Introduction

Background

In the medieval era, various eastern Baltic tribes coalesced to create the ethnic foundation of the Latvian populace (approximately 8th-12th centuries A.D.). Subsequently, the area came under the dominion of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and ultimately Russians. Following World War I, a Latvian republic was established; however, it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 — a move that has never been acknowledged by the United States and numerous other nations. Latvia regained its independence in 1991 following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian forces departed in 1994, the situation regarding the Russian minority, which constitutes around 25% of the population, continues to be a matter of concern for Moscow. Latvia became a member of both NATO and the EU in 2004; it adopted the euro in 2014 and joined the OECD in 2016.