Country history · Europe

History of Latvia

38 recorded states lay in what is now Latvia, from the Curonians (600 CE) to the Republic of Latvia. 4 of them have a full profile, and 12 outside powers ruled here.

ProfileState (capital or seat)5 without a known seat not shownOpen in the atlas →

Profiles

Empires that ruled here

Timeline

7th century

  1. Curonians600 CE – 1267 CE · tribal confederation
  2. Selonians600 CE – 1208 CE · tribal confederation
  3. Semigallians600 CE – 1290 CE · tribal confederation

10th century

  1. Principality of Polotsk987 CE – 1392 CE · principality

12th century

  1. Atzele1100 CE – 1224 CE · chiefdom
  2. Idumea1100 CE – 1206 CE · chiefdom
  3. Metsepole1100 CE – 1206 CE · chiefdom
  4. Tālava1100 CE – 1224 CE · chiefdom
  5. Turaida1100 CE – 1206 CE · chiefdom
  6. Principality of Koknese1180 CE – 1208 CE · principality
  7. Archbishopric of Riga1186 CE – 1561 CE · prince bishopric
  8. Principality of Jersika1190 CE – 1239 CE · principality

13th century

  1. Livonian Brothers of the Sword1202 CE – 1237 CE · theocracy
  2. Terra Mariana1207 CE – 1561 CE · crusader state
  3. Bishopric of Semigallia1218 CE – 1251 CE · prince bishopric
  4. State of the Teutonic Order1226 CE – 1525 CE · profile
  5. Bishopric of Courland1234 CE – 1585 CE · prince bishopric
  6. Grand Duchy of Lithuania1236 CE – 1795 CE · profile
  7. Livonian Order1237 CE – 1561 CE · theocracy
  8. Free City of Riga1282 CE – 1581 CE · city state

14th century

  1. Hanseatic League1356 CE – 1669 CE · profile

15th century

  1. Livonian Confederation1435 CE – 1561 CE · other

16th century

  1. Duchy of Courland and Semigallia1561 CE – 1795 CE · duchy
  2. Duchy of Livonia1561 CE – 1621 CE · duchy
  3. Kingdom of Livonia1570 CE – 1578 CE · kingdom
  4. District of Pilten1585 CE – 1795 CE · other

17th century

  1. Swedish Livonia1629 CE – 1721 CE · other

18th century

  1. Governorate of Livonia1721 CE – 1918 CE · other
  2. Governorate of Courland1795 CE – 1918 CE · other

20th century

  1. Ober Ost1915 CE – 1918 CE · other
  2. Iskolat1917 CE – 1918 CE · republic
  3. Duchy of Courland and Semigallia (1918)1918 CE – 1918 CE · duchy
  4. Latvian Socialist Soviet Republic1918 CE – 1920 CE · republic
  5. Republic of Latvia1918 CE – present · profile
  6. United Baltic Duchy1918 CE – 1918 CE · duchy
  7. Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic1940 CE – 1991 CE · other
  8. Reichskommissariat Ostland1941 CE – 1945 CE · other
  9. Latvian Self-Administration1942 CE – 1945 CE · other

In the encyclopedia

Shared histories

States that also lay in other present-day countries:

States of Scandinavia and the Baltic → States of Poland, Lithuania and Russia → All country histories →

Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). History of Latvia. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/latvia
MLA
“History of Latvia.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/latvia. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “History of Latvia.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/latvia.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘History of Latvia’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/countries/latvia (Accessed: ).