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

City
Km
Time
Amsterdam
1367
2.20
Brussels
1455
2.40
Copenhagen
815
1.35
Dublin
2052
3.20
Frankfurt
1234
2.10
Helsinki
611
1.15
Kiev
589
1.55
London
1724
2.50
Milan
1535
2.00
Moscow
786
2.05
Oslo
1048
1.30
Paris
1697
3.10
Rome
1702
3.20
Vienna
950
2.05

Public Holidays

January 1
New Year's Day
Between March & April
(changes every year)
Good Friday / Easter / Easter Monday
May 1
Labour Day
May 4
Restoration of Independence Day
Second Sunday of May
Mother’s Day
June 23
Midsummer Eve
June 24
Feast of St. John (Midsummer)
November 18
Proclamation Day of the Republic of Latvia
December 24
Christmas Eve
December 25,26
Christmas
December 31
New Year’s Eve

Monthly average temperature (°C)
IN Latvia

Month
Avg
January
-4.7
February
-4.2
March
-0.5
April
+5.1
May
+11.4
June
+15.5
July
+16.9
August
+16.2
September
+12
October
+7.4
November
+2.1
December
-2.3