the Historic Centre of Riga has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and a city is particularly notable for its extensive Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) architecture, comparable inside significance just using Vienna, Prague and Barcelona.

Business and commerce
Riga is personal to many academic institutions, including a University of Latvia (Latvijas UniversitÄ?te), Riga Technical University (RÄ«gas TehniskÄ? UniversitÄ?te), Riga Stradins University (RÄ«gas Stradiņa UniversitÄ?te) and a Stockholm School of Economics in Riga (RÄ«gas Ekonomikas Augstskola). A Latvian Parliament (Saeima) also sits in Riga, as does the President of Latvia, Vaira VÄ«Ä·e-Freiberga, who resides in Riga Castle.

Business & leisure visit Riga has increased significantly around recent years due to the improved commercial message & travel infrastructure. Riga as a larboard city occurs as major transport hub & is the center of the local street & railway line. Virtually all holidaymaker travel to Riga by air via a Riga International Airport, the big drome in the Baltic states, which was renovated and modernized inside 2001, coincident by owning Riga's 800th day of remembrance. Air traffic has doubled between 1993 & 2004. Baltic sea ferries attach Riga to Stockholm, Kiel and Lübeck.

About of a essence financial institutions come located in Riga, including the Bank of Latvia, which is Latvia's central bank. Foreign commercial trade across Rigthe has been in the increase around recent years & received a fresh impetus on May 1, 2004 when Latvia became a member of the European Union. Riga accounts for astir half of the amount industrial output of Latvia, focusing on the fiscal sector, public utility company, food & potable, pharmaceutic, wood processing, printing & publication, cloth & piece of furniture, & communications devices manufacturing. A port of Riga is an significant cargo vessel center. Riga is the large city in the Baltic States. A city's people inside 2003 was 739,232. Inside Riga indigen Latvians produce higher all all about 45% of the people sustaining about an equal percentage of Russians. In comparison, single the little to a higher degree 60% of Latvia's indweller come native Latvians, 29.0% come Russians, 3.9% come Belarusians, 2.6% come Ukrainians, 2.5% come Polish, 1.4% come Lithuanians and the left over Deuce.1% come accounted for by more nationalities (2003). Virtually all Latvians are of the Protestant Evangelical Lutheran faith, whereas most Russians belong to the Russian Orthodox Church.

History
Riga is placed at a places of an ancient cash settlement of the Livs, an ancient Finno-Ugric tribe, at the junction of the Daugava and Ridzene (Latvian: RÄ«dzene) rivers. a Ridzene was originally referred to as a Riga Flow of any stream, at one point forming a natural harbor known as the Riga Flow of any stream, neither of which survive in todays world [http://www.ceroi.net/reports/riga/latviski/pamatlietas/teritorija.htm]. A few think that a title of the flow of any stream gave Riga its title.

A modern instauration of Riga is regarded by historiographer in the first place German monger, soldier of fortune & religious crusaders who arrived around Latvia in the 2nd half of the 12th century, attracted by a sparsely populated area, expected fresh markets & per missionary opportunities to convert the local population to Christianity. German merchandiser established an outpost for day trading by owning a Balts near the Liv personal injury settlement at Riga inside 1158. A Augustinian monk Meinhard built a monastery there ca. 1190.

Bishop Albert was proclaimed Bishop of Livonia by his uncle Hartwig, Archbishop of Bremen and Hamburg in 1199. He landed inside Riga within 1201 with 23 ships & further than 1500 armed crusaders, making Riga his episcopate. He established a Sequentially of Livonian Brothers of the Sword (later the branch of the Teutonic Knights) and granted Riga city rights therein equivalent season. Albert was successful within converting a King of the Livs, Caupo of Turaida, to Christianity, although, as related in the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia ("Hencricus Lettus"), it took him three decades to benefit to the full control of Livonia (German Livland). Riga also when Livonia & Prussia came under the auspices of the Holy Roman (German) Empire. It was non until lot late, at a instance of Martin Luther, that Riga, Livonia and Prussia converted to Protestantism.

Riga served as a gateway to trade using a Baltic tribes & by using Russia. Inside 1282 Riga became a member of the Hanseatic League (German Hanse, English Hansa). the Hansa developed away from an association of merchandiser into a free trade & political union of Northward German & Baltic cities & towns. Due to its economic protectionist policies which favorite its German members, a League was super successful, however its exclusionist policies produced rival. Its previous Diet convened in 1669, although its powers were already weakened by the prevent of the 14th century, when political alliances between Lithuania and Poland and between Sweden, Denmark and Norway limited its influence. Nonetheless, a Hansa was subservient within returning Riga economic & political stability, so providing a city using a heavy foundation which endured the political inferno that were to are, clear down to modern days.

