Каких вы можете перечислить латышских актёров, писателей, учёных, которые известны на весь мир?

очень даже уместный вопрос.
При этом ответ    тоже не очень точно определяет категорию: если один родитель латыш, а второй нет, то попадает или нет?

Вот возможные варианты "латышскости" или "латвийскости" и примеры к ним.
1. Оба родителя латыши (даже, возможно, точнее, если родной язык латышский): Марис Лиепа – танцовщик, Элина Гаранча – оперная певица.
2. Родился, жил и умер или живет в Латвии: Михаил Таль – 8-й чемпион мира по шахматам, Анатолий Блюгер – профессор медицины, ученый.
3. Родился и учился в Латвии: Гидон Кремер – музыкант, Михаил Барышников – танцовщик.
4. Приехал в Латвию и постоянно живет в Латвии: Зоя Голубева – 12-тикратная чемпионка мира по международным шашкам.

И это не едиственные представители в каждой категории.

все думают)))))))))

а что это такое - "латышских" ?  

Раймонд Паулс,
Вайкуле

Паулс в первую очередь. На весь мир это слишком много. Но за пределами Латвии точно знают Ивара Калниньша, Вию Артмане ну и Пельш еклмн. Много есть,надо подумать. Этих сразу вспомнила.
Вайкуле,точно

Раймонд Паулс?

На весь мир никто. Только на постсоветском пространстве или в отдельных странах.

