Latvia
The Republic of Latvia is a Baltic state in northeastern Europe, sharing land borders with Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia and a maritime border with Sweden. Its capital city, Riga, was founded by the Germans in 1201. Latvia became a EU member in 2004.
The present-day territory of Latvia was settled as far back as 3000 BC. The first inhabitants were proto-Baltic peoples, the forefathers of the Latvians. At this time the area was a major trade center, as it lay at the crossroads of several important trade routes. One was the renowned route from the Vikings to the Greeks, mentioned in ancient documents.
The coastal zones of Latvia were famous for excavating amber. Amber was more precious than gold in many places up until medieval times. Latvian amber was famous in ancient Rome, ancient Greece, and in other very distant areas. Four distinct Baltic tribes developed in the 900s. These were the Selonians, the Latgallians, the Semigallians, and the Couronians. The biggest and most advanced tribe was the Latgallian. more