Latvia Through History: Who Ruled Its Lands
The land of today's Latvia appears on 39 historical border maps from 500 BC to today. Over that time it was held, in whole or in part, by 10 different states, among them Russian Empire, Latvia, Teutonic Knights, USSR, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth.
LatviaExplore the history of Latvia in the interactive map
Compare 1000 with today · Latvia as a state on the map
Who ruled the land of Latvia, map by map
Share of sample points inside today's borders held by each state on each map. Areas with no organised state on the map are left out.
| Map | Main states on this land |
|---|---|
| 1300 | Teutonic Knights 92% · Lithuania 8% |
| 1400 | Teutonic Knights 92% · Poland-Lithuania 8% |
| 1492 | Teutonic Knights 92% · Poland-Lithuania 8% |
| 1500 | Teutonic Knights 92% · Poland-Lithuania 8% |
| 1600 | Poland-Lithuania 58% · Denmark-Norway 42% |
| 1650 | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 65% · Sweden 35% |
| 1700 | Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth 65% · Sweden 35% |
| 1783 | Poland 83% · Russian Empire 17% |
| 1800 | Russian Empire 100% |
| 1815 | Russian Empire 100% |
| 1880 | Russian Empire 100% |
| 1900 | Russian Empire 100% |
| 1914 | Russian Empire 100% |
| 1920 | Latvia 100% |
| 1930 | Latvia 100% |
| 1938 | Latvia 100% |
| 1945 | USSR 100% |
| 1960 | USSR 100% |
| 1994 | Latvia 100% |
| 2010 | Latvia 100% |
Historic cities in Latvia
Questions
Which empires and states ruled the territory of Latvia?
On the border maps from 500 BC to today, the largest shares of the territory of modern Latvia belonged to Russian Empire, Latvia, Teutonic Knights, USSR, Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, Poland-Lithuania, along with 4 other states.
What was Latvia part of in 1500?
On the border map for 1500, most of the territory of today's Latvia lay within Teutonic Knights.
What was Latvia part of in 1900?
On the border map for 1900, most of the territory of today's Latvia lay within Russian Empire.
Further reading
Last updated 9 November 2026. Sources: border data from historical-basemaps, land and rivers from Natural Earth; texts written for Chronica Maps from standard reference works. How we make the maps.