Latvia

Latvia

Latvia is a country in Eastern Europe, beside the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania. About a tenth of the country is just below sea level.

The capital city of Latvia is Riga (population 874,100).

Latvia was taken over as part of Russia in 1940, but became a separate and independent nation in 1991. About 30% of Latvians are actually Russians.

Full name of the country Republic of Latvia

Type of Government: parliamentary democracy

Go here to listen to the National Anthem
http://www.niceflag.com/midi/anthems/latvia.mid

Coat of arms (on the left)

Area: 64,589 sq km

Population: 2.42 million

People: Latvian 57%, Russian 30%, Belarusian 4%, Ukrainian 3%, Polish 3%, other 3%
Language: Latvian, Russian, ethnic languages

Religion: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

Money: the lat, plural is lati

Major industries: motor vehicles, machinery, household appliances, pharmaceutical, food, textiles, agriculture.

Climate:
The weather is wet, with mild winters

The lowest point:
Baltic Sea, 0 m
The highest point: Gaizinkalns, 312 m

Sigulda, Latvia

Natural resources:
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land.

Latvians enjoy playing and watching soccer, car racing, basketball and hockey.

Latvia has mixed forests of conifers and deciduous trees like oaks and birch trees. There are also meadows and bogs. There are thousands of species of flowering plants.

Wolves, foxes and lynxes are found in the forests, as are deer and wild boars. There are about 300 species of birds. The wagtail is the faunal emblem of Latvia. The rivers and the Baltic Sea are full of fish such as salmon and lamprey eels. Eels live in the Baltic Sea

The Baltic Sea is one of the shallowest seas in the world. It is an inland sea, fed by about 250 rivers that flow into it. It is the least salty of all the seas. There are about 40 species of fish in the Baltic Sea.

Popular food in Latvia includes dishes such as cabbage soup, small fish with onions, potato salad, smoked or salted eel. Most main courses are meat or fish. Desserts generally feature forest berries.More

Find some recipes here http://www.latviatravel.info/fact/food/

Read more about this country here http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/latvia/about/

Acknowledge this source in your bibliography like this:
Latvia (2006). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au

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Updated October 2006