| 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 continues to revamp its
economy for eventual integration into various Western European political and economic
institutions and was invited to join NATO and the EU in 2002. |
| Border countries:
Belarus 141 km
Estonia 339 km
Lithuania 453 km
Russia 217 km
Coast line: 531
km
Airports: Riga
| Area:
total: 64,589 sq km
water: 1,000 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km Population:
2,348,784 (July 2003 est.)
Language:
Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian,
other Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate
winters |
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