Facts & Figures
Location
North-eastern Europe on the shores of the Baltic Sea
Area
64,589 sq. km of which 1,54% is water.
Neighbours
Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus
Population
1,957,200
Goverment
Unitary Parliamentary Constitutional Republic
Capital
Riga was founded in 1201. Population of 641,423. It’s the largest city in three Baltic states. Riga’s historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture.
Currency
Euro since 2014
Climate
Humid continental
Landscape
Pastoral with plains, forests and rolling hills
Coastline
500 km long with sandy and rocky beaches
Time zone
GMT +2 (winter), GMT +3 (summer)
Official language
Latvian. Russian, English and German spoken extensively, Lithuanian and Polish in some areas
Ethnic groups
62.0% Latvians, 25.4% Russians, 3.3% Belarusians, 2.2% Ukrainians, 2,1% Poles, 1.1% Lithuanians and 4.8% other
Religion
34.3% Lutheranism. Other: Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy and old Believers
International airports
Riga, Liepāja
Port
Riga, Ventspils and Liepāja
International membership
European Union, NATO, Council of Europe, United Nations, NB8, World Trade Organisation, The World Bank, Schengen Area
Distances and flights
between RIGA and other cities
Public Holidays
Good Friday / Easter / Easter Monday