» View our adventures to Latvia
Although Latvia was probably first settled in the Stone Age, the ancestors of modern Latvians, a Balt people that migrated north from Belarus, did not arrive in the region until roughly 2000 BC. Latvia became known for its amber, and soon was the prime location on the vast Amber Road, a trade route that spread to Greece and Rome.
By 1000, the Latvians had developed into four distinct tribes—Selonians, the Latgals, the
Semigallians, and the Cours. The largest and most powerful tribe, the Latgals, held territory that was the first area to be referred to as “Latvia.” All four tribes practiced some form of pagan religion. By the early Middle Ages, this drew the attention of Christian Europe; missionaries began arriving from the south in 1190.
Pope Celestine III called for a crusade against the northern pagans. In 1201, the German Knights of the Sword invaded Latvia and founded Riga, which they used as a base for military action in Livonia (today’s Latvia and Estonia). Colonists from Germany followed, and Riga developed rapidly. With its connections to Germany and proximity to Russia, Riga became a crossroads for trade between the two and prospered for nearly 300 years.
The rise of Riga meant that the land became a valuable prize in the eyes of other nations. In the 16th century, competition between Sweden, Poland, and Russia—coupled with the fear of Ivan the Terrible’s advance—touched off a 24-year conflict, known as the Livonian War. By the war’s end Livonia had been carved up between the Swedes, in present-day Estonia and Riga, and the Poles, in the rest of modern Latvia.
Polish rule was upended by a Russian invasion in 1700. For the next 200 years, Latvia was ruled by the Tsars. In response to this forced integration into the Russian empire, many locals began to identify themselves as “Latvians” for the first time. Ultimately it was the chaos of World War I and the Russian Revolution that lead to an independent Latvia. The declaration of their independence in 1918 was met with immediate retaliation by the Russians. With the help of Estonia and Poland, Latvia forced Russia back and maintained their independence. In 1920, Russia signed the Treaty of Riga ceding their claims to Latvia. The economy boomed and in the 1930s, Latvians could boast one of Europe’s highest standards of living.
In 1939, Russia and Germany secretly agreed to a non-aggression pact that carved up sections of Europe into spheres of influence. Latvia began World War II under Russian occupation, but once Germany and Russia were actively fighting each other, Latvia was occupied by the Germans. Both powers used forced conscription, deportations, and executions against the local population. Near the end of the war, the Russians returned to “rescue” Latvia, making it a part of the U.S.S.R. Under Soviet rule over 120,000 Latvians were imprisoned or deported.
On Aug. 21, 1991, Latvia once again declared independence. Democratic elections were held for the first time in 70 years in 1993. The first years of independence were difficult, yet Latvia reached major milestones such as joining the European Union and NATO in short order.