Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, (Latvian: Latvija or Latvijas Republika;) is a republic in the Baltic region bordered by the Baltic Sea to the west, Estonia to the north, Russia to the east, and Lithuania and Belarus to the south.

The country became independent in 1991. Since independence, the Communist Party has been banned.

The country is mostly flat, with hilly terrain only in the east. Large areas consist of peat bogs and marshes. About 40% of the country consists of heathland and forest areas, mainly mixed forests. Agriculture is mainly carried out on small farms. The most important branches are dairy farming and cattle breeding, while cereals and vegetables are only grown in limited quantities. Traditionally, forestry and fishing are important industries in Latvia.

Latvia has the largest share of heavy industry in the Baltics. Since the country has a severe shortage of mineral resources, raw materials for industry (electrical appliances, shipbuilding, motor vehicles and railway carriages) must be imported.

In terms of energy supply, the country is heavily dependent on Russia, which transits a large part of its petroleum and natural gas exports via the port of Ventspils. Emissions from the industry have created major environmental problems.

Lettland är sedan 2004 medlem i Europeiska unionen och i militäralliansen NATO.