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Andris Bērziņš (Latvian President)
Andris Bērziņš (born 10 December 1944) is a Latvian businessman and politician who was President of Latvia from 2011 to 2015. Bērziņš was the President of Unibanka from 1993 to 2004. He was elected as President by the Saeima on 2 June 2011. Early career Andris Bērziņš was born 10 December 1944 in Nītaure, Latvian SSR, Soviet Union. In 1958 he completed studies at a Nītaure primary school and attended the 1st secondary school of Sigulda from 1958 to 1962. He then began studying at the Riga Polytechnical Institute, which he graduated in 1971, and became a radio engineer at the "Elektrons" factory. He worked his way up to the director and in 1988 was appointed deputy minister of municipal services of the Latvian SSR. He also studied at the Economics Faculty of the Latvian State University, which he graduated in 1988. In 1989 Bērziņš was elected to the Valmiera district Council (Soviet) of People's Deputies and was appointed chairman of the district's executive c ...
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List Of Presidents Of Latvia
The president of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Valsts prezidents ) is head of state and commander-in-chief of the National Armed Forces of the Republic of Latvia. The term of office is four years. Before 1999, it was three years. The president may be elected any number of times, but not more than twice in a row. In the event of the vacancy in the office of the president, the speaker of the Saeima assumes the duties of the president. For example, after the death of Jānis Čakste the speaker of the Saeima, Pauls Kalniņš, was acting president briefly in 1927, before a new president could be elected. Unlike his Estonian counterpart, the Latvian president's role is not entirely ceremonial. However, the president is not as powerful as the president of Lithuania. Unlike in Estonia, the president shares executive power with the cabinet and prime minister. However, the president is not politically responsible for carrying out all duties, and all presidential orders must be countersigned by ...
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2011 Latvian Presidential Election
Indirect presidential elections were held in Latvia on 2 June 2011. Incumbent president Valdis Zatlers was standing again, as well as Andris Bērziņš (Saeima member for the Union of Greens and Farmers), a former head of SEB Unibanka (not to be confused with Andris Bērziņš, former PM from Latvia's First Party/Latvian Way); Bērziņš was nominated by five Saeima members of the Union of Greens and Farmers just two days before the nomination deadline, although the party was assumed to back Zatlers for re-election. In the first round, Bērziņš got 50 votes in favour and 48 against, while Zatlers got 43 in favour and 55 against (99 lawmakers cast votes, but one was invalid), meaning none was elected; a second round was held later on the same day, with Bērziņš winning the election 53 to 44 votes in favour; Zatlers got 41 to 56 votes. Analysts attributed Zatlers' defeat to his decision to call Latvia's first 2011 Latvian parliamentary dissolution referendum, parliamentary ...
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Bank Of Latvia
The Bank of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Banka,) is the central bank of Latvia. It is among the nation's key public institutions and carries out economic functions as prescribed by law. It was established in 1922. The principal objective of the Bank of Latvia is to regulate currency in circulation by implementing monetary policy to maintain price stability in Latvia. Until 31 December 2013, the bank was responsible for issuing the former Latvian currency, the Latvian lats, lats. The Bank of Latvia administration is located in Riga. The fiscal year for the bank begins on 1 January and ends on 31 December. History On 7 September 1922, the Constitutional Assembly adopted the Law on the Establishment of the Bank of Latvia. The Bank of Latvia was granted emission rights. The Bank's interim statutes were approved on 19 September 1922, with the decision of the Cabinet (government), Cabinet of Ministers, and its initial capital was 10 million Latvian lats, lats. On 24 April 1923, Saeima approv ...
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Republic Of Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is one of the Baltic states; and is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and shares a maritime border with Sweden to the west. Latvia covers an area of , with a population of 1.9 million. The country has a temperate seasonal climate. Its capital and largest city is Riga. Latvians belong to the ethno-linguistic group of the Balts; and speak Latvian, one of the only two surviving Baltic languages. Russians are the most prominent minority in the country, at almost a quarter of the population. After centuries of Teutonic, Swedish, Polish-Lithuanian and Russian rule, which was mainly executed by the local Baltic German aristocracy, the independent Republi ...
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Latvian Popular Front
The Popular Front of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Tautas fronte) was a political organisation in Latvia in the late 1980s and early 1990s which led Latvia to its independence from the Soviet Union. It was similar to the Popular Front of Estonia and the Sąjūdis movement in Lithuania. Its newspaper was ''Atmoda'' ("Awakening", cf. Latvian National Awakening), printed in the Latvian and Russian languages during 1989-1992. Historic background Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania were part of the Soviet Union since occupation and annexation in 1940 (with interlude between 1941 and 1945, when these territories were occupied by the Nazi Germany and Reichskommissariat Ostland was formed). In 1940, almost immediately an armed resistance started, which under the name of Forest Brothers continued until 1956. A chance to regain independence came in 1980s when Soviet general secretary Mikhail Gorbachev attempted to reform the Soviet Union. In particular, Gorbachev's ''glasnost'' policy allowed more f ...