When a influence of a Hansa waned, Riga became the object of foreign military, political, religious & economic aspirations. Riga accepted a Reformation in 1522, ending the power of the archbishops. By having a dying of the Teutonic Knights in 1561, Riga enjoyed twenty years as a free city. Inside 1581, Riga came under a influence of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Tries to reinstitute Roman Catholicism around Riga and southern Livonia failed when in 1621, Riga came under a rule of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, who intervened in the Thirty Years' War not only for political & economic benefit however likewise pro German Lutheran Protestantism. Livonia remained under Swedish control until 1710 during a period of time where Riga retained much of self-self-determination autonomy. Therein season, in the course of Great Northern War, Russia under Tsar Peter the Great invaded Riga. Sweden's northern dominance ended, & Russia's emergence when a strongest Northern power was formalized through the Treaty of Nystad in 1721. Riga was annexed to Russia & became an industrialised larboard city of the Russian empire, in which it remained until World War I. By 1900, Riga ranked the third around Russia when Moscow and St. Petersburg in the number of industrial workers.

When you took these numbers of centuries of war & changes of power in a Baltic, the Baltic Germans in Riga, successors to Albert's merchants & crusaders, remained steadfast around their positions, & in 1900 Riga's people of 282,943 was composed about of 50% Baltic Germans, 25% Latvians, & 25% Russians. Riga possibly listed German as its official language of administration until the imposition of Russian language in 1891 as the official language inside Latvia. 100% birth, marriage & dying records were saved within German as much as that month.

A 1900's brought World War I and the impact of the Russian Revolution to Riga. A German army marched into Riga around 1917. Within 1918 a Pact of Brest-Litovsk was signed generating a Baltic countries to Germany. Because of the Armistice with Germany (Compiègne) of November 11, 1918, Germany had to renounce that pact, when did Russithe, going away Latvia & a more Baltic States inside a position to claim independence.

When additional than 700 years of foreign occupatiin, Latvia, by having Riga when its capital city, so declared its independence on November 18, 1918. For thomas more details view History of Latvia.

Between Globe War We & Globe War II (1918-1940), Riga & Latvia shifted their focus from either Russia to the countries of Western Europe. The popular, parliamentary body of government by using the President was instituted. Latvian wwhen recognized as a official language of Latvia. Latvia was admitted to the League of Nations. Caused per economic science of comparative advantage, the United Kingdom and Germany replaced Russia as Latvia's major trade partners. As a sign of the days, Latvia's number 1 Prime Minister, KÄ?rlis Ulmanis, had exposed agriculture & worked as a lecturer at a University of Nebraska in the United States of America.

Riga was described at this instance as a vibrant, gr& & imposing city and earned a title of "Paris of the North" from either its visitant.

This period of rebirth wwhen short-passing, nonetheless, as Globe War II shortly followed using Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, German occupation in 1941-1944 & Soviet occupation of Latvia once more at a prevent of the war. A Baltic Germans were forcibly repatriated to Germany after 700 years around Riga. Hundreds of hundreds to thousands of Latvians perished & thousands fled into exile around countries everthing across the world. Latvia wasted a single-tierce of its people.

Soviet occupation fallowing a war was marked by deportations to Siberia & elsewhere, forced industrialisation & plotted heavy-shell immigration of big many non-Latvians from either more Soviet republics into Riga, particularly Russians. By 1975 to a lesser degree 40% of Riga's dweller were Latvians, the percentage which has risen since Latvian independence.

Around 1986 the modern landmark of Riga, the Riga Radio and TV Tower, whose design is remindful of the Eiffel Tower was completed.

A policy of economic reform introduced when Perestroika by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev led to a situation in the late 1980's where numerous Soviet republics, including Latvia, were suspire to regain their liberty & freedom. Understand Latvia. Latvia declared its to the full de facto independence in August 21, 1991 and that independence was recognized by Russia on September 6, 1991. Latvia formally joined a United Nations as an independent country in September 17, 1991. Altogether Russian military unit were flushed from either 1992 to 1994.

Inside 2001, Riga celebrated its 800th day of remembrance as a city. In March 29, 2004 Latvia joined NATO. In May 1, 2004 Latvia joined the European Union.

Notable People

Mikhail Baryshnikov - famous dancer and actor Isaiah Berlin - philosopher and Oxford academician Sergei Eisenstein - Russian film maker Heinz Erhardt - German comedian Laila Freivalds - Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs Johann Gottfried Herder - German poet, critic, theologian, & philosopher, father of ethnic nationalism ArtÅ«rs Irbe - ice hockey player (NHL), goalkeeper JÄ?nis LÅ«sis - four-period Olympian, winner of Olympic gold Wilhelm Ostwald - chemist, Nobel prize winner (1909) Arkady Raikin - legendary Soviet stand up comedian Mikhail Tal - the eighth world chess champion Sergei Zholtok - ice hockey player, center forward Sandis Ozoliņš - ice hockey player, defenceman

The listings of rulers of Riga: Archbishops of Riga who were also laic rulers until 1561:

International friendship

Riga maintains sister city relationships with a as a consequence cities:

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *