Lat·vi·a (l t v - ) A country of north-central Europe on the Baltic Sea. The original inhabitants, the Letts, were conquered and Christianized in the 13th century by German knights, the Livonian Brothers of the Sword, who ruled the area until 1561, when it passed to Poland. Under Russian control from the 18th century, Latvia became independent after World War I but was annexed in 1940 by the USSR and known as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic until it declared its independence in 1990. Riga is the capital. Population: 2,260,000. |   |
Latvia [ˈlætvɪə]
n
(Placename) a republic in NE Europe, on the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea: ruled by Poland, Sweden, and Russia since the 13th century, Latvia was independent from 1919 until 1940 and was a Soviet republic (1940-91), gaining its independence after conflict with Soviet forces; it is mostly forested. Official language: Latvian. Religion: nonreligious, Christian. Currency: lats. Capital: Riga. Pop.: 2 358 000 (2001 est.). Area: 63 700 sq. km (25 590 sq. miles)
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Noun | 1. |  Latvia - a republic in northeastern Europe on the eastern coast of the Baltic SeaLivonia - a region on the Baltic that is divided between northern Estonia and southern Latvia capital of Latvia, Riga - a port city on the Gulf of Riga that is the capital and largest city of Latvia; formerly a member of the Hanseatic League Liepaja - a city of southwestern Latvia on the Baltic Sea Daugavpils - a city of southeastern Latvia Europe - the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use `Europe' to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles Latvian - a native or inhabitant of Latvia |
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