2. Latvia is in north east Europe.
It is the 124th largest country in the world
by area with 64,589 square kms.
3. The name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of
four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian
people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.).
In 2004 Latvia joined NATO and the EU. Latvia suffered badly in the
recession of 2009. However Latvia recovered and became
prosperous.
Today the population of Latvia is 2 million.
Latvians are proud of their language and hold contests to celebrate
its proper use.
Mainly Christian, Latvia still celebrate some pagan traditions.
4. The Latvian flag is one of the oldest in the world.
Dating back to the 13th century, it is said to have
originated when a Latvian chief was wrapped in a
white sheet after been wounded in battle.
The sides of the sheet were slained with blood
while the centre remained white.
5. Riga is the secret treasure of the Baltic region.
Riga the capital city is renowned for its Art
Nouveau UNESO buildings.
Ryanair fly
Dublin to Riga
6. Only one third of the population is of Latvian descent, a
legacy of the Soviets under Stalin.
Since the end of the Cold war the resurgence of Latvian
identity and cultural life especially in Riga has been revived.
In 2014 Riga became the European Capital of Culture.
Today more than half of the most visited sites in Riga are
located in the old city of Riga.
The first merchants came to small settlement at the mouth of
the Daugava river around 1158.
The founder of the city was Albert von Bekeshovede.
Population 731,700
7. The Latvian cuisine originated from the peasant culture and is
strongly based on crops that grow in Latvian maritime,
temperate climate.
Rye or wheat, oats, peas, beets, cabbage, pork products and
potatoes are the staples.
Meat features in most main meal dishes. Fish is commonly
consumed due to Latvia's location on the east coast of the
Baltic Sea: smoked and raw fish are quite common.
The Latvian cuisine offers plenty of varieties of bread and
milk products, which are an important part
of the Latvian diet.
8. Latvian (official) 56.3%,
Russian 33.8%,
other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and
Belarusian)
unspecified 9.4%
(2011 est.)
9. In the 12th century AD some of the last pagans in Europe
lived in Latvia. The Pope decided to convert them to
Christianity - by force! They landed at a fishing village on the
site of Riga and built a fortified settlement there. So Riga
became the capital of Latvia.
From their base in Latvia the Germans marched inland and
took the land from the native people.
The Germans made themselves a feudal ruling class in Latvia.
The Latvians were made second-class citizens.
10. In1558 the increasingly powerful country of Russia sought
access to the sea and they invaded Latvia in 1558.
In 1561 the Poles invaded Latvia from the south and they
conquered the Latgale region in the Southeast. They ruled
that area until the late 18th century.
In 1621 the Swedes conquered Riga and Northeast Latvia.
The Russians captured Riga in 1710 and all Swedish territory
in Latvia came under Russian control.
At the end of the 18th century Russia, Prussia and Austria
divided up Poland between them. As a result the Polish held
parts of Latvia came under Russian control. From then on all
of Latvia was ruled by the Tsar.
In the 18th century there was still a German elite and native
Latvians were still second class citizens.
11. In the 19th century nationalism in Latvia and interest in Latvian
culture revived. Krisjanis Barons collected Latvian folklore. The first
Latvian newspaper was published in 1862.
In 1905 the Tsarist government brutally suppressed the
demonstrations and imprisoned the leaders of the Latvian
nationalists.
In 1918 Russia collapsed and much of her territory was taken by the
Germans - including Latvia. The Germans surrendered in November
1918. The Latvians then declared their independence.
The Russians finally recognised Latvian independence by a treaty
signed on 11 August 1920.
In 1921 Latvia joined the League of Nations.
12. In 1939 the Nazis and the Communists agreed to divide Eastern Europe.
Latvia was assigned to the Soviet Union. In July 1940 the Red Army
occupied Latvia and in August 1940 Latvia was made part of the Soviet
Union. Thousands of Latvians were deported to Siberia or shot.
In June 1941 the Germans invaded the Soviet Union and within weeks
they were in control of Latvia. The Nazis then began rounding up
Latvian Jews and murdering them.
The Russians captured Riga in October 1944. In the last stages of the
war many Latvians fled to the west. After the war tens of thousands of
Latvians were deported or killed.
By 1987 Communism was starting to crumble and demonstrations
began in Latvia. In 1988 the Popular Front of Latvia was formed. In 1989
the Popular Front demanded full independence for Latvia. Then in March
1990 the Front won a majority in the Latvian Supreme Council. The
council issued a declaration of restored independence.
The last Russian troops left Latvia in 1994.
13. Uljana Semjonova
the 7th tallest woman
in the world 2.1m (6’ 11”)
Latvia basketball star
She led the Soviet Olympic
basketball team to a gold
medal victory in 1976 & 1980
She never lost an official
International Competition
14. A Latvian Jewish Tailor invented
the jeans (Levi Strauss backed him
financially.
