After a brief
period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed
by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following
the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left
in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population)
remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia continues to revamp its economy for
eventual integration into various Western European political and economic
institutions.
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