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

C-17 military cargo plane from Latvia, sent European officials scrambling for information after news of the visit spread, some of those officials said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

Ten days into their travels, before they had a chance to visit Leningrad or Riga, Latvia, the four were taken into KGB custody and deported.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026

Fewer than four decades ago Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania regained their independence but inherited inefficient factories from the Soviet Union's command economy.

From Barron's ● Aug. 2, 2026

"Fide is based in Switzerland… our top executives include people from India, Norway, Latvia, the US, Italy, France… and other countries around the globe."

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

“They’ve deported people from Estonia and Latvia, too.”

From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys