Latvia

By Lauryn McDonnell
Basic Facts

Life Expectancy :
Capital : Riga Time Zone : +2 hrs
74 years

Joined EU : 1st of Official language :

Currency : Euro
May 2004 Latvian

Flag : red, white

Population
and red horizontal
: 1.96 million
stripes.
 Long history of
Part of the three Baltic oppression Russia,
States Sweden, Poland and
Livonia.

Independence lost and

Declared
forced into submission
Independence 18
Soviet Union and

Brief
May 1918
Nazi Germany

History Peacefully called for

Oppression ended on
emancipation from
4th May 1990
Soviet Rule

Independence was
restored on 21 August
1991
 Four major Universities - Riga Technical University,
University of Latvia, Latvia University of Agriculture
and Riga Stradins University

121 schools closed down 2006-2010

Education Long term goal labour-based economy to knowledge-

based economy

They develop on existing scientific traditions - organic

chemistry, medical chemistry, genetic engineering,
physics, materials science and information technologies
 Danias Poems strucutred by one or two
stanzas that often do not rhyme and are
centered around pre-christian dieties, birth
marriage and death.

Instruments There are many traditional

Culture - instruments in Latvia and one of those is the
Music kokles. A box zither, a string instrument in the
shape of a rectangle.

Creators There is currently only one concert

kokle maker left but he has begun training
apprenticies with the help of EU grants.
 Common ingrediants used in
Latvian meals are quite similar to
Latvian cuisine consists of many
that of Irish cusine. Ingrediants
agricultural products with meal
include potatoes, wheat, barley,
featuring as a staple in most
cabbage, onions, eggs, and pork.
meals.
Latvian food is generally quite

Culture - fatty, and uses few spices.

Food
Due to Latvia's location, fish is Latvia's cuisine has been greatly
consumed often. influenced by outside sources.
 Ice Hockey is the most
popular sport played in
Latvia has successfully
Latvia. Other popular
competed in the Winter
sports include football,
and Summer Olympics
floorball, bobsleigh,
and
skeleton, volleyball and
cycling.

Culture -
Sport
Basketball is the second
most popular sport in
Latvia. There are hundreds
of basketball teams
around the country and
the Latvian National
Basketball Team became
the first to win the
Eurobasket in 1935.
 The 500 Lat note,
even after the
adoption of the
Euro, is still one of
the most valuable
worldwide notes
today.

Interesting In Latvia, you can

change your name
for 70 Euros and if

facts
its really bad, you
can change it for
free.

Lithuanians and
Latvians call each
other 'horse head'
as an affectionate
insult.
Thank you for listening