Latvians are the descendants of the early Baltic peoples who first settled along the Baltic Sea 4,000 years ago. From the 13th century on Riga became a major Hanseatic trading centre in Livonia, while in the 17th century the Duchy of Kurzeme was a major sea power. As part of 19th century Czarist Russia, Latvia was a centre of industry. Independence was established in 1918, and after Soviet occupation, restored again in 1991.
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