LATVIA

LATVIA BRINGS THE TOTAL OF COUNTRIES TO 46 HITTING THE BLOG.
ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING PARTS OF DOING THE BLOG IS THAT WHEN COUNTRIES TO WHICH I HAVE NEVER BEEN RESPOND I DO LIKE TO FIND OUT A BIT ABOUT THEM.
I HAVE FOUND THAT DESPITE THEIR DIFFICULT POLITICAL AND FINANCIAL TROUBLE I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO VISIT THE BALKAN COUNTRIES.  LATVIA, ESTONIA, LITHUANIA, AND BELARUS ALL SEEM TO BE BEAUTIFUL AREAS WITH  VERY FRIENDLY POPULATIONS.
LATVIA SEEMS LIKE MOST OF THE ARE TO BE A ROLLING HILL AREA WITH MANY LAKES AND FERTILE SOIL
THEY HAVE BEEN INVADED TIME AND AGAIN, THEN DURING THE SECOND GERMAN?NAZI TAKEOVER THEY HAD 95% OF THEIR JEWISH CITIZENRY SLAUGHTERED BY THE NAZI WAFFEN SS MUSLIM TROOPS.
WITH THE DOWNFALL OF THE SOVIET UNION LATVIA GAINED INDEPENDENCE FROM RUSSIA BUT FELL ON HARD TIMES WITH 22.3% UNEMPLOYMENT IN 2009 AND GREAT POLITICAL UPHEAVALS.  THEY ARE NOW A MEMBER OF NATO AND THE EU BUT STILL STRUGGLE WITH THE TOTAL COLLAPSE OF THEIR MONETARY SYSTEM.
THEY SEEM TO BE GOOD PEOPLE DOMINATED BY A CORRUPT GOVERNMENT.