The city of Riga is the capital of Latvia, a country in northeastern Europe. A port city, Riga lies on both sides of the Western Dvina River at the south end of the Gulf of Riga, an arm of the Baltic Sea. Riga has a number of historic buildings, including the Doma Cathedral and a castle on the waterfront. The city also has a school of music, an academy of sciences, the Latvian Open-Air Ethnographical Museum, and a university. EconomyRiga is an important shipping and manufacturing center. The city produces more than half of Latvia's income from manufacturing. Building ships and making textiles, glass, chemicals, and food products are the main activities. Electrical and electronic equipment, machine tools, and diesel engines are also manufactured in the city. HistoryRiga was established as a trading settlement in 1201 by the bishop of Livonia. The settlement joined the Hanseatic League in 1282 and became a key center of trade in the Baltic region. In 1581 Poland took control of Riga. In 1621 Riga was captured by Sweden. However, both the Poles and the Swedes let the city govern itself. Russia took over Riga in 1709–10. In 1918 Latvia became an independent nation with Riga as its capital. But the Russians captured Latvia in 1940 and made it part of the Soviet Union. In 1991 the country broke away from the Soviet Union and regained its independence. Riga remained the capital. Population (1999 estimate), 796,732. |