Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvija or Latvijas Republika), is a country in north-eastern Europe. Latvia has land borders with its two fellow Baltic states — Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south — and Russia and Belarus to the east. In the west, Latvia shares a maritime border with Sweden. The capital of Latvia is Riga (Latvian: Rīga). Latvia has been a member state of the European Union since May 1 2004.

History

---

Main article: History of Latvia

More on [ Latvia ]

NPR Topics: Visual Arts

Poking Fun At The 'Stuff White People Like'
Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:12:00 -0400
In a new book based on his popular blog, Christian Lander tracks the trends and tendencies of white people, from fair-trade organic coffee to vintage T-shirts.
Artist Gives Old Saints New Faces
Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:12:00 -0400
There are exactly 103 roads named after Catholic saints in Los Angeles. J. Michael Walker has spent eight years exploring these roads and avenues, researching their namesake saints and finding connections with the people who inhabit them.
PBS Launches An ABCs Offensive With New Shows
Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:22:00 -0400
Television is no longer considered the enemy of education. In the past couple of years, PBS has made a big push to develop shows that help kids prepare to read — but are the kids watching?
At Beijing Olympics, Photographers Shine
Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:31:00 -0400
Olympic photographers rely on talent, technology and strategic positioning to capture images that become signature moments of the games. Making those pictures happen in a fast-moving track event is a special challenge.
Waterboarding At Coney Island: The Thrill That Chills
Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:01:00 -0400
It might not be surprising that waterboarding, the controversial interrogation technique that simulates drowning, would become the subject of satire. But it was shocking to many when artist Steve Powers created an attraction called the Waterboard Thrill Ride.
Finding Beijing's Not-So-Hidden Art Treasure
Thu, 07 Aug 2008 13:00:00 -0400
A few years ago a handful of renegade artists staked their claim just outside Beijing, away from the eye of the authorities. Now 798, as the area is called, is a bustling arts zone supported by the Chinese government.

Subscribe to Visual_Arts RSS feed