Jacob Davis partnered with
Levi Strauss to bring his invention
to the Denim-Clad masses.
15.
16. The most popular sport is ice hockey.
Lativa have an international soccer team.
Basketball is big too!
17. In 2002 Latvia won the Eurovision Song Contest. In
2003 the competition was held in Riga.
18. Over 50% of Latvia is covered by forest and its one
of the most environmentally friendly countries on
the planet, ranking 2nd in the environmental
Performance index.
19. Latvia declared its independence in 1991.
Following the collapse of Communism the Latvian economy improved.
In 1993 a new currency the Lat was introduced.
Completely free parliamentary elections were held in 1993.
Latvia joined the World Trade Organisation in 1999.
Latvia joins the Euro zone in 2014
20. Latvia holds one of the largest song and dance
festivals in the world (with over 40’000 participants).
Latvia also has one of the largest collections of
Traditional Folk songs in the world , numbering over
300’000.
Choir singers and
conductors are
celebrities in Latvia.
21. In Latvia there are Wild Boar, Elk and Red Deer.
In Latvia there are Wolves, Lynx and Racoon
Dogs.
Latia has many animals which are common in
Ireland such as bats, hares, foxes and seals.
22. die 7.12 years sooner
be 27.41% less likely to be unemployed
make 53.75% less money
be 3.3 times more likely to be in prison
be 3.2 times more likely to be murdered
be 2.1 times more likely to die in infancy
spend 78.63% less money on health care
use 43.91% less electricity
26. Averages. July is the hottest month in Malta
with temperature of 27°C and the coldest is
January at 13°C with the most daily sunshine
hours at 14 in July. The wettest month is
November with an average of 108.6mm of
rain.
27. Malta joined the EU the 1st of May 2004
Malta joined the EU the 1st of May 2004
28. Joseph Muscat is a Maltese politician who has been Prime Minister of Malta since 2013.
Muscat has been leader of the Labour Party since 6 June 2008, and he was Leader of the
Opposition from 1 October 2008 to 10 March 2013
The leader of Malta
31. The flag of Malta is a basic bi-colour, with white in the hoist and red in the fly. A
representation of the George Cross, awarded to Malta by George VI of the United Kingdom
in 1942, is carried, edged with red, in the canton of the white stripe.
The flag of malta
32. Malta has a lot of different food
The most popular food in Malta is
………………………….
Timpani it is a baked macaroni dish. The
macaroni are cooked in a sauce made with
minced meat, tomatoes, onion, garlic and cheese.
Some people opt to add bacon and hard-boiled
egg to the sauce, with some going even further
and adding chicken liver or calf brains to the
recipe. The macaroni is then baked in a pastry
case, resulting in a rich and filling pasta dish that
leaves everyone asking for more!
33. a famous person is Gabriela N a Gozitan singer-songwriter, rapper, model and activist
from the island of Malta. She hails from Xewkija, Gozo Island, Malta. Besides her native
Maltese, she is also fluent in English, Italian and Spanish
Famous people
34. Here are a few
places in malta to
visit
Cool places
35.
36. Malta was once a part of Italy
It’s been an independent country since 1964
. Malta was the 48th happiest country on
earth, according to a 2013 UN report.
Malta is one of the world's smallest countries.
The Republic of Malta is actually a group of
seven islands.
37.
38. This is the capita of Malta it is called Valletta
it is populated with about 5,721 since 2013
here is a picture of it
42. The official name for Portugal is Portuguese
Republic
The capital of Portugal is Lisbon
Portugal has a population of 10 million
people
Portugal joined the EU on the 1st of January
1986
52. Flag
The current form of the flag of Slovakia was adopted
by Slovakia’s constitution, which came into force at 3rd
of September 1992. The flag in common with other
Slavic nations, uses the colours white, red and blue.
53. Population
The population is 5.4 million.
60% are Roman Catholic, with minorities of
Protestants, Greek Catholic and Jews.
The capital city Bratislava is populated with 452,288
including about 60,000 university students.
This is a picture of Bratislava on the Slovakia map.
55. Famous people
Through centuries Slovaks have played an active role
in political, military, scientific, cultural and religious
affairs.
Military soldiers
Jozef Gabcik
Alexander Petrovic
Jozef Miolosave Hurban
Those are just some people, while there are many more
soldiers, actors and more!
57. Currency
Slovakia is quite a large country, surrounded by other
countries such as Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and
Austria.
Slovakia’s currency is the Euro.
58. Rulers & presidency
Slovakia’s first ever ruler was Michal Kovac he was
elected on the 2nd of March 1993 when Slovakia
permanently split from Czechoslovakia. Presidential
elections have been held in 1999, 2004 and 2009.
59. Cultures & Food
There are definitely food we eat that they eat too, but
there are many other foods.
Like….
