Latvia is a country in the European Union and part of the Baltic countries. Geographically, Latvia is a Northern European country but it is bordered to the west by the Baltic Sea. Its official name is the Republic of Latvia, and its capital is Riga
What you need to know about Latvia
Latvia is especially known for its wealth of natural forests (about 50%) which are mainly concentrated in the Kurzeme peninsula area. It is also very famous for its unique wildlife composed of squirrels, foxes, and many other wild mammals.
Currently, the population of Latvia is 1,957,200 inhabitants, mostly living in the major cities: Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava, and Jūrmala. The telephone code in Latvia is 371, that is 00371 or +371.
Which countries border Latvia?
As stated above, the Baltic Sea borders Latvia in the Gulf of Riga as well as in the northeast part. Its neighboring countries are Lithuania, Belarus, Russia, and Estonia. These countries border Latvia to the south, southeast, east, and north respectively, with border lengths of 453, 141, 217, and 331 km, totaling 1150 km of administrative boundaries.
Flag of Latvia
The Latvian flag is composed of two colors arranged in horizontal stripes. Indeed, there is a white stripe in the middle of two maroon stripes. The width of the middle stripe is half that of the red stripe. These colors signify that the white garment is stained with blood except at the belt level.
Population of Latvia
Currently, the Latvian population is counted at 1,875,787 inhabitants according to the latest United Nations estimates. This figure represents 0.02% of the global population. Indeed, the ratio between the number of inhabitants and the area measured at 62,200 km2 is 79 inhabitants per km2, which is by far a very low density. Moreover, 68% of these people live in urban areas, about 1,293,197 inhabitants.
What are the best cities to visit in Latvia
Riga
Four characteristics make the city of Riga unique in its kind:
- It is the capital of Latvia
- The largest city in the country and the Baltic states at the same time
- Seat of the Latvian government
- UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Riga is a port city located in the Gulf of the same name. Historically, it is the oldest city in Latvia (founded in the year 1201). Six years ago, Riga was named a European Capital of Culture.
Daugavpils
Daugavpils is a city located in the southeast section on the banks of the Daugava, hence its name. After the capital, it is a spacious city, and it is also the closest city to Lithuania and Belarus; it is 120 km from the Russian border. It is an excellent place to visit due to its rich biodiversity such as lakes and natural parks. There are also plenty of cultural institutions and ancient architectures that you can visit. Moreover, the city has a medieval appearance thanks to the arrangement of the red brick buildings.
Liepāja
Liepāja is a city that experiences a fairly strong sea breeze. That is why the city has the largest wind farm in Latvia. Liepāja is also an industrial city because most ICT production is carried out in this area. Finally, it is also a port city with fine sandy beaches and some interesting attractions such as the centuries-old church and the ruins of old military forts.
Jelgava
It is a city located only 41 km from the capital in the southwest direction. It is a central city of Latvia, and the area is fertile as it is bordered by the eastern bank of the Lielupe River. The attractions of Jelgava are the airbase and the railway center. You can also visit the remains of buildings used during the times when the city served as the Duchy of Courland and the capital of Semigallia.
Jūrmala
Jūrmala is not only a seaside resort but also a city highly favored by tourists who come to Latvia. The city is located in the Gulf of Riga. The city is a true captivating nature reserve. You will also find natural imitations with wooden houses and dream beaches that will delight you to see.
Where the cities are located on the Latvia map
Riga
On the map of Latvia, the capital is located on the shores of the Baltic Sea inside the Gulf of Riga. Geographic coordinates: 56° 56′ 56″ north, 24° 06′ 23″ east.
Daugavpils
On the map of Latvia, the city is located in the southeast section. Geographic coordinates: 55° 53′ north, 26° 31′ east.
Liepāja
On the map, this city is located on the western shores of the Baltic Sea. It is 200 km away from the capital. Geographic coordinates: 56° 30′ 42″ north, 21° 00′ 50″ east
Jelgava
Jelgava is a city located right in the center of the country aligned with the Gulf of Riga. Geographic coordinates: 56° 39′ 00″ north, 23° 43′ 00″ east.
Jūrmala
Located in the Gulf of Riga, this city is only a few kilometers from the Latvian capital. Geographic coordinates: 56° 58′ 00″ north, 23° 45′ 00″ east.
