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World > Europe > Latvia
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Latvia |
Introduction:
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After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
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| Official name: |
Republic of Latvia |
| Capital: |
name: Riga
geographic coordinates: 56 57 N, 24 06 E
time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October |
| Government type: |
parliamentary democracy |
| Population: |
2,259,810 (July 2007 est.) |
| Languages: |
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) |
| Official Currency: |
Latvian Lats (LVL)
Current Latvian Lats Exchange Rates
Historical Latvian Lats Exchange Rates
Chart Latvian Lats Exchange Rates |
| Currency code: |
LVL |
| Area: |
total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km
water: 1,000 sq km |
| Climate: |
maritime; wet, moderate winters |
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Map of Latvia
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