Where is Latvia ?
The Republic of Latvia is in the Baltic region of northern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia in the north, Lithuania to the south, Russian Federation to the east and Belarus to the southeast. The total area of the country is 24,938 square miles, and it has an estimated population of 2,245,357.
What is the capital of Latvia?
Riga is the capital of Latvia. Situated on the mouth of river Daugava, it is an important seaport. It has an estimated population of 706,413, and covers an area of 118.60 square miles. It is one of the major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial center of the Baltic.
Which is the largest city in Latvia?
The capital of Latvia is the largest city of the country. Riga’s historical center has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is known for its extensive Jugendstil architecture.
What is the currency of Latvia?
The currency of Latvia is lats and its ISO 4217 code is LVL. It is sub-divided into 100 santimi. It replaced Latvian rublis in 1922, and in 1993 was reintroduced. On 1 January, 2008, Latvia had planned to adopt the Euro as its official currency and is expected to introduce it in 2014.
What is the official language of Latvia?
The official language of Latvia is Latvian. It is also sometimes known as Lettish, and is one of the two Baltic languages with an official status. It has three dialects: Livonian dialect, Latgalian dialect, and the Middle dialect.
What is the religion of Latvia?
A large number of people claim to practice no religion. Although Latvia was one of the last regions in Europe to be Christianized, yet the main religion traditionally practiced is Christianity.
What is the literacy rate of Latvia?
The total adult literacy rate of Latvia is 100%. Riga Technical University and University of Latvia are two major universities in the country.
Who is the political leader of Latvia?
Andris Berzins was elected the president of Latvia on June 2, 2011, while the prime minister is Valdis Dombrovskis. He has previously served as Latvia’s Minister of Finance and assumed office as prime minister on March 12, 2009.
When is the national day of Latvia celebrated?
November 18 is celebrated as the national day of Latvia, as the country gained independence on that date in 1918. Since then, it has seen decades of war and occupation. In 1940, Soviet Union occupied Latvia, and a year later it became a part of Nazi Germany’s Reichskommissariat Ostland – the Province General of Latvia. A huge number of people resisted this occupation. The Latvian resistance movement was divided between the pro-independence and the pro-Soviet. Even after the end of World War II, resistance against the Soviet regime continued. In 1994 Russia completely withdrew its forces and in 2004 Latvia became a member of European Union.
What is the economy of Latvia like?
Since 2000 Latvia has delivered one of the highest GDP growth-rates in Europe. However in 2008, GDP of Latvia collapsed and by 2009 it faced shortage of credits. The estimated GDP of the country is 24.045 billion dollars.