Latvia is the central of the three Baltic states, a country on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, a flat, green, and heavily forested land of rivers, lakes, and a long sandy coast. Its capital, Riga, is the largest city in the Baltic region and famous for its art nouveau architecture and medieval old town. Like its neighbours, Latvia spent much of its history under foreign rule and treasures a national culture kept alive above all through its remarkable tradition of choral singing.
The Baltic tribes who were the ancestors of the Latvians were conquered in the thirteenth century by German crusaders, who established the land of Livonia and a German-speaking nobility that would dominate for centuries, while Riga grew rich as a Hanseatic port. The territory passed through Polish, Swedish, and Russian hands before Latvia first declared independence in 1918. That freedom was lost to Soviet and Nazi occupation during the Second World War, and only restored when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
Latvia is a low-lying country of gently rolling plains and extensive forests, which cover more than half its area, threaded with thousands of rivers and dotted with lakes. Its long Baltic coastline includes the wide Gulf of Riga and beaches of fine white sand. The largest river, the Daugava, flows through the heart of the country and past the capital to the sea. The cool, damp maritime climate and abundant woodland give Latvia a green, watery, and unspoiled character.
The flag of Latvia is a deep carmine red, often called Latvian red, with a narrow white horizontal stripe across the middle. It is one of the oldest flags in the world, with a tradition reaching back to a medieval chronicle that describes a red banner with a white stripe carried by Latvian tribes. According to that legend the red represents the blood of a wounded leader, with the white marking the sheet on which he lay. The simple, distinctive flag is a cherished national symbol.
Latvia is religiously mixed and, like its Baltic neighbours, quite secular, with a large share of the population not actively religious. Its Christians are divided chiefly among Lutherans, a legacy of German influence, Roman Catholics in the east, and Orthodox Christians, reflecting the country's position between western and eastern Europe and its layered history of rule. The decades of Soviet atheism weakened organised religion, and modern national identity rests heavily on language, folklore, and song.
Latvian cuisine is hearty and seasonal, making the most of grains, potatoes, dairy, pork, and fish from the Baltic. Dense, dark rye bread is a national staple eaten with nearly every meal. A traditional dish is grey peas with bacon, considered close to a national dish, and smoked fish, pickled vegetables, and curd cheese are widely enjoyed. Wild berries and mushrooms from the forests are gathered and cherished, and a herbal liqueur called Riga Black Balsam is a famous local specialty.
Latvia's farming is shaped by its cool climate and abundant forest. Farmers raise dairy and beef cattle and grow grains such as wheat, barley, and rye, along with potatoes and rapeseed. Much of the country is covered in forest, making forestry and the timber industry an important part of the economy. Since independence the agricultural sector has modernised, and Latvia, with its clean environment and low population density, exports grain, dairy, and timber products.
The conquest by German crusaders, the Hanseatic wealth of Riga, and centuries of rule by outside powers shaped Latvia's history. Its first independence after 1918 was extinguished by Soviet and Nazi occupation, but Latvians kept their national feeling alive, and in the late 1980s they joined the Baltic peoples' Singing Revolution, including the famous human chain known as the Baltic Way, to demand freedom, regaining their independence in 1991. The tradition of huge song festivals remains central to national life.
Latvia has a population of around 1.9 million people, made up of ethnic Latvians, a Baltic people with their own ancient language, and a large Russian-speaking minority, particularly in the cities and the east, a legacy of the Soviet era. The population is small and has declined through low birth rates and emigration since independence. Most Latvians live in towns and cities, above all the capital, Riga, a grand Baltic port and the cultural and economic heart of the country.
