Founded in 1918 and located in Northern Europe, Latvia lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. It is a green country with a rich cultural heritage. A half of Latvia’s territory is covered by forests, which makes it the 4th most forested country in Europe.
Latvia is a safe and welcoming country, offering space and opportunities for everyone, whether you are looking for studies with a balance between moderate entertainment in bigger cities or the presence of nature in smaller cities. Latvia has it all.
Official name: | Republic of Latvia |
Political system: | The Parliamentary Republic, represented by a unicameral parliament (Saeima), with 100 members elected once in 4 years |
Country code: | LV |
Capital city: | Riga, the biggest city in the Baltic states |
Other major cities: | Daugavpils, Valmiera, Jelgava, Liepaja, Ventspils |
Time zone: | GMT+2; GMT+3 (Summer) |
Membership: | European Union, Schengen Area, Eurozone, United Nations, Council of Europe, NATO, OECD, WTO |
Currency: | Euro (EUR) |
Official language: | Latvian |
Most used foreign languages: | Russian, English, German |
Border countries: | Estonia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus |
Coastline: | 498 km (Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga) |
Surface Area: | total: 64,589 sq km land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
International dialing code: | +371 |
Internet domain: | .lv |
Population: | 1,906,743 (2019) |