The country of the Former Soviet Union! Here are the Facts and History of Latvia
 |
| The country of the Former Soviet Union! Here are the Facts and History of Latvia |
The country of the Former Soviet Union! Here are the Facts and History of Latvia
Baltic states are a term in geopolitics to group the countries in the northeastern coastal region of the baltics that exist in northern Europe. Currently the group of countries called baltic states there are 3 countries, namely: estonia, latvia and lithuania. In this article, we will discuss one of the baltic states in northern Europe, namely the Republic of Latvia.
More details about the country of latvia, here's the video. The Republic of Latvia, or commonly known as the latvian state is one of the countries in the baltic region, northern Europe. The territory of latvia is categorized as one of the baltic states, which is a geopolitical term and is used to group the sovereign states on the northeast coast of the baltic.
The country has an area of 64,589 square kilometers, or about 2,748 square kilometers larger than the province of central sulawesi in indonesia. Latvia shares a border with the country of Estonia in the north, lithuania in the south, with the country of russia to the east as well as the country of belarus in the southeast, and also borders the sea with the country of sweden in the west.
The country of latvia has a population of about 1,907,675 inhabitants, the country has a city in the city of riga, which is also the largest city in latvia. Latvians and livonians are indigenous in the country of latvia. The country uses Latvian as the official language in its country. Latvia is a unitary state whose territory is divided into 119 administrative divisions.
The form of government of the latvian state is a parliamentary republic. Latvia is led by a president as head of state and the prime minister as head of government. The president of latvia is elected by the latvian parliament known by the name of saeima for a period of 4 years, then the president appoints a prime minister with his cabinet, and forms the executive branch of the government. Latvia is a country with a developed and high-income economy, the country's economy was in a slump after experiencing a crisis in 2007 which was then exacerbated by the global crisis in 2008.
But in 2011, latvia became one of the fastest growing economies in the european union. The country ranks 39th in the world in the human development index, the country is well rated on the measurement of civil liberties, press freedom, internet freedom, democratic governance, peace and a good standard of living.
History of latvia Around 3000 BC, the proto-baltic ancestors of the latvian people settled in the region of the northeast coast of the baltic, the baltic peoples made the region a trade route to rome and byzantium for the trade in precious metals. By 900 AD, the latvian region had been inhabited by about 4 different baltic tribes namely the curonians, latgalians, selonians, semigallians and finnic tribes of livonians.
In the 12th century the territory of latvia was divided into 14 parts with their respective 14 rulers. In 1184 saint meinhard of segeberg, a German who was a canon or priest in the catholic church, traveled with livonian merchants to the region, in the framework of a catholic mission to convert the population from their pagan faith. When the peaceful ways of repentance did not pay off, the meinhard planned to turn the livonians with the power of arms.
Finally At the beginning of the 13th century, the Germans managed to control part of the territory currently known as latvia. These conquered areas later formed a crusader state that became known as terra mariana or livonia. After the livonian wars in 1558 to 1583, the region then fell under the rule of the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth.
In the 17th to early 18th centuries, the Polish-Lithuanian commonwealth, the swedish empire and the russian empire competed with each other for supremacy in the eastern baltic region. After the swedish-polish war, the territory of northern livoonia came under swedish rule. Until this period, the territory of latvia belonged to livoonia underwent some quite important cultural changes.
Under swedish rule and mostly germans, western latvia adopted lutheranism as its main religion. And the southern latgallians who were under polish rule adopted catholicism. In the year 1721 the great northern war ended, the great northern war was a conflict between an alliance of countries led by the russian tsardom to fight for swedish imperial supremacy in the territories of northern, central and eastern Europe.
This war was won by the alliance states of russia in 1721. In 1795, all the territories currently known as Latvians were under imperial rule in Russia. The region was incorporated into the territory of the autonomous provinces of Russia by retaining their own local laws, language and parliament. After the end of world war I on November 11, 1918, the latvian people's council proclaimed the independence of the latvian state on November 18, 1918.
The latvian constitution, also known as satversme, was adopted in February 1922, after a previous session was held through the constitutional assembly of the latvian society in 1920. In 1934 karlis ulmanis who was the prime minister of latvia carried out a coup against the latvian parliamentary system. Ulmanis took over the main office of the country, proclaimed the warring state in latvia, suspended the constituency, dissolved all political parties and parliaments.
He later established an executive non-perlementary authoritarian regime in which he ruled as prime minister. The ulmanist regime lasted until the soviet occupation of latvia in 1940. On October 5, 1939, the latvians were forced to accept a "mutual aid" pact with the soviet union, which gave the soviets the right to station about 25,000 to 30,000 troops on the territory of the latvians. The state administrator was liquidated and replaced by cadres from the soviets.
On August 5, 1940, the soviet union incorporated latvia as a latvian soviet sausageist republic. But this soviet effort was met with resistance from the latvians, in less than a year at least about 34,250 latvians were deported or killed by the soviet government.
Most of the people were deported to siberia. In 1941, german forces attacked soviet forces in latvia in barbarossa operation, the soviet army occupying the area was defeated by the german army and the latvian was then occupied by the germans.
By the Germans latvians were administered as part of the reichskommissariat ostland along with estonia and lithuania. In 1944, fierce fighting took place in latvia between german troops and soviet troops, this battle ended in defeat on the german side, and again part of latvian territory was under soviet control. The Soviets who again occupied the region then began to restore the soviet system.
During that era about 120,000 to 300,000 Latvians took refuge in the soviet army by fleeing to germany and sweden. In the 1980s, soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev began to introduce political and economic reforms in the soviet union called glasnot and perestroika.
In the summer of 1987, there was a large demonstration held at the monument to freedom in the city of riga. In 1988, the latvian soviet sausageist republic along with other baltic republics were given greater autonomy than the soviet government.
In 1989, the soviet supreme council of the soviet union adopted a resolution on the occupation of the baltic states, by which he declared the occupation inconsistent with the law and not the will of the soviet people.
The supreme soviet council of the soviet union or which in English is the supreme soviet of the soviet union is the most authoritative legislative body of the union of soviet socialist republics and the only body that has the power to approve constitutional amendments.
On May 4, 1990, the supreme council adopted the declaration of restoration of latvian independence, and the socialist republic of latvia was renamed the republic of latvia. But in January 1991, pro-communist political forces tried to restore soviet power in latvia with military force, however latvian demonstrators managed to stop soviet troops from occupying strategic positions in latvia, on August 21, 1991 after a failed soviet coup attempt, the parliament chose to end the transition period and restore full independence of latvia.
That is a summary of the history about the country of latvia, and to get to know more about this country,