For centuries Latvia was mainly an agricultural country, and despite being under foreign rule from the 13th until the 20th century, it managed to keep its unique language and rich cultural traditions alive. Following the Second World War Latvia was absorbed into the Soviet Union and during this period it underwent heavy industrialisation. Less than ten years after the collapse of the USSR, Latvia was declared independent and welcomed as an EU member in May 2004.
Latvia has a population today of 2.2 million, with Riga as the capital city. Latvian is the official language (59.3%), while Russian (27.8%) is also widely spoken.
After declaring independence from the USSR in 1991, freedom of religion and worship was restored for the first time since 1941. Christianity had arrived in Latvia in the 12th century, and the Reformation made Lutheranism the primary religious persuasion after 1530. Currently the three largest faiths are Catholicism, Lutheranism, amd Orthodoxy.
In 2002, the Latvian Justice Ministry registered more than 1,000 religious congregations, including 309 Lutheran, 251 Roman Catholic, 114 Orthodox, 89 Baptist, 46 Seventh-Day Adventist and over 100 others. Other minority groups that have registered and openly practice include various evangelical Protestants, such as the Pentecostal Good News Church. According to church membership rolls, the Roman Catholic Church has about 500,000 members, the Lutheran Church has about 400,000 members, and the Orthodox Churches have about 300,000 members. It is believed that a large proportion of the population is atheist.