The name “ Latvia ” originates from the ancient Baltic tribe, the Latgalians, who formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people. The Republic of Latvia was founded on the 18th of November, 1981. However, it has been always recognized as a state by other countries since the 1920's regardless of occupations by the Soviet Union (from 1940-1941 and again from 1945-1991) and Germany (from 1941-1945). Latvia gained its Independence on the 18th of November 1918, (18 November 1918 is the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991 is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union).

Every year Latvians celebrate their independence day on the same day that the country was founded, November 18th. Not much more than a decade after it declared independence following the collapse of the USSR, Latvia was welcomed as a NATO member in late March 2004. The move came just weeks before a second historic shift for the country in establishing its place in the Western family of nations as it became one of 10 countries to join the EU in May 2004.