Tag: Latvia

According to thereligionfaqs, Latvia is a predominantly Christian country, with approximately 81% of the population identifying as Christians. The majority of Latvian Christians are Lutherans, who make up around 57% of the population. The Lutheran Church of Latvia is the largest and most influential religious institution in the country and it continues to play an important role in Latvian culture and society. The other 19% of the population follows a variety of other religions, including Roman Catholicism (9%), Eastern Orthodoxy (5%), Old Believers (3%), Judaism (1%) and Islam (1%). Roman Catholicism was introduced to Latvia during its time as part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in the 16th century. Eastern Orthodoxy has been present in Latvia since its incorporation into the Russian Empire in 1795. Old Believers are members of a Russian religious group that split from the Russian Orthodox Church during the 17th century; they have been present in Latvia since at least 1875. Judaism has been present in Latvia since at least 1571, while Islam was brought to Latvia by immigrants from Central Asia during Soviet times. Overall, religious freedom is generally respected in Latvia and people are free to practice whatever faith they choose without fear of discrimination or persecution. However, there are some restrictions on certain religious practices; for example proselytizing is not allowed without permission from local authorities. Despite this, there is still a great deal of tolerance among different faiths in Latvia; people from different backgrounds are able to live peacefully side by side despite their differences. In 2011, Latvia was a small country located in Northern Europe. With a population of approximately 2.2 million people, Latvia was bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia. The capital city of Riga was the largest city in the country and home to one-third of the population. Latvia’s economy in 2011 was still recovering from the economic crisis that began in 2008. At that time, the GDP per capita was estimated to be $13,000 which made it one of the poorest countries in Europe at that time. The government of Latvia consisted of a parliamentary democratic republic with a president elected by popular vote every four years. The educational system in Latvia in 2011 included free primary and secondary education for citizens but higher education remained relatively expensive due to limited resources available for scholarships and other forms of financial aid. There were several universities located throughout the country but most students opted to attend universities abroad due to better opportunities and resources available elsewhere. The healthcare system in 2011 provided basic medical care for citizens but lacked many modern treatments and technologies found in developed countries due to limited resources and lack of investment in health infrastructure by the government over previous decades. There were public hospitals available throughout the country but they mostly lacked modern equipment and medicines needed for more complicated medical procedures such as surgeries or cancer treatments. In addition to these public health systems, there were also numerous private clinics that provided higher quality medical care than what could be found in public hospitals but at much higher costs than what could be found abroad. Check physicscat for Latvia in 2013.