Latvia Population: 2,306,306 (July 2004 est.) Capital: Riga [ Select Another Country ]

An Introduction to Latvia
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 joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

The Latvian Flag Three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon.

Rankings of The Most Populous Countries in the World.

1. China   2. India   3. United States   4. Indonesia   5. Brazil   6. Russia   7. Pakistan   8. Bangladesh   9. Japan 10. Nigeria

11. Mexico 12. Germany 13. Philippines 14. Vietnam 15. Egypt 16. Turkey 17. Iran 18. Ethiopia 19. Thailand 20. United Kingdom

21. France 22. Italy 23. Congo 24. Ukraine 25. South Korea 26. South Africa 27. Burma 28. Colombia 29. Spain 30. Poland

Some interesting facts and figures about Latvia. Pop Growth Rate / Year:     • -0.71% Avg. Life Expectancy:     • 65.91 yrs - Male     • 76.09 yrs - Female Phone Lines:     • 653,900 (2003) Televisions:     • 1.22 million (1997) Radios:     • 1,760,000 (1997) Internet Code:     • .lv Did you know ... People from Latvia are called Latvians