List of famous Latvians

Augusts Vilis Abakuks (1914–1994) - a leader of the British Latvian community in exile
Valerians Abakovskis (1895–1921) - inventor of a propeller-powered railcar, the aerowagon.
Rutanya Alda(1942) - actress (Mommy Dearest, Deer Hunter)
Viktors Alksnis (1950) - Soviet military officer and Russian communist politician known as "the Black Colonel"
Iveta Apkalna (1976) - organist
Fricis Apšenieks (1894–1941) - chess player
Vija Artmane (1929–2008) - actress
Gunārs Astra (1931–1988) - dissident, fighter for human rights
Auseklis see Miķelis Krogzems
Helmuts Balderis (1952) - ice hockey player, forward
Jānis Balodis (1881–1965) - army officer and politician
Jānis Balodis (1950) - Latvian/Australian playwright
Krišjānis Barons (1835–1923) - "the father of Latvian folk songs", who compiled and edited the first publication of Latvian folk-song texts "Latvju Dainas" (1894–1915)
Mihails Barišņikovs (1948) - ballet-dancer
Kārlis Baumanis (1835–1905) - composer, author of the national anthem of the Republic of Latvia "Dievs, svētī Latviju!" (God bless Latvia!)
Vizma Belševica (1931–2005) - author, candidate for Nobel Prize in Literature
Eduards Berklavs (1914–2004) - politician, leader of Latvian national-communists
Krišjānis Berķis (1884–1942) - general
Isaiah Berlin (1909–1997) - philosopher
Eduard Berzin (1894–1938) - soldier in the Red Army, later Head of Dalstroy, the Kolyma forced-labour camps in North-Eastern Siberia
Isaac Janis Porter Berzins (1990 - ) winner of 2009s music PEI award of Indie Pop Recording of the Year, for New Royalty's "Sleepover EP"
Karlis Betinš (1867–1943) - chess player
Andris Biedriņš (1986) - basketball player, Golden State Warriors
Gunnar Birkerts (1925) - architect
Ernests Blanks (1894–1972) - Latvian publicist, writer, historian, the first to publicly advocate for Latvia's independence
Rūdolfs Blaumanis (1863–1908) - writer and playwright
Himans Blūms (1913) - painter
Calia Brencsons - Television Producer, singer
Baiba Broka (1973) - actress
Inguna Butane - fashion model.
Valters Caps (1905–2003) - designed first Minox 8 x 11 photocameras
Gustavs Celmiņš (1899–1968) – fascist politician, leader of Pērkonkrusts movement
Vija Celmins (1938) - American painter born in Latvia
Aleksandrs Čaks (1901–1950) - poet
Jānis Čakste (1859–1927) - first Latvian president
Māris Čaklais (1940–2003) - poet
Roberts Dambītis (1881–1957) - general and politician
Jānis Dāliņš (1904–1978) - athlete, race walker
Emīls Dārziņš (1875–1910) - composer
Jacob Davis (1834–1908) - inventor of denim
Johans Aleksandrs Heinrihs Klapje de Kolongs (1839–1901) - naval engineer
Eliass Eliezers Desslers (1892–1953) - Orthodox rabbi, Talmudic scholar, and Jewish philosopher
Leor Dimant (1972) - Turntabilist and member of the rock group Limp Bizkit
Anatols Dinbergs (1911–1993) - diplomat
Aleksis Dreimanis (1914) - geologist
Inga Drozdova (1975) - model and actress
Mihails Eizenšteins (1867–1921) - architect
Sergejs Eizenšteins (1898–1948) - film director
Modris Eksteins (1943) - Canadian historian and world-famous writer
Andrievs Ezergailis (1930) - historian of the Holocaust
Movša Feigins (1908–1950) - chess player
Gunars Fricsons - Writer
Gregors Fitelbergs (1879–1953) - conductor, composer and violinist
Vesels fon Freitāgs-Loringhofens (1899–1944) - colonel and member of the German resistance against German dictator Adolf Hitler
Laila Freivalds (1942) - former Swedish Minister of Foreign Affairs
Edvarts Logins (1997) - website maker(free time).
Inese Galante (1954) - opera singer (soprano)
Gints Gabrāns (1970) - artist
Elīna Garanča (1976) - opera singer (mezzo-soprano)
Kārlis Goppers (1876–1941) - general, founder of Latvian Boy Scouts
Andrejs Grants (1955) - photographer
Ernests Gulbis (1988) - Latvian professional tennis player
Natālija Gulbis (1983) - Latvian-descent LPGA golfer
Uldis Ģērmanis (1915–1997) - historian, under the alias of Ulafs Jāņsons a social commentator
Aivars Ģipslis (1937–2000) - chess player
Moriss Halle (1923) - linguist
Filips Halsmans (1906–1979) - Latvian/American photographer
Juris Hartmanis (1928) - computer scientist, Turing Award winner
Uvis Helmanis - basketball player
Artūrs Irbe (1967) - ice hockey player (NHL), goalkeeper
Kārlis Irbītis (1904–1997) - aviation inventor, engineer, designer
Gatis Jahovičs - basketball player
Andrejs Jansons (1938) - musician, composer, conductor
Mariss Jansons (1943) - conductor
