Everyone is aware of tense relations with Latvia. But do you know what language is spoken in Latvia? Let’s look into this issue.
Latvia is one of the Baltic republics, which is located in Europe. It has a land border with the Russian Federation and acts as one of the most favorite destinations of any traveler.
Official language in Latvia
Latvian is the only official language of Latvia. This is stated in the constitution of the state.
One of the Baltic republics in Northern Europe, Latvia borders Russia and is a popular tourist destination for fans of medieval architecture and beach holidays on the Riga seaside. Latvian is recognized as the only state language of Latvia, as stated in the law regulating the subtleties of using it and others in the state.
At the same time, the Latvian language is not the only language used by the inhabitants of the republic. For example, in the east of the country they speak Latgalian, and more than 45% of the inhabitants of Latvia are able to speak Russian.
More than 1,700,000 people speak Latvian in Latvia itself, and 150,000 people speak Latgalian.
There are three extinct languages in Latvia. These are Selonian, Curonian and Semigallian. They existed until the 17th century, and today they are studied mainly by scientists.
Latvian, like Lithuanian, is one of the two Eastern Baltic languages that have survived to this day. In a modern interpretation, the official and literary language of Latvia is based on the Middle Latvian dialect.
For the first time, the Latvian language was spoken about in the 16th century. The entire epoch of language development is divided into three parts: Old Latvian, Young Latvian and modern languages.
Therefore, if you do not want to get the wrong answer to your simple question, it is better to speak with Latvians in English. This is how you save yourself the nerves and time on explaining your need for something.
