Latvia: landmarks, animals & facts for kids

Latvia is a country in northeastern Europe on the Baltic Sea, between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south. It is one of the three Baltic states. Its capital, Riga, is the largest city in the Baltic region and is famous for its medieval old town and its many richly decorated Art Nouveau buildings. Latvia is a green country of forests, lakes and long sandy beaches, with a strong tradition of folk songs and choirs.

On My Earth Toy you can visit the Freedom Monument in central Riga, a tall column topped by a copper figure of Liberty holding up three golden stars. You can also discover the Riga Radio and TV Tower, the tallest structure in the European Union.

Geography and nature

Latvia is mostly low and flat, with gentle hills in the east; its highest point, Gaiziņkalns, is only 312 metres high. Forests cover more than half the country and are home to elk, beavers, wolves and lynx. Thousands of lakes and rivers dot the land, and the Daugava River flows through Riga to the Gulf of Riga. White storks nest on farm roofs in summer. Winters are cold and snowy, and summers are mild with very long days.

People, languages and culture

The official language is Latvian, one of only two living Baltic languages, together with Lithuanian. Many people in Latvia also speak Russian. Christians belong mainly to the Lutheran, Catholic and Orthodox churches. Singing is at the heart of Latvian culture: thousands of short folk songs called dainas have been collected, and the huge Song and Dance Festival brings together tens of thousands of singers. At Midsummer, called Jāņi, people wear flower and oak-leaf wreaths, light bonfires and eat caraway cheese.

History in a nutshell

Baltic tribes lived here for thousands of years. In the 13th century German crusaders conquered the area, and Riga, founded in 1201, became a busy trading city of the Hanseatic League. Later the land was ruled by Poland-Lithuania, Sweden and the Russian Empire. Latvia declared independence on 18 November 1918, but was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 and by Germany during the Second World War. It restored its independence in 1990 and 1991 and joined the EU and NATO in 2004.