Vangaži
The name Vangaži (Wangasch) was first mentioned in the 17th century as the name of a local manor. The name itself is a combination of two words in the Livonian language - vang (field) and aži (place). Since the 17th century there was also a Lutheran church in Vangaži. Close to the modern town of Vangaži there were several manufactures which produced paper, glass and copper products.
The modern town started in the 1950s when the concrete factory was founded. In 1957 the village Oktobra ciemats was founded which in 1961 was renamed to Vangaži. In 1992 Vangaži was granted the status of a town.
Map - Vangaži
Map
Country - Latvia
Flag of Latvia |
After centuries of Teutonic, Swedish, Polish-Lithuanian and Russian rule, which was mainly executed by the local Baltic German aristocracy, the independent Republic of Latvia was established on 18 November 1918 when it broke away from the German Empire and declared independence in the aftermath of World War I. However, by the 1930s the country became increasingly autocratic after the coup in 1934 establishing an authoritarian regime under Kārlis Ulmanis. The country's de facto independence was interrupted at the outset of World War II, beginning with Latvia's forcible incorporation into the Soviet Union, followed by the invasion and occupation by Nazi Germany in 1941, and the re-occupation by the Soviets in 1944 to form the Latvian SSR for the next 45 years. As a result of extensive immigration during the Soviet occupation, ethnic Russians became the most prominent minority in the country, now constituting nearly a quarter of the population. The peaceful Singing Revolution started in 1987, and ended with the restoration of de facto independence on 21 August 1991. Since then, Latvia has been a democratic unitary parliamentary republic.
Currency / Language
ISO | Currency | Symbol | Significant figures |
---|---|---|---|
EUR | Euro | € | 2 |
ISO | Language |
---|---|
LV | Latvian language |
LT | Lithuanian language |
RU | Russian language |