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Valmiera
Valmiera (; german: link=no, Wolmar; pl, Wolmar see other names) is the largest city of the historical Vidzeme region, Latvia, with a total area of . As of 2002, Valmiera had a population of 27,323, and in 2020 – 24 879. It is a state city the seat of Valmiera Municipality. Valmiera lies at the crossroads of several important roads, to the north-east from Riga, the capital of Latvia, and south of the border with Estonia. Valmiera lies on both banks of the Gauja River. Names and etymology The name was derived from the Old German given name or the Slavic name . The town may have been named after the kniaz of the Principality of Pskov Vladimir Mstislavich who became a vassal of Albert of Riga in 1212 and for a short time was a vogt of Tālava, Ydumea and Autīne. Another version, it may have been named after the King of Denmark Valdemar II who allied with the Livonian Brothers of the Sword in Livonian Crusade. In the second half of 13th century Livonian Order built a ca ...
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Supreme Council Of The Republic Of Latvia
The Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia (Latvian: Latvijas Republikas Augstākā Padome) was the transitional parliament of Latvia from 1990 to 1993, after the restoration of independence. The Supreme Council was elected on 1990 as the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR. On 1990 it declared the restoration of independence of Latvia and began a transitional period which lasted until the first session of the fifth Saeima on 1993. Independence was fully restored on 1991 during the Soviet coup attempt. Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Latvia *Anatolijs Gorbunovs Anatolijs Gorbunovs, also known as Anatoly Valeryanovich Gorbunov ( rus, Анато́лий Валериа́нович Горбуно́в, born 10 February 1942, in Pilda parish, Ludza municipality, Latvia), is a Latvian politician who served ... , 1990 – , 1993 Defunct unicameral legislatures Political history of Latvia {{Latvia-hist-stub ...
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Latvian State University
University of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Universitāte, shortened ''LU'') is a state-run university located in Riga, Latvia established in 1919. The ''QS World University Rankings'' places the university between 801st and 1000th globally, seventh in the Baltic states, and 50th in the EECA (Emerging Europe and Central Asia) category. History The University of Latvia, initially named as the Higher School of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Augstskola) was founded on September 28, 1919, on the basis of the former Riga Polytechnic (founded in 1862). The first rector of the university was chemist Paul Walden. In 1923, the school received its current name with the approval of its constitution, the University of Latvia (Universitas Latviensis). In the period between 1919 and 1940, the University of Latvia was the main centre of higher education, science and culture in the Republic of Latvia. The former building of the Riga Polytechnic on Raiņa bulvāris 19 serves as the university's main buil ...
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Latvian SSR
The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (Latvian SSR), also known as Soviet Latvia or simply Latvia, was a federated republic within the Soviet Union, and formally one of its 16 (later 15) constituent republics. The Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic was in existence for 51 years, from August 5, 1940 to September, 6 1991. The Soviet annexation of Latvia took place in August of 1939 to the agreed terms of the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact). In 1939 Latvia was forced to grant military bases on its soil to the Soviet Union, and in 1940 the Soviet Red Army moved into Latvia, which was effectively incorporated into the Soviet Union. The territory changed hands during World War II with Nazi Germany occupying a large portion of Latvian territory from 1941 to 1944. Soviet instability and the dissolution of the Soviet Union provided the impetus for Latvia to regain independence. Creation, 1940 On 24 September 1939, the U ...
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Baltic News Network
Baltic News Network (BNN) is a Baltic news website. It was founded on September 1, 2010, providing online news portals, mainly reporting for and about the Baltic region, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia. It is published by ''Latvia Baltic News Network''. The ''Baltic News Network GmbH'' is registered in Austria. It was founded by Fred Zimmer. The Baltic News Network is a member of the ''Independent Media Association Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independen ...''. History BNN was founded on 1 September 2010 by Fred Zimmer to counter perceived Russian disinformation, and emerged as a respected news source for the Baltic region. Based around predominantly selling stories to newspapers in the Baltic region, it has come to be recognized as an important political news source. Refer ...
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LETA
LETA is the main Latvian news agency. Its headquarters are in Riga. It is owned by Estonian entrepreneur Margus Linnamäe through his company Postimees Group. History It was founded as ''Latopress'' in 1919, soon after Latvia became independent; the name was changed to ''LTA'' the next year when the wire service was subordinated to the Latvian Telegraph Agency. The name ''LETA'' was only used occasionally during the interwar perio In 1940, when Latvia was Soviet occupation of Latvia in 1940, occupied by the Soviet Union, it became a subordinate agency of the Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union (TASS), a status it would keep until Latvia regained independence in 1991. During the occupation of Latvia by Nazi Germany, LETA was subordinated to the German DNB news agency. From 1971 it was known as ''Latinform''. On 31 May 1990, the Latvian government restored the name LETA and the news agency's independence from TASS. In 1997, LETA was put up for privatisation by the Latvia ...
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Riga Polytechnical Institute
Riga Technical University (RTU) ( lv, Rīgas Tehniskā universitāte) is the oldest technical university in the Baltic countries established on October 14, 1862. It is located in Riga, Latvia and was previously known as 'Riga Polytechnical Institute' and 'Riga Polytechnicum'. History Riga Polytechnical Institute (1862–1918) Riga Polytechnicum was first established in 1862 and was the first poly technical institute in Imperial Russia. It offered degrees in agriculture, chemistry, engineering, mechanics, trade and architecture, with education in German. In addition to four technical faculties (architecture, engineering, mechanical engineering, chemistry), the polytechnic also included an agricultural and a commercial faculty. The first lecturers came from Germany, Switzerland and Austria-Hungary. The language of instruction was German. Between 1863 and 1869, the number of students grew from sixteen to ninety. In 1869 the polytechnic moved into a new building. Since there was a l ...
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