Riga is the capital, primate, and the largest city of Latvia, as well as the most populous city in the Baltic States. Home to 609,489 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.
Ludza is a town in the Latgale region of eastern Latvia. Ludza is the oldest town in Latvia and this is commemorated by a key in its coat of arms. Ludza is the administrative centre of Ludza Municipality that is located nearby the Russian border. The population as of 2020 was 7,667.
Ventspils is a state city in northwestern Latvia in the historical Courland region of Latvia, and is the sixth largest city in the country.
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.
Skonto FC was a Latvian professional football club, active from 1991 until 2016. The club played at the Skonto Stadium in Riga. Skonto won the Virsliga in the first 14 seasons of the league's resumption, and often provided the core of the Latvia national football team. With those 14 national championships in a row, they set a European record, men and women's football combined, until the women of Faroese club KÍ Klaksvík won their 14th championship in a row in 2013.
The Latvian ruble was the name of two currencies of Latvia: the Latvian ruble, in use from 1919 to 1922, and the second Latvian ruble, in use from 1992 to 1993.
Andrievs Niedra was a Latvian writer, Lutheran pastor and the Prime Minister of the German puppet government in Latvia between April and June 1919, during the Latvian War of Independence.
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.
The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia is a Lutheran Protestant church in Latvia. Latvia's Lutheran heritage dates back to the Reformation. Both the Nazi and communist regimes persecuted the church harshly before religious freedom returned to Latvia in 1988. In contrast to Estonia, where state atheism reduced the once 80% Lutheran majority to barely 10% by 2011, the Latvian Lutheran church saw its membership drop to around 20% but has recovered and now includes approximately 30% of the population. The church reports having 250,000 members according to the Lutheran World Federation.
Uldis Bērziņš was a Latvian poet and translator.
Jānis Vanags is a Latvian Lutheran Archbishop. Since 1993 he has been the Archbishop of Riga in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia.
Ventspils Castle is located in Ventspils, Latvia. It is one of the oldest and most well-preserved Livonian Order castles remaining, in that it has retained its original layout since the 13th century. Through its 700-year history, it has been used as a fortress, residence, garrison, school, military base, and prison. In 1995, the castle was restored to its 19th-century appearance, and was converted into a museum.
Jānis Šmits was a Latvian politician and Lutheran pastor. He was a member of the Latvia's First Party and a deputy of the 8th and 9th Saeima. He was a member of parliament from March 18, 2004 to January 15, 2009. From 2009 he was a member of the Rīga City Council. He was well known for his outspoken conservative stance regarding the defense of Christian values and criticism of homosexuality.
Kaspars Dubra is a Latvian professional footballer who plays as a defender for A Lyga club Panevėžys. He can play as a centre-back or a defensive midfielder.
Vladislavs Gabovs is a former Latvian football right-back who played for Salaspils and the Latvia national football team.
St. Saviour's Church is a congregation of the Church of England in Riga, Latvia. Its parish church is located at Anglikāņu iela 2. This is to the north of the old town centre (Vecrīga), close to Riga Castle and the banks of the Daugava River.
Kārlis Gailītis was a Latvian Lutheran archbishop. He was the archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, from 1989 to 1992, when he died in a car accident.
Teodors Grīnbergs was a Latvian prelate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia and its first archbishop from 1932. He was forcibly taken into exile in Germany in 1944. He continued to serve as archbishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia in exile at which post he served until his death.
Karlis Irbe was a Latvian prelate of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia and the first bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia from 1922 until his resignation in 1931.
Juris Pūce is a Latvian economist, lawyer, and politician. Former Minister of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of Latvia in the government of Krisjanis Karins and chairman of the board of the "Latvian Development" party. Pūce was elected deputy of 13th Saeima from the "Development / For!". He is former the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economics (2010–2013), a member of the Council of LMT (2009–2012), a member of the Board of the Riga Graduate School of Law (2006–2010), as well as a member of the Riga City Council (2017–2018).
