Capital: Riga
Currency: Latvian lat (LVL)
Borders: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km,
Russia 217 km
Nestled between Lithuania and Estonia on the Baltic Sea, Latvia has
long been described as the gem of the Baltics. It has quaint old
towns with cobbled streets, fine untouched churches and traditional
buildings. A short jaunt into the Latvian countryside will have the
visitor emblazoned with hospitality and voluntary displays of local
life and customs. The capital city is Riga. The total land area of
Latvia is 63,589 sq km, with much of the North East of the country
exposed to the Gulf of Riga. With so many miles of splendid
coastline, Latvia remains a popular seaside destination. Latvia is
bordered to the south by Lithuania, to the east by Belarus and
Russia, and to the north by Estonia.
A large proportion of Latvia's population is
Russian (29.6%). Pure Latvians account for only 57.7% of the
population. Latvia’s latest independence is relatively new (1991).
Pre 1991, Latvia was part of the brotherhood of Soviet states in
what was the old USSR or Soviet Union. Nowadays, if a Russian wants
to earn Latvian citizenship, he or she must pass an exam in Latvian
language first. That said, those residing in Latvia at the time of
independence in 1991, were granted automatic citizenship.
Latvia is hoping to join the European Union very soon and there are
signs of a prosperous economy. Industry is big and 25% of the
workforce is based within this sector. The main industries are
buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers,
agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods and textiles. The
transport network is comprised of 2412 km of railways and 59178 km
of highways.
The climate is temperate in that there are four seasons, although
the autumn is very brief, making way for a very cold Siberian
winter. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Riga was -28°C. |
