Latvia–United States relations

The United States established diplomatic relations with Latvia on July 28, 1922. The U.S. Legation in Riga was officially established on November 13, 1922, and served as the headquarters for U.S. representation in the Baltics during the interwar era. The Soviet invasion forced the closure of the legation on September 5, 1940, but Latvian representation in the United States has continued uninterrupted for 85 years. The United States never recognized the forcible incorporation of Latvia into the U.S.S.R. and views the present government of Latvia as a legal continuation of the interwar republic.

Latvia – United States relations
Map indicating locations of Latvia and USA

Latvia
United States
Embassy of Latvia in Washington, D.C.

Latvia and the United States have signed treaties on investment, trade, intellectual property protection, extradition, mutual legal assistance, and avoidance of double taxation. Latvia has enjoyed most-favored-nation treatment with the United States since December 1991.

According to the 2012 U.S. Global Leadership Report, 30% of Latvians approve of U.S. leadership, with 30% disapproving and 39% uncertain.[1]

Principal U.S. Embassy Officials include:

  • Ambassador— Nancy Bikoff Pettit
  • Deputy Chief of Mission— Sharon Hudson-Dean

The U.S. Embassy in Latvia is located in Riga.

Country comparison
Latvia United States
Flag Latvia United States
Coat of Arms
Population 1,953,200[2] 335,562,000
Area 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi) 9,526,468 km2 (3,678,190 sq mi) [3]
Population density 34.3/km2 (88.9/sq mi) 31/km2 (80/sq mi)
Capital Riga Washington, D.C.
Largest city Riga - 641,423 (1,018,295 Metro) New York City – 8,175,133 (19,006,798 Metro)
Government Unitary parliamentary constitutional republic Federal presidential constitutional republic
First Leader Jānis Čakste George Washington
Current Leader Edgars Rinkēvičs Joe Biden
Official languages Latvian English (de facto)
Main religions 80% Christianity (34.3% Lutheranism, 25.1% Catholicism, 19.4% Eastern Orthodoxy/Old Believers, 1.2% other Christian), 20% non-Religious 70.6% Christianity (46.5% Protestantism, 20.8% Catholicism, 1.6% Mormonism, 1.7% Other Christianity), 22.8% non-Religious, 1.9% Judaism, 0.9% Islam, 0.7% Buddhism, 0.7% Hinduism[4]
Ethnic groups 62% Latvian, 25.4% Russian, 3.3% Belarusian, 2.2% Ukrainian, 2.1% Polish, 1.2% Lithuanian, 3.8% other[5] 74% White American, 13.4% African American,
6.5% Some other race, 4.4% Asian American, 2% Two or more races,
0.7% Native American or Native Alaskan, 0.14% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander
GDP (nominal) $30.176 billion ($15,403 per capita) $14.4 trillion ($47,440 per capita)
GDP (PPP) $53.467 billion ($27,291 per capita) $18.558 trillion ($57,220 per capita)
Real GDP growth rate 2.00% 1.60%

See also

References
  1. U.S. Global Leadership Project Report - 2012 Gallup
  2. "The number of population is decreasing – the mark has dropped below 2 million". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Nov 2015. Archived from the original on 2017-10-14. Retrieved 6 May 2014.
  3. "United States". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 31 January 2010.
  4. "America's Changing Religious Landscape". Pew Research Center. Pew Research Center. 2015-05-12. Retrieved September 4, 2016.

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from U.S. Bilateral Relations Fact Sheets. United States Department of State.

Further reading
  • Andersons, Edgars, and M. G. Slavenas. "The Latvian and Lithuanian Press." in The Ethnic Press in the United States: A Historical Analysis and Handbook, edited by Sally M. Miller. (Greenwood Press, 1987).
  • Kārklis, Maruta, Līga Streips, and Laimonis Streips. The Latvians in America, 1640–1973: A Chronology and Fact Book (Oceana Publications, 1974).
  • Straumanis, Andris. "Latvian Americans." in Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America, edited by Thomas Riggs, (3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2014), pp. 65–78. Online
  • "Latvians" in Stephan Thernstrom, Ann Orlov and Oscar Handlin, eds. Harvard Encyclopedia of American Ethnic Groups (1980) Online
  • Zake, Ieva (2017). American Latvians : Politics of a Refugee Community. Routledge. ISBN 9781351532563.
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