Inese Jaunzeme (1932) - athlete
Sandra Kalniete (1952) - politician, diplomat, former Latvia's EU commissioner
Bruno Kalniņš (1899–1990) - Saeima member, Red Army General
Imants Kalniņš (1941) - composer, politician
Oskars Kalpaks (1882–1919) - colonel, first Commander of Latvian National Armed Forces
Kaspars Kambala (1978) - basketball player
Renārs Kaupers (1974) - musician
Jēkabs Ketlers (1610–1682) - Duke of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia
Gustavs Klucis (1895–1938) - painter and graphic designer
Aleksandrs Koblencs (1916–1993) - chess player
Ābrams Izāks Kūks (1864–1935) - chief rabbi, Jewish thinker, statesman, diplomat, mediator and a renowned scholar
Aleksandrs Kovaļevskis (1840–1901) - zoologist
Gidon Kremer (1947) - violinist and conductor
Miķelis Krogzems (1850–1879) - poet, author and translator of German poets
Juris Kronbergs (1946) - poet, writer, free-lance journalist, translator
Atis Kronvalds (1837–1875) - teacher and journalist, reformed the Latvian language, organized the first Latvian Song and Dance Festival
Dainis Kūla (1959) - athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
Alberts Kviesis (1881–1944) - president
Eriks Kigelis (1955–1985) - composer
Aleksandrs Laime (1911–1994) - explorer
Vilis Lācis (1904–1966) - author and politician
Ginta Lapina (1989) - fashion model
Natalia Laschenova - gymnastics Olympic champion (team)
Ed Leedskalnin (1887–1951) - builder of Coral Castle in Florida, claimed to have discovered the ancient magnetic levitation secrets used to construct the Egyptian pyramids.
Jēkabs Mihaels Reinholds Lencs (1751–1792) - author
Marija Leiko (1887–1937) - actress
Alexander Liepa (1919–2000) - inventor, artist
Maris Liepa (1936–1989) - ballet-dancer
Maxim Likhachev (1975) - Robotics Professor and Motion Planning Expert
Nikolajs Loskis (1870–1965) - philosopher
Jānis Lūsis (1939) - athlete
Kārlis Krīgers (1989) - author
Maris Martinsons (1960) - professor of strategic management, international business consultant
Hermanis Matisons (1894–1932) - chess player
Zenta Mauriņa (1897–1978) - writer, literary scholar, culture philosopher
Juris Māters (1845–1884) - author, lawyer and journalist, translated laws to Latvian and created the foundation for Latvian law
Zigfrīds Anna Meierovics (1887–1925) - first Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs
Leo Mihelsons (1887–1978) - artist
Arnolds Mikelsons (1922–1984) - artist
Evgenijs Millers (1867–1938) - czarist Russian general
Kārlis Mīlenbahs (1853–1916) - linguist
Arkadij Naiditsch (1985) - chess player, now resident in Germany
Marija Naumova (1973) - variety singer, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2002 under her stage name Marie N
Andris Nelsons (1978) - conductor of CBSO
Andrievs Niedra (1871–1941) - pastor, writer, prime minister of German puppet government (1919)
Aron Nimzowitsch (1886–1935) - influential chess player
Fred Norris (1955) - Radio personality, The Howard Stern Show.
Staņislavs Olijars (1979) - athlete (European champion in 110m Hurdles)
Wilhelm Ostwald (1853–1932) - received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1909 for his work on catalysis, chemical equilibria and reaction velocities
Elvīra Ozoliņa (1939) - athlete (Olympic gold medal in javelin)
Sandis Ozoliņš (1972) - ice hockey player (NHL), defense
Valdemārs Ozoliņš (1896–1973) - composer, conductor
Artis Pabriks (1966) - Minister of Foreign Affairs (2007–2007)
Karlis Padegs (1911–1940) - Graphic artist, painter
Marian Pahars (1976) - soccer player for Southampton FC, and part of Latvia's national team
Raimonds Pauls (1936) - popular composer, widely known in Russia
Jānis Pauļuks (painter) - painter
Lucia Peka (1912–1991) - Artist of the Latvian Diaspora
Jekabs Peters (1886–1938) - revolutionary and Soviet Cheka leader
Brita Petersone - American model
Kaspars Petrovs (1978) - serial killer
Vladimirs Petrovs (1907–1943) - chess player
Oskars Perro (1918–2003)- Latvian soldier and writer
Andris Piebalgs (1957) - politician, diplomat, European Commissioner for Energy
Jānis Pliekšāns, (1865–1929) - distinguished Latvian writer, author of a number of poetry collections
Juris Podnieks (1950–1992) - film director, producer
Nicolai Poliakovs (1900–1974) - Coco the Clown
Sandis Prūsis (1965) - athlete, bobsleigh
Andrejs Pumpurs (1841–1901) - poet, author of Latvian national epic Lāčplēsis
Jānis Pujāts (1930) - Roman Catholic cardinal
