Latvian (also called Lettish), a Baltic language written in the Roman alphabet, is the official language. It is highly inflected, with seven noun cases and six verb declensions. The stress is always on the first syllable. There are three dialects. The macron is used for long vowels, and there is a hacek for "h." A cedilla adds the y sound. Education is now guaranteed in Latvian only. Instruction in higher education is given in Latvian only from the second year. Lithuanian and Russian are also spoken.
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