sveiti
(Hello in Latvian)
Today let’s travel to Latvia.
Why Latvia?
Because I have readers that live there and I knew nothing about the country! And because I love to learn about different people and their customs, from all over the world.
Latvia has a long recorded history. It is a European country that sits among Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, the Baltic Sea and Russia.
Its land size is about the size of West Virginia (small!).
Latvia has been under the rule of Germany, Poland, Sweden, Russia and U.S.S.R. What started as a group of Eastern Baltic tribes merging in 812 AD, Latvia didn’t regain independence until 1991. Russian troops were still stationed there until 1994.
It is a parliamentary republic.
Riga is the capitol, and probably the most popular tourist attraction in the country.
Riga was founded in 1201.
From the 12th t0 15th centuries it was a key center for trading and cultural routes between the West and the East.
In the 17th century Riga became the largest provincial town of Sweden. Wooden buildings were built in a neo-classical style, creating suburbs surrounding the medieval city.
In the 19th century suburbs were laid out, surrounding the wooden buildings of the 17th century, which surround the medieval part of town. Art Nouveau was all the rage. Riga became a showcase of Art Nouveau architecture, with 50 high value architectures around the medieval part, and 300 scattered further out still standing today!
The 3rd World Heritage Site is part of
The Struve Geodetic Arc.
This is a chain of survey triangulations that run from Hammerfest, Norway to the Black Sea; through 10 countries and is 2,820 km long.
Say what?
It was the first accurate measurement of a meridian.
A mer-what?
Let’s put it this way. No one really knew how big Planet Earth was, and by doing this Arc, it was a first step in finding that out! Another amazing part - astronomer Friedrich Georg Wilhelm Struve made these calculations from 1816 - 1855! Think about it. He spent 40 years with no visible income to establish a mathematical equation that no one could see!
An amazing historical fact is there were a minimum of 10 different regents/kings/bigwigs who had to get along, agree, and approve this.
And now for something completely different:
The state bird is the White Wagtail.
Here are a few words you can learn in Latvian:
Latvia is known for their national dance.
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