| Republic of Latvia Latvijas Republika Latvejas Republika Leţmō Vabāmō | |
|---|---|
 Latvia (dark green) in the European Union (light green) | |
| Capital and largest city | Riga |
| Official languages | Latvian |
| Recognized languages | Livonian Latgalian |
| Area | |
• Total | 64,589 km² |
| Population | |
• 2020 estimate | 1,907,675 |
Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Eastern Europe. It is a member of the European Union and NATO.
History
Latvia seceded from the Soviet Union in 1991. As a result of the bourgeois counterrevolution, Latvia's poverty rate increased from 1% in the late 1980s to 22% in 1995.[1] Latvia joined the European Union in 2004.[2]
Anti-Russian discrimination
In 1992, Latvia passed a law revoking citizenship for more than half of its Russian population. 300,000 people, or 15% of the total population, are not allowed to own land or work in law or banking. Despite a quarter of Latvia's population being Russians, the Russian language is not allowed in public schools,[2] and people can be sent to prison for 3 to 25 years for speaking in favor of Russia.[3]
Destruction of Soviet Monument
In 25 August 2022, the Latvian government destroyed the Victory Monument obelisk.[4][5]
References
- ↑ Branko Milanovic (1998). Income, Inequality, and Poverty during the Transition from Planned to Market Economy: 'Poverty; By How Much Has Poverty Increased?' (p. 68). [PDF] Washington, D.C.: World Bank. ISBN 082133994X
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Gilbert Doctorow (2018-08-04). "Republic of Latvia, Apartheid State within the EU" Monthly Review. Archived from the original on 2021-08-04. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
- ↑ Patricia Gorky (2022-06-19). "East European governments pledge loyalty to U.S. war drive" Liberation News. Archived from the original on 2022-06-30. Retrieved 2022-08-08.
- ↑ "Demolition of Soviet Victory monument in Rīga" (2022-08-25).
- ↑ "Largest Soviet monument in Baltics dismantled in Riga" (2022-08-26). The Baltic Times.