LATVIA

ROLCAM · Posted: Wed Jul 25, 2007 10:18 am Post subject: LATVIA

Latvia, is a European nation that regained its independence in 1991, after more than 50 years of forced annexation to the Soviet Union. Latvia lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. The nation had been independent from 1918 to 1940, when the Soviet Union occupied it and made it one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union.

Riga is Latvia's capital and largest city. The country's name in Latvian, the official language, is Latvijas Republika (Republic of Latvia).

Government. Latvia has a 100-member legislature called the Saeima. The people elect the members to three-year terms. The legislature elects a president of Latvia to a three-year term. The president serves as the ceremonial head of state and, with the approval of the legislature, chooses a prime minister and a cabinet. The prime minister heads the country's government. The prime minister and cabinet carry out government operations. For purposes of local government, Latvia is divided into 32 administrative regions.

The people. About 52 percent of the people of Latvia are Latvians, also called Letts. They are ethnically related to the Lithuanians and have their own culture and language. Russians, who speak the Russian language, make up about 34 percent of the population of Latvia. Belarusians make up about 5 percent of Latvia's population, Poles and Ukrainians each account for about 3 percent, and Lithuanians and Jews together account for about 2 percent. Most Jews who lived in Latvia during World War II (1939-1945) were killed by the Nazis.

The influence of the Latvians in their own country declined after the Soviet take-over in 1940. Previously, Latvians had made up about 75 percent of the population. But many thousands were killed or driven from Latvia during World War II or sent to Siberia after the war. Others escaped to the West. Some Latvians were kept out of Latvia by the Russians. Thousands of Russians migrated into Latvia after World War II.

The Latvian language is one of the oldest in Europe. It is related to Sanskrit, a language of ancient India. After the Soviet take-over, all Latvians had to learn Russian, which the Soviets made the official language of Latvia. During most of the Soviet period, Russian was the first language in many government and business offices. It was also the primary language of most newspapers and TV programs. However, in 1989, Latvian again became the land's official language. Since then, Latvian has been the first language in government and business offices, and in much of the media.

A majority of Latvia's people live in urban areas. Many of the city dwellers have apartments in buildings that were constructed after World War II. Thousands of people moved from rural areas to the cities in order to work in various industries. Many of Latvia's rural people work on dairy and cattle farms.

Latvians generally wear Western-style clothing, but many wear colorful national costumes during holiday festivals. Latvians have a rich tradition of folklore, especially folk songs. The people take part in annual song festivals. Latvians enjoy ballet, drama, and opera. They also like to participate in sports, including basketball and soccer.

From 1940 to 1988, the Soviet Union restricted religion in Latvia by permitting religious services but no religious teaching. The Soviet Union also discouraged the people from going to church. For example, church attendance barred people from good educational and job opportunities. In 1988, most restrictions on religion in Latvia were ended. In 1990, the Soviet Union ended all its religious restrictions. Most of the people of Latvia belong to the Lutheran, Roman Catholic, or Russian Orthodox churches.

Almost all the people of Latvia can read and write. Latvia has 10 universities, the largest of which is the Latvian State University in Riga.

Land and climate. Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania are often called the Baltic States. They make up a region that forms part of the large coastal plain of northern Europe. Latvia consists chiefly of low hills and shallow valleys. It has many small lakes and swamps. Forests cover about 40 percent of the land. The highest point is a hill that rises 1,020 feet (311 meters) above sea level.

Latvia's chief river is the Western Dvina (Daugava in Latvian). It flows northwest from Belarus through central Latvia and empties into the Gulf of Riga. Latvia has about 293 miles (472 kilometers) of coastline. Many of its beaches are popular resort areas.

Temperatures in Latvia range from about 19 to 27 °F (-7 to -3 °C) in January to 61 to 64 °F (16 to 18 °C) in July. Latvia receives from 20 to 31 inches (51 to 80 centimeters) of rain annually.

Economy. Manufacturing makes up about threefourths of the value of production in Latvia. Latvia's chief industries produce electronic equipment, household appliances, machinery, and processed foods and metals. Latvia produces some buses, railroad cars, and steel, which is used in manufacturing agricultural machinery. It also has a large fishing fleet. Heavy industrial development has caused major pollution of lakes, rivers, and the Baltic Sea. Riga is Latvia's main industrial center. Other centers of manufacturing in Latvia include Daugavpils, Kuldaiga, Liepaaja, Limbazi, and Raezekne.

