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Latvia closed 131 schools between 2006 and 2010, which is a 12.9% decline, and in the same period enrolment in educational institutions has fallen by over 54,000 people, a 10.3% decline.


The and are two major universities in the country, both successors to Riga Polytechnical Institute, and located in . Other important universities, which were established on the base of State University of Latvia, include the (established in 1939 on the basis of the Faculty of Agriculture) and (established in 1950 on the basis of the Faculty of Medicine). Both nowadays cover a variety of different fields. The is another significant centre of education.

Latvia has been seeking for a number of years to separate the Latvian Orthodox Church from Moscow, stating that longstanding ties to Russia pose “national security concerns”. This was achieved in September 2022 with a law removing all influence or power over the Orthodox Church from non-Latvians, which would include the patriarch of Moscow.

Latvian tasavallan suurlähetystö Suomen tasavallassa

The country's Orthodox Christians belong to the , a semi-autonomous body within the . In 2011, there were 416 religious and 319 . As of 2004, there were more than 600 Latvian , (The Godskeepers), whose religion is based on . About 21% of the total population is not affiliated with a specific religion.

Lutheranism was more prominent before the Soviet occupation, when it was adhered to by about 60% of the population, a reflection of the country's strong historical links with the , and to the influence of the in particular and Germany in general. Since then, Lutheranism has declined to a slightly greater extent than Roman Catholicism in all three . The Evangelical Lutheran Church, with an estimated 600,000 members in 1956, was affected most adversely. An internal document of 18 March 1987, near the end of communist rule, spoke of an active membership that had shrunk to only 25,000 in Latvia, but the faith has since experienced a revival.

In the Poll 2010, 38% of Latvian citizens responded that "they believe there is a God", while 48% answered that "they believe there is some sort of spirit or life force" and 11% stated that "they do not believe there is any sort of spirit, God, or life force".

From 2019, instruction in the was gradually discontinued in private colleges and in Latvia, as well as general instruction in Latvian public , except for subjects related to culture and history of the Russian minority, such as Russian language and literature classes. All schools, including pre-schools, still using the Russian language in 2023 need to transition to using Latvian in all classes within 3 years.


Latvia on osa Schengen-aluetta ja euroaluetta.

As a result of deteriorating relations with Russia, Latvia has decided it does not want Russian citizens in Latvia who will not integrate. In late 2023 it is expected that around 5-6,000 Russians will be returned to Russia as they have made little effort to learn the Latvian language, integrate with Latvia, or apply to become Latvian citizens.

Official EU language(s): Latvian

Latvia's ethnic diversity is a result of a number of factors, including a long history of foreign rule, its location on the Baltic Sea trade route, and its proximity to other Slavic countries. The Russian Empire conquered Latvia in the 18th century and ruled the country for over 200 years. During this time, the Russian authorities encouraged the settlement of Russian colonists in Latvia. After the collapse of the Russian Empire in 1918, Latvia became an independent country. However, the country was occupied by the Soviet Union in 1940 and remained under Soviet rule until 1991. The Soviets expelled some groups and resettled others in Latvia, especially Russians. After 1991 many of the expellees returned to Latvia.

Latvian kansallislintu on ja on maan kansalliskukka.

The majority of Latvia's population are Latvians, who are an ethnic Baltic people. The country also has a significant Russian minority, as well as smaller populations of Ukrainians, Belarusians, and other Slavic peoples. These ethnic groups are all descended from peoples who settled in Latvia during the centuries of Russian and Soviet rule.

Dates of Latvian presidencies:

The share of ethnic Latvians declined from 77% (1,467,035) in 1935 to 52% (1,387,757) in 1989. In the context of a decreasing overall population, there were fewer Latvians in 2011 than in 1989, but their share of the population was larger – 1,285,136 (62.1% of the population).

Politics in Latvia operate under a framework laid out in the .

In some cities, including and , ethnic Latvians constitute a minority of the total population. Despite a steadily increasing proportion of ethnic Latvians for more than a decade, ethnic Latvians also still make up slightly less than a half of the population of the capital city of Latvia – .[]