Einars Repše (1961) - politician
Lolita Ritmanis (1962, Portland) - orchestrator, composer
Eliyahu Rips (1948)- inventor of the Bible Code
Fricis Rokpelnis (1909–1969) - author
Mark Rothko (1903–1970) - abstract expressionist painter
Elza Rozenberga (1865–1943) - poet, playwright, married to Jānis Pliekšāns
Juris Rubenis (1961) - famous Lutheran pastor
Mārtiņš Rubenis (1978) - sportsman, bronze medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin
Brunis Rubess (1926) - businessman
Inta Ruka (1958) - photographer
Tania Russof (1974) - pornographic actress
Uļjana Semjonova (1952) - tallest female basketball player in the Olympic history, 3-time World Champion
Kārlis Skalbe (1879–1945) - poet
Baiba Skride (1981) - violinist
Eduards Smiļģis (1886–1966) - theatre director, founder of Dailes Theatre
Bruno Sniders (1936) - Latvian/American sportswriter and columnist, publicist, and entrepreneur.
Konstantin Sokolsky (1904–1991) - romance and tango singer
Raimonds Staprans (1926) - Latvian/American painter
Johann Steinhauer (1705–1779) - Latvian Industrialist, Entrepreneur, and Civil Rights Activist.
Lina Stern (1878–1968) - biologist and social activist
Henrijs Stolovs (1901–1971) - stamp dealer
Jānis Streičs (1936) - film director, screenwriter, actor
Maris Strombergs - BMX cyclist, gold medal winner at 2008 Olympics
Pēteris Stučka (1865–1932) - author, translator, editor, jurist and educator
Evgeny Sveshnikov (1950) - prominent chess player
Stanislavs Svianievičs (1899–1997) - economist and historian
Viktors Ščerbatihs (1974) - athlete, weightlifter
Pauls Šīmanis (1876–1944) - Baltic German journalist, politician, activist defending and preserving European minority cultures
Aleksejs Širovs (1972) - one of the top chess grandmasters in the world today.
Haralds Silovs, short track and long track speed skater, and first athlete in Olympic history to participate in both short track and long track speed skating
Andris Šķēle (1958) - politician, Prime Minister of Latvia
Armands Šķēle - basketball player
Ernests Štālbergs (1883–1958) - architect, ensemble of the Freedom Monument
Isāks Nahmans Šteinbergs (1888–1957) - politician, lawyer and author
Vestards Šimkus (1984) - pianist
Guntis Ulmanis (1939) - president
Kārlis Ulmanis (1877–1942) - prime minister
Juris Upatnieks (1936-) -physicist, co-inventor of three-dimensional holography
Romāns Vainšteins (1973) - former pro cyclist, World Road Champion in 2000
Krišjānis Valdemārs (1825–1891) - public figure, writer, publicist and economist
Pauls Valdens (1863–1957) - chemist
Miķelis Valters (1874–1968) - state official, journalist, diplomat
Valdis Valters - one of the best European basketball players ever, playmaker
Aleksandrs Vanags (1918–1986) - footballer
Jānis Vanags (1958-) - Lutheran archbishop
Jūlijs Vanags (1903–1984) - author and translator
Alex Vanags-Baginskis (1927) - aviation author/editor
Pēteris Vasks (1946) - contemporary composer
Jukums Vācietis (1873–1938) - first commander of the Soviet Army
Ojārs Vācietis (1933–1983) - poet
Eduards Veidenbaums (1867–1892) - poet and translator
Makss Veinreihs (1893–1969) - linguist
Ed Viesturs (1959) - one of the world's premier high-altitude mountaineers. He is one of only 18 people to have climbed all eight-thousander peaks.
Igors Vihrovs (1978) - gymnast, gold medalist at Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Edvarts Virza (1883–1940)- famous Latvian writer
Alvis Vitolinš (1946–1997) - chess master
Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (1937) - former president
Jāzeps Vītols (1863–1948) - composer
Eduards Veidenbaums (1867–1892) - Latvian poet.
Māris Verpakovskis (1979) - footballer, FC Dynamo Kyiv
Aleksandrs Voitkevičs (1963–2006) - chess player
Kārlis Zāle (1888–1942) - sculptor, author of the Freedom Monument in Riga
Friedrich Zander (1887–1933) - pioneer of rocketry and spaceflight
Juris Zarins (1945-) - archaeologist and professor at Missouri State University
Kārlis Zariņš (Charles Zarine) (1879–1963) - diplomat
Rihards Zariņš (1869–1939) - graphic artist
Valdis Zatlers (1955) - president
Elmārs Zemgalis (1923) - chess player
Gustavs Zemgals (1871–1939) - president
Imants Zemzaris (1951) - contemporary composer
Valdis Zeps (1932–1996) - author and linguist, pseudonym Jānis Turbads
Imants Ziedonis (1933 -) - Latvian poet and folklorist
Sergejs Žoltoks (1972–2004) - ice hockey player (NHL), forward