Background

Latvia is a European nation that regained its independence in 1991, after more than 50 years of forced annexation to the Soviet Union. Latvia lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea.

It had been independent from 1918 to 1940, when the Soviet Union occupied it and made it one of the 15 republics of the Soviet Union.

After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. 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 continues to revamp its economy for eventual integration into various Western European political and economic institutions.

Ventspils Free Port (Western coast of Latvia).	A Song and Dance Festival.

Language

Latvian is the official language. It is an Indo-European, non-Slavic and non-Germanic language and is similar only to Lithuanian. Russian and, increasingly, English are widely spoken. German and Swedish may also be understood.