Latvia: flag, capital, currency and history

Flag of Latvia

Download the flag of Latvia as a scalable SVG or as a PNG in three sizes. The flag emoji is 🇱🇻.

History of Latvia

The Baltic peoples ancestral to modern Latvians settled the eastern Baltic coast in antiquity. German crusaders conquered the region in the 13th century, founding Riga in 1201, and the territory later came under Polish-Lithuanian, Swedish and, in the 18th century, Russian rule. Latvia declared independence on 18 November 1918 and was recognised internationally in the early 1920s. The Soviet Union occupied it in 1940, followed by German occupation from 1941 and Soviet rule again from 1944-45. Independence was restored in 1991, and Latvia joined NATO and the European Union in 2004.

Key dates

1. 1201Bishop Albert founds the city of Riga.
2. 1710Russia captures Riga during the Great Northern War.
3. 1918Latvia proclaims independence on 18 November.
4. 1940The Soviet Union occupies and annexes Latvia.
5. 1990Latvia's parliament declares the restoration of independence on 4 May.
6. 1991Full independence is regained in August as the Soviet Union collapses.
7. 2004Latvia joins NATO and the European Union.

A short overview, not a full history. Dates are given for well-documented events only.

Currency of Latvia

Latvia uses the Euro (EUR, €). Use our free currency converter to check exchange rates.

Frequently asked questions

Neighbours of Latvia

BelarusMinskEstoniaTallinnLithuaniaVilniusRussiaMoscow

More countries in Northern Europe

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