Latvia climate map
Since Latvia is a Baltic country, its climate is roughly similar to those of other countries. This translates into a very cold winter and a rainy but mild summer. The coastline experiences some sea breezes but inland, there is a similarity to a continental climate.
The western coastal temperatures hover around 17.5°C during autumn and in winter they drop below 0°C. The central areas experience freezing temperatures in winter, whereas summer is sunnier and warm. Rainfall is more or less constant throughout the year, with the lowest precipitation occurring at the beginning of the year, and the coast is rainier than the center.
Winter is marked by average snowfall, and winter temperatures range between -1.5° and -3°C from the coast to the center. Latvia sometimes experiences Russian winds blowing across the territory, causing temperatures to suddenly drop from -25 to -30°C.
Spring arrives while temperatures are still cold. In April, for example, there could still be some snow. But temperatures gradually rise towards 20°C.
On the coast, summer is less warm than in the center, with temperatures ranging between 18 and 21°C. Inland temperatures vary around 20 to 22°C. During this season, there are sudden temperature spikes reaching up to 30°C. This is due to the influence of warm winds coming from the South.
Autumn is marked by alternating sun and clouds, but the sunshine is weak. Temperatures also decrease until October, when they drop significantly until snow falls in November.
Climate in the capital
Since the capital is located on a coast, winter temperatures are below zero. The sea could even freeze during this time. Furthermore, its position inside the Gulf of Riga limits the influence of marine winds. Precipitation is quite low at 620 mm annually, but in winter, precipitation turns into snow and in summer into afternoon thunderstorms.
Sunshine is weak in autumn and winter, but the sun begins to show well in summer, starting from May.
Economic map of Latvia
A member of the EU since 2014 and the OECD since 2016, Latvia has met the selection criteria. That is, the country is a developed and industrialized country that has fulfilled the Maastricht criteria. The government as well as financial entities have done everything possible to pull the country out of the 2008 economic crisis.
Thus, Latvia’s economy has been assigned a level of financial stability over the past 5 years. According to figures, the unemployment rate has decreased, and GDP has also seen an increase of about 2 to 3% per year from 2011 to last year.
This Latvian economy is mainly based on the primary and tertiary sectors. Industries are especially focused on chemical industries, textile industries, as well as food processing. Moreover, the lands in Latvia are vast and fertile due to clay-loam soil. Consequently, cereal production is fruitful and even allows the country to export to neighboring countries.
The country also benefits from infrastructures adapted to the transportation of industrial products. Indeed, maritime routes, railways, and roads are well arranged and connect the country to its neighbors. Latvia also has an international airport linking it to hundreds of destinations. Here are the economic characteristics of the country:
- Official currency: Euro
- Minimum gross salary: 430 euros
- GDP: 34.41 billion dollars
- GDP per capita: 17,860 dollars
- Unemployment rate: 6.4% of the active population
- Public debt: 36.4% of the gross domestic product.
- Natural GDP growth rate: 4.6% annually
Administrative subdivisions and demolinguistic data
Administrative subdivisions
Latvia is divided into two levels, this division was adopted by the law of July 1st, 2009. Firstly, we have the districts and secondly the towns. Some towns, also called pilsētas, can be unitary municipalities, parishes, or rural towns. There are currently 110 of these territories, of which 9 are large republican cities or republikas pilsētas. These are administered by a municipal council. This year, the new municipal reform transformed the 110 municipalities into 42 local governments.
Here are the 9 republican cities
- Daugavpils
- Jēkabpils
- Jelgava
- Jūrmala
- Liepāja
- Rēzekne
- Riga
- Valmiera
- Ventspils
Demolinguistic data
The official language in Latvia is Latvian, which is a Baltic language. It is an ancient language used in the 16th century. There are also three dialects used in Latvia: Livonian dialect, High Latvian, Middle dialect.
Livonian dialect
- Vidzeme variety
- Courland variety
Middle dialect: center and southwest, origin of standard Latvian.
- Vidzeme variety
- Curonian variety
- Semigallian variety
High Latvian dialect: language spoken in eastern Latvia
- Selonian
- Non-Selonian
