Latvia,officially the Republic of Latvia,is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the three Baltic states,along with Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It borders Russia to the east and Belarus to the southeast,and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi),with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Riga. Latvians belong to the ethnolinguistic group of the Balts and speak Latvian. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country,at almost a quarter of the population;37.7% of the population speak Russian as their native tongue.
Riga is the capital,the primate,and the largest city of Latvia. Home to 605,273 inhabitants,the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga metropolitan area,which stretches beyond the city limits,is estimated at 860,142. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Baltic Sea. Riga's territory covers 307.17 km2 (118.60 sq mi) and lies 1–10 m (3–33 ft) above sea level on a flat and sandy plain.
Livonian is a Finnic language whose native land is the Livonian Coast of the Gulf of Riga,located in the north of the Kurzeme peninsula in Latvia but also used to be spoken in the Salaca River valley. Although its last known native speaker died in 2013,a child,Kuldi Medne,born in 2020 is reported to be a native speaker of Livonian. Her parents are Livonian language revival activists Jānis Mednis and Renāte Medne. Also,there are about 40 reported L2 speakers and 210 having reported some knowledge of the language. Possibly uniquely among the Uralic languages but similarly to Latvian and Lithuanian,Livonian has been described as a pitch-accent language.
The Livonians,or Livs,are a Balto-Finnic people indigenous to northern and northwestern Latvia. Livonians historically spoke Livonian,a Uralic language closely related to Estonian and Finnish. Initially,the last person to have learned and spoken Livonian as a mother tongue,Grizelda Kristiņa,died in 2013,making Livonian a dormant language. In 2020,it was reported that newborn Kuldi Medne had once again become the only living person who speaks Livonian as their first language. As of 2010,there were approximately 30 people who had learned it as a second language.
Riga City Council is the government of the city of Riga,the capital of Latvia. Its meeting place is in the Riga Town Hall at the Town Hall Square (Rātslaukums) in the very heart of Riga.
The Latvian National Theatre is one of the leading professional theatres in Latvia. The building is in the eclectic style and is an architectural and artistic monument. The country of Latvia was proclaimed in this building in the year 1918. On 23 February 2002,the theatre celebrated its 100th anniversary. The director of National Theatre of Latvia since 2006 has been Ojārs Rubenis.
Daugava National Stadium is a multifunctional stadium in Riga,Latvia,which was first opened in 1927. It holds football and athletics competitions. Since 1992 the Daugava Stadium has been designated as a sports facility of national importance. It is owned by the Government of Latvia.
The Catholic Church of Latvia is part of the worldwide Catholic Church,under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.
Rigas Laiks is a Latvian monthly magazine published in Riga,Latvia.
Cinemas of Latvia date back to 1910 when the first short films were made. The first cinematic screening in Riga took place on May 28,1896. By 1914,all major cities in Latvia had cinemas where newsreels,documentaries,and mostly foreign-made short films were screened.
The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia is a museum and historic educational institution located in Riga,Latvia. It was established in 1993 to exhibit artifacts,archive documents,and educate the public about the 51-year period in the 20th century when Latvia was successively occupied by the USSR in 1940–1941,then by Nazi Germany in 1941–1944,and then again by the USSR in 1944–1991. Official programs for visits to Latvia of top level representatives of other countries normally include a visit to the Museum of the Occupation.
Helēna Demakova is a Latvian art historian,curator of art exhibitions,and politician. She served as Culture Minister of Latvia from 2004 until 2009 and was a Member of the 9th Saeima and lecturer at the Art Academy of Latvia.
Agnese Pastare is a Latvian race walker. She was born in Riga,Latvia,and is a student of Riga Technical University,Faculty of Transport and Mechanical Engineering.
Agnese Āboltiņa is a Latvian alpine skier. She was born in Riga and competed at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 2013 in Schladming,as well as at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi,in giant slalom,slalom and super-G. She placed 31st in super-G and 37th in slalom at the 2014 Olympics.
Miss Latvia is a national beauty pageant in Latvia.
Amida "Ada" Neretniece (1924-2008) was a Soviet Latvian film director.
Rasa Bugavičute-Pēce is a Latvian playwright and writer.
My Love Affair with Marriage is a 2022 semi-autobiographical adult animated musical comedy-drama film animated,written and directed by Signe Baumane,her second feature following Rocks in My Pockets (2014). The story follows a young woman,Zelma,on her 23-year quest for perfect love and lasting marriage,set against a backdrop of historic events in Eastern Europe. Pressured by Mythology Sirens to be the ideal woman and is unable to free herself from the biology of her own brain,Zelma finds love and loses it multiple times before discovering who she really is. Told from a female point of view,this is a coming-of-age story of love,gender,marriage,abuse,hopes,fantasies,and ultimately,finding a better place for women in society.
Events in the year 2024 in Latvia.