Agriculture accounts for less than a fifth of the value of production in Latvia. Farm products include barley, flax, oats, potatoes, and rye. Many farmers work on dairy and cattle farms. From 1940 to the late 1980's, the Soviet government owned most of Latvia's farms. In the late 1980's, the government began to allow private farms and businesses. Today, most farms are privately owned.

History. People lived in what is now Latvia as early as 7000 or 8000 B.C. They were forced out about the time of Christ by invaders who became the ancestors of the Latvians. In time, these people established trade with Arabs, Estonians, Lithuanians, Romans, and other groups, and developed their own language and culture.

The Vikings raided Latvia during the A.D. 800's, and Russian forces attacked Latvia several times in the 900's. The Teutonic Knights, an organization of German crusaders, invaded Latvia during the 1200's. War between the Latvians and the Knights lasted until the late 1200's, when the Latvians surrendered. See TEUTONIC KNIGHTS.

For over 200 years, the Knights governed Latvia as part of a larger state called Livonia. But by 1562, most of Latvia had come under the rule of Poland and Lithuania. A German-ruled duchy was also set up there. Sweden conquered northern Latvia in 1621, and Russia took control of this area in 1710. By 1800, Russia ruled all of Latvia. But German merchants and landowners in Latvia continued to hold much political power.

During the late 1800's, the Latvians began to organize an independence movement. This movement became stronger in the early 1900's as Russian and German authority declined in Latvia. On Nov. 18, 1918, just after the end of World War I, Latvia proclaimed itself independent. Russia and Germany tried to keep control of the new nation, but they finally recognized Latvia's independence in 1920.

In 1922, Latvia adopted a constitution that established a democratic form of government. The new democratic government passed land reform laws that broke up the large estates owned by a few wealthy people. The government divided this land into small farms and distributed the farms among the people. In 1936, during the Great Depression, Latvian democracy suffered a setback. The president seized power and reduced the role of parliament and the rights of the nation's political parties.

In 1939, shortly before World War II began, the Soviet Union and Germany agreed secretly to divide much of eastern Europe between themselves. (The Soviet Union had been formed in 1922 under Russia's leadership.) The Soviet Union made Latvia sign a treaty that let the Soviets build military bases in Latvia. Soviet troops occupied Latvia in June 1940, and Latvian Communists took over the government. In August, the Soviets made Latvia part of the Soviet Union. German forces invaded Latvia in 1941. They occupied Latvia until 1944, when Soviet troops recaptured it. Many Latvians tried to prevent the Soviets from taking over their country again. But the Soviets killed or deported those who opposed them.

Life in Latvia changed greatly under the Soviets. The Soviet Union established a powerful Communist government and took control of all industry and land. The Communist Party became Latvia's only legal political party. In addition, a growing number of Russian immigrants reduced the influence of the Latvian culture and language. Continuing Russian immigration threatened to make the Latvians a minority in their own land.

Through the years, Latvians expressed their national spirit and opposition to Soviet rule. Latvian nationalism became especially strong during the mid-1980's, when Soviet leader Mikhail S. Gorbachev began calling for greater openness of expression in the Soviet Union. In 1988, Latvian reformers established the Popular Front--or People's Front--a large non-Communist organization. The Popular Front sought to gain for Latvia the rights to govern itself and to manage its own economy. Most members of the Latvian non-Communist associations sought complete independence from the Soviet Union.

Large numbers of Latvians showed their support for the aims of the Popular Front by holding demonstrations and by electing Popular Front representatives to the Soviet parliament created in 1989. In the late 1980's, the government of the republic agreed to restore the national Latvian flag and anthem--which had been banned--and allowed freedom to the press and to religious groups. It also changed the official language of the republic from Russian to Latvian.

In late December 1989, Latvia's parliament voted to end the Communist Party's monopoly on power. A multiparty political system was established in January 1990. In February, the parliament condemned the 1940 Soviet take-over of Latvia. New parliamentary elections were held in March. Candidates who favored independence from the Soviet Union won a two-thirds majority of the parliamentary seats. On May 4, 1990, the parliament declared the restoration of Latvian independence and called for a gradual separation from the Soviet Union. The Soviet government called the declaration illegal. In January 1991, commandos of the Soviet Interior Ministry raided the headquarters of the Latvian Interior Ministry, killing four people. In August 1991, several conservative Communist officials failed in an attempt to overthrow Gorbachev and take over the Soviet central government. During the upheaval that followed the failed coup, the Latvian parliament declared immediate independence. In September, the Soviet government recognized Latvia's independence. In December, the Soviet Union was dissolved.
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Sydney , Australia.