Riga
[ree-guh]
- a seaport in and the capital of Latvia, on the Gulf of Riga.
- Gulf of, an arm of the Baltic between Latvia and Estonia. 90 miles (145 km) long.
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Latvia
[lat-vee-uh, laht-]
- 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). Capital: Riga.
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Latvian Lat·vi·ja [laht-vi-yah] /ˈlɑt vɪˌyɑ/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for riga
Contemporary Examples
Yet the Meduza office was full of hope and what the journalists described as a fundamental change—they felt free in Riga.
That the Baltic free air and Riga's welcoming vibe could make her colleagues "too relaxed."
Now, the former KGB headquarters are open and exposing the horrors committed against the people of Riga.
Suggest Warsaw, Riga, Vilnius and Tallinn keep an eye out for masked men with guns wearing camouflage and no military insignia.
Up to a Point: The U.S. Government’s Minimum Wage Is $430 Million Per HourP. J. O’Rourke
March 21, 2014
Talk about keeping the race pure: at Riga they first slept with them and then shot them to prevent them from talking.
‘Soldaten: Secret WWII Transcripts of German POWs’ by Soenke Neitzel & Harald WelzerSönke Neitzel, Harald Welzer
September 24, 2012
Historical Examples
In 1811 Mr. Madison appointed him consul at Riga, but he declined the place.
When I saw her at Riga she was thirty-five, and had reigned two years.
The Memoires of Casanova, CompleteJacques Casanova de Seingalt
The police traced Skoropadski to Riga, but they have failed to arrest him, and he has, alas!
The Minister of EvilWilliam Le Queux
When the embassy came to Riga, that young man was insulted by the governor.
The Story of RussiaR. Van Bergen, M.A.
It is a German helmet that a friend of mine brought from the Riga front.
Trapped in 'Black Russia'Ruth Pierce
Riga
- the capital of Latvia, on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Western Dvina on the Baltic Sea: a port and major trading centre since Viking times. Pop: 739 232 (2002 est)
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Latvia
- 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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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for riga
Latvia
Baltic nation, independent from 1918, named for its inhabitants, Latvian Latvji, whose ancient name is of unknown origin. In English, the people name was Lett. Parts of the modern state were known previously as Livonia (from Estonian liiv "sand") and Courland (from Curonians, name of a Lettish people, of unknown origin).
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Latvia
[(lat-vee-uh, laht-vee-uh)]
Note
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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.