Latvian

The Latvians are a Baltic people whose language, Latvian, is part of the Indo-European family. Historically, they were influenced by Slavic and Swedish expansion. The Latvian language, with its earliest texts dating to the 16th century, has three dialect groups and is closely related to Lithuanian.123

Latvia's population demographics have been shaped by low birth rates and a significant Russian-speaking minority, which constitutes about one-fourth of the population, while ethnic Latvians make up about three-fifths. Christianity, primarily Lutheranism and Roman Catholicism, is the dominant religion among Latvians, though a portion identify as nonreligious. Despite historical challenges in preserving their culture due to invasions, Latvians have actively celebrated their heritage since the late 19th century.456