BRYNDZOVE HALUSKY
One of the most famous dishes in Slovakia is
bryndzove halusky.(sheep cheese gnocchi) sheep
cheese gives a unique flavour itself, but it is more tasty
with small bacon greeves with chilli or dill. Usually
served with a glass of sour milk called zincica.
62. o King Charles ||| decided that Spain should
have a flag that was clearly distinguishable
from those of other countries. From
among the proposals submitted to him he
chose unequal horizontal stripes of red-
yellow-red with the national arms on the
yellow near the hoist
64. The biggest mountains
in Spain are called ,
The Sierra
Nevada (meaning
"snowy range" in
Spanish) is a mountain
range in the region of
Andalucia,
65. The Royal Palace, is Madrid's largest building and possibly
its most beautiful. It is located next to the equally
beautiful Plaza de Oriente square. It is the biggest royal
palace in Europe !
66. Gaudi designed this beautiful Cathedral Sagrada Familia in Barcelona,
in the 1870’s.
It has taken over 100 years to build. It is not finished YET !!!!
67. .Traditionally, you have two surnames
in Spain – the first surname from your
father, and the second from your
mother.
.Despite being one of the largest and most
powerful countries in the world, Spain did not
officially participate in either the First or the
Second World War.
.Madrid is the capital city of Spain with a population of 3.2 million.
.71% of Spain’s population identifies
itself as catholic.
.The currency used in Spain is the Euro.
The currency used in Spain is the Euro.
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games were held in Barcelona
68.
69. Lionel Messi was born Luis Lionel Andres
Messi on June 24, 1987, in Rosario,
Argentina. As a young boy, he tagged along
when his two older brothers played soccer
with their friends, unintimidated by the
bigger boys. At the age of 8, he was recruited
to join the youth system of Newell's Old
Boys, a Rosario-based club.
70. When thinking of Spain's weather your thoughts probably drift to
hot sunny days with clear blue skies. Spain does indeed enjoy a
generous amount of sunshine, but the country is vast; it has very
diverse climates, experiencing a huge range of weather conditions,
depending on location.
The climate changes from north to south as the country spans many
latitudes, and the east and west are different again as they are
affected by the Mediterranean and the Atlantic respectively. Coastal
areas have very different weather from the central inland regions.
The mountains again are different - Spain is in fact Europe's second
most mountainous country.
71. Mariano Rajoy
Mariano Rajoy Brey is a Spanish politician
who has been the Prime Minister of Spain,
since 2011 and leader of the People's Party
since 2004
72. Lanzarote, one of the Canary islands off the coast of
West Africa, is known for its year-round warm . It is
also one of the most popualar family holiday site in
the whole of Spain!!!
73. Spain's religion……
Freedom of religion is guaranteed by the
Spanish Constitution, although the majority
of the population is Catholic. Other religions
also practised in Spain include Islam,
Judaism, Protestantism, and Hinduism, all of
which have places where to conduct their
rituals.
74. One of the largest and most important cities in Spain, Valencia is
located in the eastern part of the country in the region of
Valencia. After redirecting the Turia River, the city constructed
its most impressive landmark, a massive cultural and
entertainment complex known as the City of Arts and Science.
Contained within this complex are several buildings such as a
science museum, planetarium and aquarium that are each
artistic marvels in and of themselves. Every March, Valencia
hosts the Fallas Festival where each neighborhood displays
papier-mâché figures of all sizes and colors. At the end of the
week, the figures are ceremoniously burned, and the
communities party into the night!!
75. Spain is the land of fiestas or festivals. In every single city, town
and village there is a festival of some kind which gets all the
townsfolk out on the streets partying with their neighbours
Las Fallas is one of the more impressive
festivals in Spain. This event takes place
each March in the Mediterranean city of
Valencia. The celebration lasts for a week
and includes nonstop fireworks and noisy
fanfare. Huge papier-mâché effigies
satirizing Spanish and world celebrities fill
the city's plazas, turning the town into a
veritable wonderland. The tradition
started as a holiday to pay tribute to Saint
Joseph, Valencia's patron saint. The travel
guide iExplore recommends arriving
toward the end of the week so you can
witness the last evening of the festival,
when all the papier-mâché statues are
burned.
76. The countries N,S,E,W
of Spain!!!
o North : France
o South : Algeria
o East : Sardinia
o West : Portugal
77. Famous people from Spain!!!
o ANDRES SEGOVIA
o ANTONIO BANDERAS
o AVERROES
o CLARA ALONSO
o DIEGO VELÁZQUEZ
o ELVIRA LINDS
o ENRIQUE IGLESIAS
o PABLO PICASSO
78. Spanish food!!!!
Spain has a variety of foods and unique dishes such as paella
(a type of rice dish) and tapas (a range of small snacks or
appetizers).
Paella is a taste of traditional Spanish cuisine.
