The country of Latvia is entering one of the most promising periods of its history. In the year 2001, Latvia looked back on 10 years of renewed independence and forward to an increasingly prominent role in the new Europe that is emerging in the 21st century.

Latvia today is renewing the old, creating the new and re-asserting a distinctive national presence on the European scene. The rest of the world is beginning to rediscover Latvia as well. It is discovering a country that has been a sovereign state since 1918, but a national state of mind for centuries. A country that survived two world wars and 50 years behind the Iron Curtain, even more committed to the principles of freedom, democracy and international co-operation. A country with a language, culture and attitude totally unique to its region - yet a national identity woven through with diverse historical influences. Latvia is a Baltic country, a Baltic Sea country, a European country. It is poised to be a NATO and EU country. And ready to take its place in the global community.

Latvia is a country of 2.3 million people who are discovering what it means to live, work and play in an environment they can shape themselves. It is a place where schoolchildren and college students - the emerging generation of national, economic, social and cultural leaders - have a reason to be optimistic about their future. A future where Latvia is free to find its own place in the increasingly interconnected global community of the 21st century.

• 9000 B.C.: Arrival of the first inhabitants on Latvian soil, after the withdrawal of the glaciers. e increasingly interconnected global community of the 21st century.
• Early 2000 B.C.: Baltic tribes (forefathers of the modern Latvians) settle Latvia’s territory
• 900 A.D. - EARLY 1200 A.D.: Individual tribal groups (Couronians, Latgallians, Selonians, Semgallians) start to form specific tribal realms.
• Latter half of the 1100`s - 1200`s: The arrival of German traders, missionaries and crusaders in Latvia. The city of Riga founded 1201. Territories inhabited by tribal realms fall into the hands of the Germans. Livonia is established.
• 1500`s Livonian War (1558-1583): Latvian territory under Polish-Lithuanian rule. The dukedoms of Kurzeme and Pardaugava are formed.
• 1600`s Polish-Swedish War (1600-1629): Vidzeme and Riga under Swedish rule. Riga - Sweden’s largest city. Dukedom of Kurzeme experiences an economic boom.
• 1700`s The Great Northern War (1700-1721): Vidzeme and Riga come under Russian rule. During the course of this century Latgale and the dukedom of Kurzeme are annexed to Russia.
• 1850`s - 1870`s: National awakening of the Latvian people. The movement of New-Latvians (jaunlatviesi).
• November 18, 1918: Proclamation of independence of Latvia.
• June 17, 1940: Latvia occupied by USSR troops.
• 1941 - 1945: Latvia occupied by the German Third Reich. Return of Soviet troops and reinstatement of Soviet order at the end of WWII.
• May 4, 1990: A declaration restoring independence with a transition period is adopted.
• August 21, 1991: Complete reinstatement of Latvia’s independence.

The Flag

Written records of the red-white-red Latvian flag have existed since the second half of the 13th century. Bearing a red flag with a white stripe ancient Latvian tribes went to war against  ancient Estonian tribes. This historical evidence would place the Latvian flag among the oldest flags of the world.

At the end of the 1860s Latvian student, folklore researcher and later, professor Jekabs Lautenbahs-Jusmins found reference to the use of a red-white-red flag in The Oldest Rhyming Verse Chronicles of the Livonian Order. The Chronicles depicted events in Latvia in the second half of the 13th century (till 1290) and

glorified the feats of the crusaders in converting the pagan inhabitants of the Latvian region to the Christian faith.  Based on the aforementioned historical record, the present day flag design was adapted by artist Ansis Cirulis in May 1917. The red colour of the Latvian flag is a particular dark red tone that is referred to as “Latvian red” in the rest of the world. The flag’s colour proportions are 2:1:2 (the upper and lower red bands are always twice as wide as the white band in the middle), and the correlation of the width and length of the flag is fixed as 1:2. The Latvian national flag, together with the national coat of arms was affirmed in this format by a special parliamentary decree of the Republic of Latvia that was passed on June 15, 1921.

The National Anthem

The word "Latvia" in the song was an open challenge to the Tsarist regime that had little sympathy for national movements.

Initially, Russian authorities forbid the use of the word "Latvia" in the title and text of the song and it was replaced by the word "Baltics". It was performed publicly in June of 1873 at the First Song Festival in Riga. It was first sung as a national anthem on November 18, 1918 at the proclamation of Latvia’s independence. On June 7, 1920 "Dievs, sveti Latviju!” was officially proclaimed the national anthem of the Republic of Latvia.

“Dievs, sveti Latviju!” ("God bless Latvia!") is the national anthem. The words and music were written by Karlis Baumanis (better known as Baumanu Karlis). The anthem first appeared in the second half of the 19th century when the Latvian people were beginning to openly exhibit a strong sense of national pride and identity. Karlis Baumanis was the first Latvian composer to use the word “Latvia” in a song lyric. The concept of “Latvia” had only began to take shape in the minds of writers and activists and was used to describe all regions traditionally inhabited by Latvians. Although most Latvians did not yet dare to dream of a sovereign state totally independent of the Tsarist Russian Empire, the song "Dievs, sveti Latviju!” served as a powerful catalyst for the emerging national consciousness.

Latvia is the central country of the Baltic States (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania). On the world map Latvia is to be found in North-eastern Europe, on the east coast of the Baltic Sea. The landscape of the country is marked by lowland plains and rolling hills. Most of the countryside is less than 100 metres above sea level. There are thousands of rivers and lakes in Latvia.

Area: 64,589 sq.km or 24,937 sq.miles.
Regions: Kurzeme, Zemgale, Vidzeme, Latgale.
Total national border length: 1,862 km.
Length of Latvia’s Baltic coastline: 494 km.
Largest lake: Lubans, 80.7 sq.km.
Deepest lake: Dridzis, 65.1 metres.
Longest river within Latvian territory: the Gauja, 452 km.
Largest river to flow through Latvian territory: the Daugava, total length 1,005 km, of which 352 km within Latvian territory.
Highest point: Gaizinkalns, 311.6 metres.
(1 km = 0.62 mile; 1 m = 39.37 inches)

Borders with other countries: Estonia, Russia, Belarus, Lithuania.  Latvia is situated on a trading cross-roads and has long since served as a bridge between Western Europe and Russia. The famous "route from the Vikings to the Greeks" mentioned in ancient chronicles stretched from Scandinavia through Latvian territory along the Daugava River to the ancient Russia and Byzantine Empire.

• Latvian Institute
• University of Latvia
• Latvian Embassy in US
• CIA - The World Fact Book