Latvia

**Latvia**, officially the **Republic of Latvia**, is a country in the Baltic region in Northern Europe on the Baltic Sea. It is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania and Russia as well as a maritime border with Sweden.

## History

### Twentieth and Early Twenty-First Century

World War I devastated the territory of what became the state of Latvia, and other western parts of the Russian Empire. Demands for self-determination were initially confined to autonomy, until a power vacuum was created by the Russian Revolution in 1917, followed by the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk between Russia and Germany in March 1918, then the Allied armistice with Germany on 11 November 1918. On 18 November 1918, in Riga, the People's Council of Latvia proclaimed the independence of the new country, with Kārlis Ulmanis becoming the head of the provisional government.

Estonian and Latvian forces defeated the Germans at the Battle of Wenden in June 1919, and a massive attack by a predominantly German force—the West Russian Volunteer Army—under Pavel Bermondt-Avalov was repelled in November. Eastern Latvia was cleared of Red Army forces by Latvian and Polish troops in early 1920. By 1923, the extent of cultivated land surpassed the pre-war level. Innovation and rising productivity led to rapid growth of the economy, but it soon suffered from the effects of the Great Depression. Latvia showed signs of economic recovery, and the electorate had steadily moved toward the centre during the parliamentary period. On 15 May 1934, Ulmanis staged a bloodless coup, establishing a nationalist dictatorship that lasted until 1940. After 1934, Ulmanis established government corporations to buy up private firms with the aim of "Latvianising" the economy.

Early in the morning of 24 August 1939, the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany signed a 10-year non-aggression pact, called the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact. The pact contained a secret protocol, revealed only after Germany's defeat in 1945, according to which the states of Northern and Eastern Europe were divided into German and Soviet "spheres of influence". In the North, Latvia, Finland and Estonia were assigned to the Soviet sphere. Thereafter, Germany and the Soviet Union invaded their respective portions of Poland. On 5 October 1939, Latvia was forced to accept a "mutual assistance" pact with the Soviet Union, granting the Soviets the right to station between 25,000 and 30,000 troops on Latvian territory. Elections were held with single pro-Soviet candidates listed for many positions. The resulting people's assembly immediately requested admission into the USSR, which the Soviet Union granted. Latvia, then a puppet government, was headed by Augusts Kirhenšteins. The Soviet Union incorporated Latvia on 5 August 1940, as The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic.

In 1944, when Soviet military advances reached the area, heavy fighting took place in Latvia between German and Soviet troops, which ended in another German defeat. In the course of the war, both occupying forces conscripted Latvians into their armies, in this way increasing the loss of the nation's "live resources". In 1944, part of the Latvian territory once more came under Soviet control. The Soviets immediately began to reinstate the Soviet system. After the German surrender, it became clear that Soviet forces were there to stay, and Latvian national partisans, soon joined by German collaborators, began to fight against the new occupier.

Since Latvia had maintained a well-developed infrastructure and educated specialists, Moscow decided to base some of the Soviet Union's most advanced manufacturing in Latvia. New industry was created in Latvia, including a major machinery factory RAF in Jelgava, electrotechnical factories in Riga, chemical factories in Daugavpils, Valmiera and Olaine—and some food and oil processing plants. In 1989, the Supreme Soviet of the USSR adopted a resolution on the Occupation of the Baltic states, in which it declared the occupation "not in accordance with law", and not the "will of the Soviet people". Pro-independence Popular Front of Latvia candidates gained a two-thirds majority in the Supreme Council in the March 1990 democratic elections. On 4 May 1990, the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR adopted the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia, and the Latvian SSR was renamed Republic of Latvia.

In spite of this, 73% of all Latvian residents confirmed their strong support for independence on 3 March 1991, in a nonbinding advisory referendum. The Popular Front of Latvia advocated that all permanent residents be eligible for Latvian citizenship. However, universal citizenship for all permanent residents was not adopted. By 2011, more than half of non-citizens had taken naturalisation exams and received Latvian citizenship. The Republic of Latvia declared the end of the transitional period and restored full independence on 21 August 1991, in the aftermath of the failed Soviet coup attempt.

### Baltic Crisis

 *See Full Article: Baltic Crisis*

In April 2019, while the world was in the throes of the Great Recession, Russian President Vladimir Putin mobilized Russian forces on the borders of the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. These three countries, Poland and Finland mobilized in response in preparation for possible war with Russia. The EU had become increasingly dependent on Russian gas and food due to the unrest in the United States and other parts of the globe. Russian control over former Ukraine also gave Moscow increased leverage over global food supplies.

After intense negotiations in Moscow between Russian diplomats and envoys from the European Union, the two sides agreed to demobilize. However, in a huge geopolitical victory for Putin, the main EU states recognized Russia's expanded borders in exchange for the resumption of Russian oil, natural gas and grain shipments at preferential prices. This sparked riots by Ukrainians in the European Union and created a sharp wedge between Brussels and Washington with the later continuing to oppose Vladimir Putin.

## Government and Politics

The 100-seat unicameral Latvian parliament, the Saeima, is elected by direct popular vote every four years. The president is elected by the Saeima in a separate election, also held every four years. The president appoints a prime minister who, together with his cabinet, forms the executive branch of the government, which has to receive a confidence vote by the Saeima. The most senior civil servants are the sixteen Secretaries of State.

### Administrative Divisions

Latvia is a unitary state, currently divided into 110 one-level municipalities and 9 republican cities with their own city council and administration:

* Daugavpils
* Jēkabpils
* Jelgava
* Jūrmala
* Liepāja
* Rēzekne
* Riga
* Valmiera
* Ventspils.

There are four historical and cultural regions in Latvia, which are recognised in Constitution of Latvia:

* Courland
* Latgale
* Vidzeme
* Zemgale

### Foreign Relations

Latvia is a member of the United Nations, European Union, NATO, IMF, and WTO. It is also a member of the Council of Baltic Sea States and the Nordic Investment bank, and an observer of the Nordic Council. Since the early 1990s, Latvia has been involved in active trilateral Baltic states co-operation with its neighbours Estonia and Lithuania, and Nordic-Baltic co-operation with the Nordic countries. The Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB-8) is the joint co-operation of the governments of Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, and Sweden.