A Timeline of Latvia

By Tim Lambert

9000 BC Hunter-gatherers live in Latvia

2000 BC The ancestors of modern Latvians arrive

1201 AD German crusaders arrive in Latvia. They found Riga.

1282 Riga joins the Hanseatic League

1365 Valmiera joins the Hanseatic League

1521 The Reformation reaches Latvia

1558 The Russians invade Latvia

1561 The Poles take Southeast Latvia

1621 The Swedes take Northeast Latvia

1685 Ernst Gluck translates the New Testament into Latvian

1689 Gluck translates the Old Testament into Latvian

1710 During a war between Sweden and Russia the Russians take Latvia

1800 Riga has a population of 30,000

1862 The first Latvian newspaper is published

1900 Riga has a population of about 500,000

1918 Latvia becomes independent

1920 The Russians recognise Latvian independence

1921 Latvia joins the League of Nations

1940 Latvia is captured by the Soviet Union

1941 Latvia is captured by the Germans

1944 The Russians capture Latvia again

1990 Latvia declares its independence

1991 The USA and the Soviet Union recognise Latvian independence

1993 A new currency is introduced in Latvia

1994 The last Russian troops leave Latvia

1999 Latvia joins the World Trade Organisation

2004 Latvia joins NATO and the EU

Riga