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Description Latvia by rbd.me
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Lithuanian lands were united under MINDAUGAS in 1236; over the next century, through alliances and conquest, Lithuania extended its territory to include most of present-day Belarus and Ukraine. By the end of the 14th century Lithuania was the largest state in Europe. An alliance with Poland in 1386 led the two countries into a union through the person of a common ruler. In 1569, Lithuania and Poland formally united into a single dual state, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This entity survived until 1795 when its remnants were partitioned by surrounding countries. Lithuania regained its independence following World War I but was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first of the Soviet republics to declare its independence, but Moscow did not recognize this proclamation until September of 1991 (following the abortive coup in Moscow). The last Russian troops withdrew in 1993. Lithuania subsequently restructured its economy for integration into Western European institutions; it joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
WebCam
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Location
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Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia
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Area - comparative
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slightly larger than West Virginia
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Natural resources Latvia
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peat, arable land, amber
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Population Latvia
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3,545,319 (July 2010 est.)
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Religions Latvia
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Roman Catholic 79%, Russian Orthodox 4.1%, Protestant (including Lutheran and Evangelical Christian Baptist) 1.9%, other or unspecified 5.5%, none 9.5% (2001 census)
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Languages
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Lithuanian (official) 82%, Russian 8%, Polish 5.6%, other and unspecified 4.4% (2001 census)
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Education Latvia expenditures
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5% of GDP (2005)
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Government Latvia type
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parliamentary democracy
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Independence
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11 March 1990 (declared); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)
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Latvia Economy - overview
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$54.84 billion (2009 est.)
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Investment Latvia
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20.9% of GDP (2009 est.)
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Industries Latvia
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metal-cutting machine tools, electric motors, television sets, refrigerators and freezers, petroleum refining, shipbuilding (small ships), furniture making, textiles, food processing, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, optical equipment, electronic components, computers, amber jewelry
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Airports Latvia
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885,064 (2009)
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