Purvits, Vilhelms, 1872–1945, Latvian landscape painter. He was director of the Latvian Academy of Art at Riga and was director of the city museums and professor at the Univ. of Latvia. A foll...

Zatlers, Valdis, 1955–, Latvian physician and political leader. A graduate (1979) of the Riga Institute of Medicine, he is an orthopedic surgeon and was director of the Riga Hospital of Trauma...

Latgale or Latgallia, region and former province, in Latvia, N of the Western Dvina River. Daugavpils was the chief city. The region was settled in the early Middle Ages by the Latgalians, who...

Courland or Kurland, Latvian Kurzeme, historic region and former duchy, in Latvia, between the Baltic Sea and the Western Dvina River. It is an agricultural and wooded lowland. Jelgava (Ger. M...

Dvina or Western Dvina, Ger. Düna, Latvian Daugava, Rus. Zapadnaya Dvina, river, c.635 mi (1,020 km) long, in Russia, Belarus, and Latvia. Rising in the Valdai Hills, it flows S and then gener...

Riga, Treaty of, either of two peace treaties signed at Riga, Latvia. By the Treaty of Riga of 1920, between the USSR and Latvia, the USSR recognized Latvian independence. The Treaty of Riga o...

Latvia, Latvian Latvija, officially Republic of Latvia, republic (2005 est. pop. 2,290,000), 24,590 sq mi (63,688 sq km), north central Europe. It borders on Estonia in the north, Lithuania in...

Balts, peoples of the east coast of the Baltic Sea. They include the Latvians, the Lithuanians, and the now extinct Old Prussians. Their original home was farther east, but from the 6th cent. ...

Jelgava, also Yelgava, Ger. Mitau, city (1992 est. pop. 74,516), in Latvia, on the Lielupe River. It is a major rail hub and a trade center for grain and timber. The city grew around a fortres...

Liepaja or Liepaya, Ger. Libau, city (1992 est. pop. 113,800), W Latvia. An ice-free port on the Baltic Sea, it is located at the end of an isthmus separating the Baltic from Lake Liepaja. The...