Encyclopedia

Zatlers, Valdis

Zatlers, Valdis (väl'dis zät'lers) [key], 1955–, Latvian physician and political leader. A graduate (1979) of the Riga Institute of Medicine, he is an orthopedic surgeon and was director of the Riga Hospital of Traumatology and Orthopedics from 1994 to 2007. His political experience was limited to cofounding (1988) the Latvian Popular Front, which was active in obtaining Latvia's independence from the Soviet Union. In 2007 the country's four-party center-right coalition government chose Zatlers as their presidential candidate, and he was subsequently elected by the Latvian parliament.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

More on Valdis Zatlers from Fact Monster:

  • Current Government Officials: Latvia - World > Heads of State Info Latvia Chiefs of State and Cabinet Members of Foreign Governments ...
  • Latvia - Information on Latvia — geography, history, politics, government, economy, population statistics, culture, religion, languages, largest cities, as well as a map and the national flag.
  • Latvia: History - History The Letts (after whom the country was also called Lettland) were conquered and ...
  • Latvia - Latvia Profile: People, History, Government and Political Conditions, Economy, Defense, Foreign Relations, U.S.-Latvian Relations

See more Encyclopedia articles on: Russian, Soviet, and CIS History: Biographies