History of Latvia ‘The Route from the Vikings to the Greeks’

Under Swedish and largely German rule, western Latvia adopted Lutheranism as its primary faith. The ancient tribes of the Couronians, Semigallians, Selonians, Livs, and northern Latgallians assimilated to type the Latvian people, talking one Latvian language.

White bread (baltmaize) was considered a delicacy and was solely eaten on festive events. Latvian delicacies has been influenced by other international locations of the Baltic rim. Common elements in Latvian recipes are discovered regionally, similar to potatoes, wheat, barley, cabbage, onions, eggs and pork. Due to pronounced four seasons, the Latvian cuisine is markedly seasonal and each time of the year has its personal distinctive products and dishes. A European Commission report over Latvia in 2016 said that the country nonetheless has excessive revenue inequality.

Latvian Railway’s major community consists of 1,860 km of which 1,826 km is 1,520 mm Russian gauge railway of which 251 km are electrified, making it the longest railway community within the Baltic States. Latvia’s railway community is at present incompatible with European standard gauge strains. However, Rail Baltica railway, linking Helsinki-Tallinn-Riga-Kaunas-Warsaw is beneath development and is ready to be completed in 2026. Latvia hosted the 2006 NATO Summit and since then the annual Riga Conference has turn out to be a leading overseas and safety policy forum in Northern Europe. Latvia held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union in the first half of 2015.

Big European occasions have been celebrated in Riga such as the Eurovision Song Contest 2003 and the European Film Awards 2014. The peaceable Singing Revolution, starting in 1987, known as for Baltic emancipation from Soviet rule and condemning the Communist regime’s illegal takeover. It ended with the Declaration on the Restoration of Independence of the Republic of Latvia on four May 1990 and restoring de facto independence on 21 August 1991. Latvia is a democratic sovereign state, parliamentary republic and performs properly in the United Nations Human Development Index.

The most influensive futurist for Lithuanian writers was Russian poet Vladimir Mayakovsky. Locally brewed beer (alus), vodka (degtinė), and kvass (gira) are well-liked drinks in Lithuania. Lithuanian conventional beer of Northern Lithuania, Biržai, Pasvalys areas is nicely appreciated in Lithuania and overseas. Starka is part of the Lithuanian heritage, still produced in Lithuania. Lithuanians in the early twentieth century have been among the thinnest people within the developed international locations of the world.

Lithuanians

More than 56% of main positions are held by women in Latvia, which ranks 1st in Europe; Latvia ranks 1st on the planet in women’s rights sharing the place with 5 different European international locations according to World Bank. Latvia has the 5th highest proportion of land covered by forests within the European Union, after Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Slovenia.

Latvians

Northern Future Forum has been hosted in London , Stockholm , Riga , Helsinki , and in Reykjavik . In 2016, it was planned to carry the occasion in Stavanger, Norway, nevertheless it was postponed to take place in 2017.

Nordic-Baltic Eight

Cooperation among the many parliamentarians of the Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council dates back to 1989. In the same 12 months the Eurobarometer survey by the European Commission discovered different results, with 76.7% of the Latvians relating latvian women to themselves as Christians, divided in 26.2% Catholics 24.zero% Eastern Orthodox, sixteen.6% Protestants, and 9.9% other Christians. The unaffiliated individuals made up the 22.zero% of the respondents and have been divided in Atheists with 4.7% and Agnostics with 17.3%.

World War I devastated the territory of what became the state of Latvia, and different western parts of the Russian Empire. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, and Russia struggled for supremacy in the eastern Baltic. After the Polish–Swedish War, northern Livonia (together with Vidzeme) came under Swedish rule. Riga grew to become the capital of Swedish Livonia and the most important metropolis in the complete Swedish Empire. The international group recognised Latvia’s independence on January 26, 1921.

This method the Vikings of the Baltic Sea made wonderful enterprise and obtained a huge treasure. Cold soup (aukstā zupa), fish soup (zivju zupa), sorrel soup (skābeņu zupa) and mushroom soup (sēņu zupa) are also consumed by Latvians.

One of probably the most beautiful beaches on the Latvian coast, Jurkalne (which translates to «Sea Mountain») has the steepest coast in the country. Around three hours’ drive from Riga, on the west coast of Latvia, is the coastal area of Kurzeme. During the Soviet period, the coast was a closely guarded border, mostly closed to development, leaving Latvia with miles of astonishing natural beauty along the isolated and rugged shoreline.

The share of ethnic Latvians had fallen from seventy seven% in 1935 to 52% in 1989. In 2011, there were even fewer Latvians than in 1989, though their share of the population was larger – 1,285,136 (62.1% of the inhabitants).

Other popular sports activities include football, floorball, tennis, volleyball, cycling, bobsleigh and skeleton. The Latvian national soccer staff’s solely main FIFA tournament participation has been the 2004 UEFA European Championship. Ice hockey is often thought of the most well-liked sport in Latvia. Dinamo Riga is the nation’s strongest hockey membership, enjoying in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Lithuania declared independence after World War I, which helped its national consolidation. However, the japanese components of Lithuania, together with the Vilnius Region, have been annexed by Poland, whereas the Klaipėda Region was taken over by Nazi Germany in 1939. In 1940, Lithuania was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union, and compelled to hitch it because the Lithuanian SSR. The Germans and their allies attacked the USSR in June 1941, and from 1941–1944, Lithuania was occupied by Germany.

Language

To make sure, financial migration is not the only purpose for the country’s declining inhabitants. The small Baltic republic’s comparatively low delivery rate and high mortality rate are additionally contributing components. …build a German-managed Baltikum in Latvia, in order to stop domination of that nation by Soviet Russia. The mixture of Vidzeme and Rīga supplied Russia with a clear passage to Europe. By the tip of the 18th century, all of Latvia’s territory was underneath Russian rule.