Latvia


The Republic of Latvia is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Russia and Belarus, as well as sharing a maritime border with Sweden. It is a unitary state spanning 24,938 square miles, divided into 119 administrative divisions, of which 110 are municipalities and 9 are cities. The population is nearly 2 million. Latvians and Livonians are the indigenous people of Latvia. Latvian is the official language. Latvian and Lithuanian are the only two surviving Baltic languages.

The Republic of Latvia was established on November 18, 1918 when it broke away and declared independence from Russia in the aftermath of World War I. The country's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II, beginning with Latvia's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union, followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941, and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944 to form the Latvian SSR for the next fifty years. On March 3, 1991, Latvia became independence. Since then, Latvia has been referred to as one of the Baltic states.

The Order of the Three Stars is an order awarded for meritorious service to Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of the founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra", meaning "Through hardships to the stars". The Order has five ranks and three grades of medals of honour.

Sources


Orders, decorations and medals of Latvia, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Orders,_decorations,_and_medals_of_Latvia
Latvian Orders and Medals, Latvian History, https://latvianhistory.com/2012/04/21/latvian-orders-and-medals/
Latvia, Liverpool Medals, http://www.liverpoolmedals.com/Latvia/

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