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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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

See Examples For:

Latvia

Celmins fled with her family to Germany during the Soviet occupation of Latvia, then immigrated to Indiana.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026

In the following days, three suspects -- two of whom were confirmed to be Latvian -- were detained in Latvia, and this month were handed over to Estonia.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

The Danish mechanized infantry company role-played the enemy in this month’s exercise by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s brigade that has been deployed to protect Latvia from nearby Russia.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

The three Baltic Republics - Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia - also know Russia pretty well.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Far into the night he’d play over the latest games by himself—from tournaments in places ranging from England to Latvia to Yugoslavia to Bulgaria—and he’d hiss and scream as he followed the moves.

From "Endgame" by Frank Brady

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