is a State (64 490 km2) on the Baltic, close to Estonia in north, Lithuania in the south, Russia and Bielorussia in the east. It gives on the gulf of Riga, emerging itself in the Baltic. Between 3000 and 1000 av. J. - C. are established on banks of the Baltic the Uralic tribes of Lives and of Estes, as well as the tribes protobaltes of Zemgales, Coures and Latgales.

After having assimilated Lives during two millenia, Zemgales, Run them and Latgales - ancestors of the Latvians - accepted during Xe century orthodoxe Christianity, but were converted then with Catholicism by the knights of the Porte-Glaive order (created in 1202 by the bishop Albert de Buxhövden de Livonie), who linked themselves later with the knights Teutoniques (1237). The alliance of the two orders conquers Livonie (Latvia-Estonia) around 1290 and keeps it still two centuries.

Around 1523, by the relay of Riga, the Reform arrives to Latvia, contributing to create the religious mosaic which continues: one counts today approximately 25 % of Protestants (Lutherans), 25 % the orthodoxe ones and 21 % of catholics.

Following the war of Livonie, which opposed Poland to Russia, the duchies of Pardaugava, Kurzeme and Zemgale are annexed by Poland. The conflicts with Sweden (1600-1629) forced Poland to yield Riga and part of the duchy of Pardaugava. By the treaty of Nystad (1721) putting fine at the Scandinavian war, Russia tears off in Sweden most of Latvia, to which in 1795 the duchy of Kurzeme will be added. The policy of Russianization, whose vector was directed against the Germanic domination in this area, was thwarted by the movement of national emancipation, active in second half of the XIXe century.

At the end of the First World War , on the chart a new State - Latvia appears. Its independence, proclaimed on on November 18th, 1918, is recognized by Russia de Lénine on on August 11th, 1920 and by the Western countries on on January 26th, 1921. This new territorial formation joined together in conglomerate of the territories of Courlande, Latgale and the Hanseatic city of Riga, populated mainly by the Germans and the Russians.

In accordance with the secret protocol of the pact Molotov-Ribbentrop (1939), the USSR preserves Latvia in its sphere of influence; Stalin imposes the parking of his troops on the Latvian territory. After a 24 hours ultimatum in June 1940, the Red Army occupies the country and founds the Soviet power. In August 1940, one month after the proclamation of the RSS of Latvia, the new republic is integrated into the USSR.

The III ^E Reich occupies Latvia between 1941 and 1944. After the war, the country belongs to the USSR and undergoes a strong Stalinist repression, concretized by massive deportations. Between 1940 and 1953 Latvia loses 34 % of its population. However, in the 1944-45 “country knew a massive departure of Latvians being afraid of repressions of Stalin because of collaboration: some 250 ' 000 people left with the Germans. After the war, there were massive deportations: more than 100 ' 000 people were exiled in North and in Siberia”. Lastly, almost all the Jewish population (more than 60' 000) was exterminated by the Nazis and the collaborationnists.

The turning of 1985 in the policy of the USSR makes it possible Latvia to affirm its identity. In 1988 the Popular front is made up which imposes on the Communist party the multi-party system (1989). The denunciation of the annexation of 1940 and the declaration of independence in May 1990, voted by the Parliament and cancelled by Mr. Gorbatchev, cause the intervention of the Soviet special units, which besiege the Parliament. Independence, despite everything, is proclaimed in August 1991 and recognized by the USSR on on September 6th, right before the admission of the new State with UNO (September 17th, 1991). Since 1995, Latvia belongs to the Council of Europe.

With the first elections of June 1993, reserved to the citizens of pre-war period and their descendants, the party of the Latvian Way (started from center-right) becomes majority at the Parliament. A little later the economist Guntis Ulmanis is elected President of the Republic for 3 years. On December 21st, 1995, the Parliament votes the nomination of a line coalition (Latvian Voice, Mouvement for Latvia, Saimnieks and two country parties), carried out by Andris Skele. At the conclusion of the presidential elections organized in 1996, G. Ulmanis is renewed in charge of the country and appoints the former minister for Finances Guntars Krastsc, nationalist of the Union for the Fatherland and Freedom, with the direction of the government. In 1998, Vilis Kristopans, Latvian Way, succeeds to him this station.

Latvia affirms its will to anchor itself to the West, and on on January 16th, 1998, Latvian president G. Ulmanis initialed with the presidents Lithuanian, A. Brazauskas, and Estonian, L. Meri, in Washington, a Charter of partnership between the United States and the Baltic States which, if it does not offer any immediate guarantee of safety, also points out the will of the chief of the American executive to see these States joining one day NATO, but this one refused for the moment the candidature of the Baltic States.

The relations with Russia, already tended because of the problem of the minority Russian speaker, still festered, in the first months of 1998, following various incidents: brutal repression by the Latvian police force of a demonstration of reprocessed Russian speakers, procession commemorative veterans of the Latvian Legion S, who had fought at the sides of the Germans during the Second world war , attempt at attack against the embassy of Russia. Perceiving these events like provocations, Russia started to apply economic sanctions to spring 1998.

In June 1999, Vaira Vike-Freiberga is elected president by the Latvian members of Parliament. Shortly after its come to power, the Prime Minister Vilis Kristopans gives his resignation to him. After having pointed out the former Prime Minister Andris Skele to form the new government, she announces her intention to start again the policy of integration of the country to the European Union and NATO. Indeed, these international authorities make maintenance of two amendments facilitating the naturalization of the population Russian speaker, one of the essential conditions to this adhesion.