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,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,one of the only two surviving Baltic languages. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country,at almost a quarter of the population.
The politics of Latvia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic,whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government,and of a multi-party system. The President holds a primarily ceremonial role as Head of State. Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and parliament,the Saeima. The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature. The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Latvia a "flawed democracy" in 2022.
Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia. Home to 605,802 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 (3.3–32.8 ft) above sea level,on a flat and sandy plain.
European route E 67 is an E-road running from Prague in the Czech Republic to Estonia and by ferry to Finland. It goes via Prague,Wrocław,Warsaw,Kaunas,Panevėžys,Riga,Tallinn,Helsinki.
Lithuanian Railways,abbreviated LTG,is the national state-owned railway company of Lithuania. It operates most of the railway network in the country. It has several subsidiary companies,but the main ones are:LTG Link which provides passenger services,LTG Cargo which provides freight service,and LTG Infra which is responsible for the maintenance and development of the infrastructure.
The rail transport system in Estonia consists of about 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) of railway lines,of which 900 kilometres (560 mi) are currently in public use. The infrastructure of the railway network is mostly owned by the state and is regulated and surveyed by the Estonian Technical Surveillance Authority.
Rail transport in Lithuania consists of freight shipments and passenger services. The construction of the first railway line in Lithuania began in 1859. As of 2021,the total length of railways in Lithuania was 1,868.8 km (1,161.2 mi). Lietuvos Geležinkeliai,the national state-owned railway company,operates most of the passenger and freight services.
Rail transport in Latvia is done on 1,520 mm Russian gauge. The main railway company is the state-owned Latvijas dzelzceļš(LDz),with its subsidiary Pasažieru vilciens (PV) providing passenger services.
Rail Baltica is a greenfield rail transport infrastructure project underway,with a goal to integrate the Baltic states in the European rail network. Its purpose is to provide passenger and freight service between participating countries and improve rail connections between Central and Northern Europe,specifically the area southeast of the Baltic Sea. Furthermore,it is intended to be a catalyst for building the economic corridor in Northeastern Europe. The project envisages a continuous rail link from Tallinn (Estonia) to Warsaw (Poland),consisting of links via Riga (Latvia),Kaunas,and Vilnius (Lithuania). Its total length in the Baltic States is 870 kilometres (540 mi),with 213 kilometres (132 mi) in Estonia,265 kilometres (165 mi) in Latvia,and 392 kilometres (244 mi) in Lithuania. Rail Baltica is one of the priority projects of the European Union (EU). It is part of the North Sea–Baltic Corridor of the Trans-European Transport Networks (TEN-T).
Nils Ušakovs is a Latvian Russian politician,former mayor of Riga and former journalist. He has been the board chairman of the left-wing party alliance Harmony Centre (2005–2014) and afterwards board chairman of the Social Democratic Party "Harmony" (2014–2019). In 2009 Ušakovs was elected the Mayor of Riga,becoming the first Riga Mayor of Russian descent since Latvia's restoration of sovereignty in 1991,a position he continuously held until his dismissal in 2019.
Ainārs Šlesers is a Latvian business oligarch and politician who was Deputy Prime Minister of Latvia,as well as Deputy Mayor of Riga. Currently he is a member of the Latvian Parliament with his political party,Latvia First,holding 9 seats in the parliament.
The Southern Bridge is an extradosed bridge built across the Daugava River in Riga,the capital of Latvia. The bridge was constructed between 2004 and 2008,and was opened on November 17,2008. Construction of the access roads lasted until 2013.
The National Alliance,officially the National Alliance "All for Latvia!" –"For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK",is a national-conservative and right-wing populist political party in Latvia. A right-wing party,it has also been placed as the far right,or radical right,of the political spectrum. It is economically liberal.
Andris Bērziņš is a Latvian businessman and politician who was President of Latvia from 2011 to 2015. Bērziņšwas the President of Unibanka from 1993 to 2004. He was elected as President by the Saeima on 2 June 2011.
Current plans call for a high-speed Rail Baltica that will connect the Latvian capital Riga with Pärnu and Tallinn to the north and with Kaunas and Warsaw to the south. Reports in March 2011 indicate plans are moving towards a standard gauge railway.
Aivars Lembergs is a Latvian politician,oligarch,and convicted money launderer who was the mayor of Ventspils from 1988 to 2021,a mandate from which he has been suspended since 2008. In February 2021,Lembergs was found guilty of charges relating to bribery and money-laundering. He received a sentence of five years in prison,confiscation of property,and a €20,000 fine.
Iveta Grigule-Pēterse is a Latvian politician formerly for the Latvian Farmers' Union. She was elected to the European Parliament in 2014 as the sole representative for the Union of Greens and Farmers.
The Three Seas Initiative,known also as the Baltic,Adriatic,Black Sea (BABS) Initiative or simply as the Three Seas,is a forum of thirteen states,in the European Union,running along a north–south axis from the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic and Black Seas in Central and Eastern Europe. The Initiative aims to create a regional dialogue on questions affecting the member states.
The United List is a centrist to centre-right,regionalist and green conservative political alliance in Latvia established to contest the 2022 parliamentary election. The list consists of the Latvian Green Party,the Latvian Association of Regions,the Liepāja Party,as well as the "United List of Latvia" association led by Liepāja construction contractor Uldis Pīlēns.
Kaspars Briškens is a Latvian politician,economist,and a former diplomat. In the 2022 parliamentary election,Kaspars Briškens is a candidate for the post of prime minister of the Progressives party.
