Latvia - Travel Europe

Latvia (local: Latvijas Republika) is a country in the Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania. The capital is Riga.

After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the Soviet Union, in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991. Latvia joined the European Union in the spring of 2004.

Geography
Administrative divisions: 26 regions (496 parishes) and 7 cities of national significance (Riga, Daugavpils, Liepaja, Jelgava, Jurmala, Ventspils, Rezekne).

Terrain: low plain. Most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east. Highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m.

Total area: 64,589 km². Coastline: 531 km.

Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters.

Ports and harbors: Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils.

People
Population: 1.9 million (July 2018).

Religions: Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006).

Ethnic groups: Latvian 62%, Russian 25.4%, Belarusian 3.3%, Ukrainian 2.2%, Polish 2.1%, Lithuanian 1.2%, other 3.8% (2017 est.).

Language: Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4% (2011 est.).

Main source: CIA - The World Factbook.