Latvia
/ˈlætvɪə/- a country on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania; pop. 2,231, 500 (est. 2009); official language, Latvian; capital, Riga.拉脱维亚（波罗的海东岸国家, 在爱沙尼亚和立陶宛之间; 2009年估计人口2,231, 500; 官方语言拉脱维亚语; 首都里加）。
Latvia was annexed by Russia in the 18th century after periods of Polish and Swedish rule. It was proclaimed an independent republic in 1918, but in 1940 was annexed by the Soviet Union as a constituent republic. In 1991, on the break-up of the USSR, Latvia became an independent republic once again.