Physical geography
Latvia is one of the three
Baltic countries. It is located between the two others: Lithuania and Estonia.
The climate of this country is damp, and there aren’t a lot of mountains. Latvia
is divided into three main geographical regions: the morainic Western, Eastern
uplands and the Middle lowlands. Forests cover 40% of Latvia’s surface. There are
3000 lakes and more than 12000 rivers.
An iconic place
Riga Radio and TV tower is
the third highest Radio and TV tower in Europe and the largest freestanding
building in the European Union. The view all over Riga is impressive from the
observation platform.
An iconic object
Something the country has done for the world
Famous historical figure
Janis
Rainis was a popular writer and also a politician. He wrote plays
but mainly poems. He was born in 1865 and died in 1929. Rainis had a
significant influence on literature and on political life during the 1905
revolution.
Important living person
Inese Galante was born in 1959. She is a world famous
Opera singer, the best of Latvia. Inese has a colourful voice which started to
surprise the world in 1992. She has sung in a lot of countries. Every year,
Inese Galante comes to Riga to give a huge performance and to delight the hearts
of Latvians.
History before 2000
From 9000 BC, Latvia and the countries
around were populated by Baltic peoples. In the 9th century, the Vikings
arrived to conquer the Baltic countries. At the end of the 12th
century, German merchants and Christians set up colonies. In 1198, Latvians joined
the first Crusade. The capital of Latvia, Riga, was founded in 1201. Because of
its geographical situation, Latvia was frequently invaded by others nations:
Germans, Russians, Poles and Swedes. Latvians obtained their independence only
in 1919.
History after 2000
In 2004, Latvia joined the
European Union. There was a big financial crisis between 2008 and 2011.
Human geography
There
are over two million people in Latvia (0.4% of the European population).
Language(s) and culture(s)
Latvian is the official
language of the country (58,2% of Latvia’s population), but 37,5% speak Russian,
and 4,3% speak Lithuanian or other languages.
Politics, economy, place in the EU
The capital is Riga. Latvia is
a parliamentary republic. It has been a member of the EU since 2004. It’s got
eight seats in the European Parliament. In 2015, it had the Presidency of the
Council of Europe. It is one of the poorest countries in Europe. The Euro was adopted
in 2014.
Youth
Article by Elora MAZZINI
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