Latvia

American  

[lat-vee-uh, laht-] / ˈlæt vi ə, ˈlɑt- /

noun

1. a republic in N Europe, on the Baltic, S of Estonia, an independent state 1918–40; annexed by the Soviet Union 1940; regained independence 1991. 25,395 sq. mi. (63,700 sq. km). Riga.

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Latvia British  

/ ˈlætvɪə /

noun

1. a republic in NE Europe, on the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea: ruled by Poland, Sweden, and Russia since the 13th century, Latvia was independent from 1919 until 1940 and was a Soviet republic (1940–91), gaining its independence after conflict with Soviet forces; it joined the EU in 2004. Latvia is mostly forested. Official language: Latvian. Religion: nonreligious, Christian. Currency: lats. Capital: Riga. Pop: 2 178 443 (2013 est). Area: 63 700 sq km (25 590 sq miles)

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Latvia Cultural  

1. Republic on the Baltic Sea, bordered by Estonia to the north, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and Lithuania to the south. Its capital and largest city is Riga.

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Discover More

Nationalist sentiments brewing since the mid-nineteenth century erupted at the time of the Russian Revolution; after the collapse of Russia and Germany in World War I, Latvia was able to proclaim its independence. After twenty years of political instability, however, Latvia was forcibly integrated into the Soviet Union in 1940, along with Estonia and Lithuania. The collapse of the Soviet Union enabled Latvians to reassert their national identity, and they declared their country independent in August 1991.

Example Sentences

Ukraine would also work with Latvia "to build a multi-layered air defence system against different types of threats", he said.

From Barron's • May 14, 2026

Both Latvia and Ukraine acknowledged that the drones may have been Ukrainian UAVs intended to target Russia whose signals had been jammed, leading them to stray into Latvia.

From BBC • May 14, 2026

"We are not in a rush," Bank of Latvia governor Martins Kazaks, a member of the ECB's rate-setting governing council, told The Financial Times last week.

From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026

Only three countries: Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, spent more than 3.5% of their GDP on defence in 2025, although Estonia and Norway were close.

From BBC • Apr. 14, 2026

Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, and others were divided between Hitler and Stalin.

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys