The Latvian language (or latviešu valoda, pronounced [‘latvijaʃu ‘valuoda] in Latvian), sometimes referred to as Lettish, is a Baltic language of the Indo-European group. It is one of two living Baltic languages with an official status (the other being Lithuanian). The first Latvian text to appear in Western print was the reproduction of the Lord’s Prayer in Cosmographia Universalis, in 1544. The nearly extinct Livonian language as well as some dialects like Latgalian are protected by the Latvian law as a cultural and historical heritage. Writing system: Latin (Latvian alphabet) Official language in: Latvia, European Union