| | Latvia
The Country History
Latvia is one of the largest of the three Baltic Republics. Latvian tribes were self-governing until the end of the 13th century when the German Teutonic Knights conquered them. Latvia has been subjected to periodic invasions by the Poles and the Swedes until the 18th century when Russia, under Peter the Great, emerged as a major European power and occupied Latvian territory. The Bolshevik revolution of 1917 gave way to the end of Russian suzerainty.
During the World War II the country was again taken over by the Russians. Latvia re-established its independence in 1991 following the break-up of the Soviet Union. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. |
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