0541, 3342 LATVIA - The map and the flag of the country

3342

Posted on 05.03.2013, 09.01.2020
Located between Lithuania and Estonia, with outlet to the Baltic Sea, Latvia is one of the least populous and least densely populated countries of the European Union. More than 1,000 years ago, four Baltic tribes inhabited Latvia (Curonians, Latgalians, Selonians, and Semigallians), as well as the Livonians, speaking a Finnic language. Conquered in the 13th century by Teutonic Knights (who Christianized, with the sword, the indigenous tribes) it formed, together with Southern Estonia, the crusader state that became known as Terra Mariana or Livonia.

0541 The map of Latvia in 1919

In 16th century it fell under Polish and Lithuanian rule, and in the following two centuries it has been involved in a struggle between the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, Sweden, and Russia for supremacy in the eastern Baltic. Northern Livonia was conquered by Swedish, and throughout the 18th century Russia gradually occupied the whole territory, and so things remained until 1991, with only two interruptions (1918-1939 and 1941-1944).

3238 LATVIA (Riga) - Riga

With 639,630 inhabitants (2016), Riga is the largest city in the Baltic states, home to one third of Latvia's population and one tenth of the Baltic states' population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. About the Historic Centre of Riga, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I writed something here. On the postcard are depicted the silhouettes of the main sights of the city, among which are (from left to the right): Freedom Monument, House of the Blackheads, St. Peter's Church, Riga Castle, Riga Dom, Latvian National Opera, the Railway Bridge and Riga Radio and TV Tower.

2552 LATVIA (Riga) - Freedom Monument in Riga

Located in the center of Riga, on Freedom Boulevard, near the old town of Riga, the Freedom Monument is a memorial honouring soldiers killed during the Latvian War of Independence (1918-1920). Unveiled in 1935, the 42m high monument of granite, travertine, and copper is considered an important symbol of the freedom, independence, and sovereignty of Latvia, and often serves as the focal point of public gatherings and official ceremonies.

2537 LATVIA (Riga) - Historic Centre of Riga (UNESCO WHS)

2537 Historic Centre of Riga - House of the Blackheads

Founded in 1201 on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava, capital of independent Latvia since 1990, Riga was a major centre of the Hanseatic League, deriving its prosperity in the 13th-15th centuries from the trade with central and eastern Europe. Through centuries, it has been the centre of many historic events and a meeting point for European nations, and it has managed to preserve evidence of European influence on its historical development, borders between the West and the East, and intersection of trading and cultural routes.

1518 LATVIA - Girls in traditional costumes in the Old Town of Riga

The Latvian national costume is basically the traditional festive outfit of ordinary folks as worn in the 19th century, approximately up to the 1870s. However, is not just a certain type of festive garb: it is an expression of a nation’s sense of beauty, ability to form an ornament and put together colors, as well as knowledge of the craft. It embodies centuries-old traditions of making, adorning, and wearing the costume, and is a composite of a variety of festive outfits.

0470 Baltic Sea map

Bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands, Baltic Sea is a brackish sea, mostly enclosed, which has a limited exchange of water with outer oceans. Is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via Kattegat, Skagerrak and North Sea, but also by man-made waterways to the White Sea via the White Sea Canal, and to the North Sea via the Kiel Canal. It has 1,600 km long, an average of 193 km wide, and an average of 55 m deep, with the maximum depth 459 m.

0364 LATVIA (Vidzeme) - The castle from the Garden of God

Turaida Castle, located at 50 km north from Riga, the capital city of Latvia, was constructed in the Brick Gothic style in 1214 under Albert, the third Bishop of Riga, instead of the destroyed wooden castle of the Livonian leader Caupo of Turaida. In the language of Livonians, Turaida means "Garden of God", and the fortress was named Fredeland, means "Land of Peace". Construction and development of the fortifications continued to the 17th century, when the castle started to lose its strategic importance. It was badly damaged by fire in 1776 and not reconstructed, and in the course of time fell into ruin. Restoration began in the 1970s and the castle is now the centrepiece of the Turaida Museum Reserve, which also includes the oldest wooden church in Vidzeme and its surrounding Livonian cemetery.