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) |