Latvia

History

The territory known today as Latvia has been inhabited since 13th century. Because of its strategic geographic location, the Latvian territory was frequently invaded by neighboring nations, largely defining the fate of Latvia and its people. The Republic of Latvia was founded on November 18, 1918. It has been continuously recognized as a sovereign state since 1920 despite occupations and rule by the Soviet Union (1940-1941, 1945-1991) and Nazi Germany (1941-1945). On 1991 Latvia declared the restoration of its de facto independence and re-established international diplomatic ties. In 2004 Latvia became as a member of European Union and NATO.

Geography

Latvia lies between Estonia in the north, Russia and Belarus in the east, the Baltic Sea in the west and Lithuania in the south. It is the middle Baltic country in both size and position. East of the coastal plain the land is hilly with thousands of lakes and rivers. Forests cover nearly half the country.

Facts and Figures

Language: Latvian belongs to the Baltic language family, and is closely related to Lithuanian. English, Russian and German are also widely spoken.

Capital city: Riga

Population: 2,300,000 of which 850,000 live in Riga. Latvians form 60% of the population – most of the others are Russian.

Area: 64,589 square kilometres.

International telephone calling code: 371. Dial 00 for outbound international calls. IDD system is available at all hotels. Telephone cards are available, GSM is in wide operation.

Emergency Number: 112

Time zone: Eastern European Time (GMT + 2 hours) daylight saving time is in operation in summer.

Electricity: 220 Volts/50 Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.

Currency: LVL. 1 lat = 100 santimi. 1 lat is approximately 2 USD. Foreign currencies can be easily exchanged in banks and exchange offices. Most hotels in Latvia, and restaurants in Riga, banks, larger stores and gas stations also accept credit cards and banks also offer cash advances on major credit cards.

Entry requirements: Citizens of other EU countries and most European countries do not require visas. For more information contact the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at http://www.mfa.gov.lv/en/service/visas/.

National holidays: January 1st (New Year's Day), March/April (Good Friday and Easter), May 1st (Labour Day), June 23rd-24th (“Ligo”, summer solstice), November 18th (Independence Day), December 25th (Christmas day), December 26th (Boxing day), December 31st (New Year's Eve).

Religion: Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran) with a Roman Catholic minority and a large Russian orthodox community.

Weather: Latvia enjoys a temperate climate, with the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga bringing plenty of rain, snow and wind. Average temperatures range from +17 C (July is the hottest month) to -4.5 C in winter.