved buildings. The town of Riga has been included on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1997. Thanks to its many museums, its churches, its opera, its dramatic theatre and its circus, Riga is a lively cultural centre which attracts large numbers of tourists each year. At the same time, the town is also an important industrial hub, producing a vast and varied range of products, including those in the electrical goods, food products and telecommunications sectors.

The Daïnas

©Latvian Tourism Development Agency

The Dainas are folksongs dating back more than 1000 years and taking the form of verses delivered in song form. They describe scenes from daily life such as childhood, youth, marriage, the birth of a child, work or old age. Around a third of the Dainas cover the theme of marriage. The first attempt to gather together the various Latvian folksongs dates back to 1878 when Krisjanis Barons attempted a compilation. His collection came to six volumes, and included some 200 000 verses. Today, more than 1.2 million texts exist, which have been collected and catalogued by the Latvian folklore archives. The Dainas are today present as part of Latvian daily life. They are frequently used during birthdays, marriages or funerals, and are even taught at school in literature or music classes. Latvian folk groups also proudly safeguard and pass on this ancient popular tradition, accompanying their songs with bagpipes, harmonicas, violins and drums.

Jurmala

Jurmala
©Latvian Tourism Development Agency

Jurmala is a coastal and spa resort of approximately 60 000 inhabitants located 25 km from Riga. It has been famous for its mild climate and its superb white sandy beaches covering some 30 km. A large number of spa establishments and rest homes each year welcome tourists and spa visitors keen to take full advantage of the healthy air of the pine forests surrounding the town. Jurmala also offers tourists the healing virtues of its spa waters which have been used by doctors to good effect since 1796. The charm of Jurmala lies in its traditional wooden architecture including highly colourful houses decorated with wooden latticework. Many of these were built at the beginning of the 20th century by wealthy owners from Saint Petersburg, visiting Jurmala for relaxation. Others are simpler buildings built by fishermen or artisans. The influence of the Jugendstil with its floral patterns and curved styling is very much in evidence as is the neo-Gothic style.

Did you know?

Vaira Vike-Freiberga

In 1999, Vaira Vike-Freiberga became the new President of Latvia. She is the first woman in Central and Eastern Europe to have been elected head of State.

The Russians and Latvia

Latvia is a very cosmopolitan country. The Latvians only make up 56% of the national population. Among the minorities, the Russians are the largest group, making up 30% of the population.

Marija Naumova