Riga
a city and capital of the republic of Latvia on the Dwina river (crossed here by a bridge of boats and a railway bridge), 7 miles iles from the mouth of the river, and 350 S. W. of Petrograd, via Pskoff. The old town has narrow streets and mediæval houses and stores; but the suburbs are laid out in broad streets with handsome buildings. The chief edifices are the cathedral, built in 1204, burned down in 1547, but rebuilt; Knights of the Sword, built 1494-1515, the former residence of the grand-master machines, tobacco, corks, spirits, oils, metal wares, glass, paper, flax, jute, and people. Riga was founded in 1201 by came a first-rate commercial town, and Albert, Bishop of Livonia, and soon be- 1710 was finally annexed to Russia. Riga longed to Poland from 1561, and in 1621 was taken by Gustavus Adolphus, and member of the Hanseatic League. It besuffered damage from attacks during the World War (1914-1918) and was captured by the Germans. See WORLD WAR. suffered damage from attacks during the On the establishment of the Republic of capital. Pop. about 335,000. side of the Baltic Sea. It is 105 miles in length from N. to S. and about 60 in