Riga, << REE guh >> (pop. 722,485), is the capital and largest city of Latvia. The city lies at the south end of the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Western Dvina (Daugava) River. Riga’s population is made up of nearly equal numbers of Latvians and Russians.
Riga is a shipping center, and it accounts for about half of Latvia’s industrial output. Its products include chemicals, electronics, and industrial machinery. It also has been the cultural and political center of Latvia for hundreds of years. In the city, modern housing complexes rise near lovely churches and merchant houses that date from the Middle Ages.
Riga was founded by German crusaders in 1201. Latvia became an independent nation in 1918, with Riga as its capital. In 1940, the Soviet Union seized Latvia and made it part of the Soviet Union. In 1991, Latvia broke away from the Soviet Union and became an independent nation again.
