officially Republic of Latvia
Country, northeastern Europe, along the shores of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga .
Area: 24,938 sq mi (64,589 sq km). Population (2002 est.): 2,340,000. Capital: Riga . Less than three-fifths of the population are Latvians, or Letts, who speak Russian Revolution of 1917 . In 1939 it was forced to grant military bases to the Soviet Union, and in 1940 the Soviet Red Army invaded. Held by Nazi Germany (1941–44), the country was recaptured by the Soviets and incorporated into the Soviet Union (the U.S. did not recognize this takeover). With the breakup of the Soviet Union, Latvia gained its independence in 1991. Subsequently, it sought to privatize the economy and build ties with western Europe, as well as improve uneasy relations with Russia.