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“Paris of the East.” The Old Town resembles Tallin, although it’s more modern and less
touristy.
thousands to Siberian gulags. The Museum of the Occupation of Latvia gave us a sense for what living
in a Soviet gulag was like. Being torn from your family, friends, and home was only the beginning of the
suffering. The prisoners were freezing and close to starvation most of the time. An indescribable
stench came from the drum all prisoners used as a toilet, and the sleeping quarters were overrun by
bed-bugs. The prisoners slept on bare planks, in barracks so overcrowded that turning over had to be
done simultaneously upon a shouted command. If you got up to relieve yourself, you lost your sleeping
place, so prisoners often relieved themselves without getting up. The deportees lived in fear of the
Russian criminals, with whom they lived and who were encouraged by the guards to terrorize the
political prisoners. They lived in fear that an informant would report them for “disloyal” activities, which
would lead to a beating, reduction in food rations, etc.
encountered on our trip. I’m not sure why. In contrast, our next stop, Lithuania, was full of extremely
friendly people.
Area: 64,589 sq km
Population: 2.34 million
Capital City: Riga
People: Latvian 57%, Russian 30%, Belarusian 4%,
Ukrainian 3%, Polish 3%, other 3%
Language: Latvian, Russian
Religion: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Government: parliamentary democracy
Head of State: President Vaira Vike-Freiberga
Head of Government: Prime Minister Aigars Kalvitis
GDP: US$20.99 billion
GDP per capita: US$8,900
Annual Growth: 3.6%
Inflation: 2%
Major Industries: motor vehicles, machinery, household
appliances, pharmaceutical, food, textiles, agriculture
Major Trading Partners: Russia, Germany, the UK,
Sweden, Finland
Member of EU: Yes