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

Another Cordeiro trip started with a flight from London to Latvia, then on to Belarus and Lithuania on the same day.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

Nestled between Latvia and Russia, Estonia was early to put the internet in classrooms with its “Tiger Leap” in the 1990s, just after gaining independence from the Soviet Union.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 1, 2026

And in eastern Estonia and neighboring Latvia, thousands of soldiers from across the North Atlantic Treaty Organization conduct an annual large-scale military exercise with heavy military equipment—and hundreds of drones.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 28, 2026

Russia has not commented on the latest in a series of recent drone incursions over Nato members Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

From BBC • May 19, 2026

Powers's new prison cell, which he shared with a political prisoner from Latvia, was even smaller than his previous one.

From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau