 YFU |
About Latvia
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Welcome | Short facts about Latvia | Climate | Geography | History | Culture | Government | Religion | Education | Currency | Entertainment | Pace of life | Useful links
Welcome to Latvia, the pearl of the Baltics!
Throughout centuries, Latvia has been on the crossroads of Europe. Several hefty neighbours, like Swedes, Germans, Russians, Poles in different times have tried to make Latvia a part of their tenures, to satisfy their love of power. That, of course, has affected the culture of this tiny country. After all the struggles and changes that Latvia has gone through, we have understood the value of things which nobody can take away from us. Probably that's why we keep our traditions, history and culture sacred. For example, folk songs are one of Latvia's treasures. We say that the number of our folk songs is big enough for every Latvian to have at least one. And most surprising is the fact that Latvians really know their folk songs. It does not mean that Latvia lives in the past, cherishing only its history and memories. All the new tendencies in culture have affected Latvia, as well. Have you heard that Riga, the capital of Latvia, is sometimes called the small Paris?
Located by the Baltic see, embraced by Estonia and Lithuania, Latvia, sometimes romantically called Amberland, has been "hiding" from the rest of the world for a rather long time. Therefore, it is no wonder that not everybody knows much about it. Let's see what we can do about that…
Latvia experiences 4 distinct seasons. The weather is warm and hot, up to +27 in summer, windy and rainy in autumn, snowy and rather cold in winter (sometimes even -25), but sunny in spring. In the cities and towns which are located near the sea-coast it's usually windy; that's why one of the cities (Liepaja) has gained even a name – birthplace of wind. To the west of the country lies the Baltic Sea. Latvia's southern neighbours are Lithuania and Belarus. Latvia's neighbours to the north are Estonia and Finland, but to the east - Russia. The land is mainly covered by forests and lakes. This ancient and serenely beautiful land was first settled by the nomadic Finno-Ugric tribes which came from the east over 5000 years ago. Considered Baltic nations until the early 20th century, national identities in the Baltic countries were suppressed by years of foreign domination. In 1918 Latvia became an independent state, but as soon as the 2nd World War started, the country lost its status; it was occupied by the Soviet Union. In the 1990's Latvia gained independence as well as the other 2 Baltic "brothers". In Latvia, the people made mass demands for self-rule, symbolized by one protest called "Baltic way" in which 2,000,000 people clasped hands in a line through all 3 Baltic countries to protest the 50th anniversary of their annexation by the USSR. Latvia was invited to join the NATO at the summit in Prague in November 2002. This completed several years of preparation for NATO membership, including participation in the Membership Action Plan (MAP) process. Latvia signed the Accession Treaty in March, 2003, and joined the European Union on 1 May, 2004. Because of the country’s many previous inhabitants, culture has been and remains a strong symbol of the national identity. For Latvians, cultural life concentrates around music. The song is the identity of the Latvian soul. Folk songs and dances are national treasures. Every four years, Latvians hold a great national celebration - the Song and Dance Festival – where there participate 20 000 singers and dancers and to which thousands of visitors and Latvians come to honour the tradition. Latvia is a parliamentary republic. The one-chamber parliament, called "Saeima", consists of exactly 100 deputies. Latvia has a President of State – Valdis Zatlers, who was elected in July, 2007. Before Valdis Zatlers, Latvia had a woman president – Vaira Vike Freiberga, who was elected in 1999. The Prime Minister is nominated by the President of State to form the government. The Cabinet of Ministers is endorsed by the Saeima. A great majority of Latvians are either Lutherans or Catholics. Almost all of Russian-speaking society are either Orthodox or Catholic. Latvian schools are very academic. As an exchange student you will be placed in a high school class (gymnasium) according to your age, usually the 10th or 11th grade. The last one in our school system is the 12th. Traditionally, there is a distinction between science and liberal arts classes in schools, but as an exchange student you can select subjects more freely. Lessons are on Mondays through Fridays; at the Art, Music and Ballet schools there are school activities also on Saturdays. Usually, the school starts at 8 a.m. and lasts till 3 p.m. There are a lot of after-school activities. You can choose many kinds of sport activities, you can sing in a choir, play an instrument in the school orchestra or dance folkdances. YFU suggests exchange students to take part in these after-school activities, as it is a possibility to make friends, to experience Latvian culture and social life. The school year in Latvia always starts on September 1st, and this is a day of festivities. You have to go the school, meet your classmates and teachers, but lessons start first on September 2nd. The school year ends on May 31st. The biggest unit of Latvian currency is the lat (LVL) and the smallest is the santim. 1 lat is equal to 100 santims. The current exchange rates to foreign currencies are: 1 USD ≈0.47 LVL, 1 Euro ≈0.70 LVL. Latvian currency is one of those where you shouldn't throw change in a jar and forget about it. Santims are rather valued here and shop assistants may often ask you to give them exact change. Ticket to the cinema Ls 2-4 There are many things to see and do in your leisure time. The most popular entertainment for Latvian youth is going to dance or sitting and chatting in a pub, or going to the movies. Many Latvian families go to the countryside during weekends or go in for sports, or other family-hobbies. There are 2 children in an average Latvian host family. Usually, both parents work full time. It is not very typical for young people to leave their parents early to be on their own, even though many of them have a job during studies. For an average Latvian family camping, travelling, bicycle or canoe tours are more appealing than comfortable trips abroad. Lately, tennis and windsurfing are getting more and more popular. Attending theatre performances, cinema, exhibitions and concerts means a lot to a family. Most of the population lives in the cities, but it is almost a rule that every family has a property somewhere in the countryside or at least a garden near the city. The tradition of picking mushrooms and berries in forests once in a while is still alive in almost every family, but usually surprises foreigners. Mealtimes have an important place in the life of Latvians. It is fairly true that Latvians like to eat. Our cuisine is not as sophisticated as the French one; it is fairly simple, but we still consider ourselves to be great eaters. We use lots of meet, fish, vegetables, especially potatoes. The dark rye-bread is one of the favourites. It does not mean that Latvians live only on sauerkraut and pork chops. You will find different traditions for meals in every family, and a lot of restaurants offer all kinds of international dishes. It is not an everyday tradition for a family to go out for lunch or dinner; more often the family cooks and eats at home, and those dinners have a special meaning in every family's life. It should be remembered that Latvian mothers believe their main task is to make sure that you are never hungry… At first glance, Latvians may seem distant. At the same time, they have their own way of saying that they care. You will find that they like to give flowers to each other even without any big reason. Do not be surprised if you get a large bouquet of flowers when you meet your Latvian host family for the first time. It is not just a gesture of politeness, but really shows how they feel about you. Hospitality and helpfulness are rules that Latvians follow. No doubt you will be treated the same way. http://www.latviatourism.lv/http://www.li.lv/ http://www.mk.gov.lv/ http://www.riga-airport.com/ |
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