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Riga City Information
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Quick Facts about Latvia
 Geography:
Latvia is situated on the Baltic Sea coast and borders Estonia in the North, Lithuania in the South, Russia in the East and Byelorussia in the Southeast. Its land is hilly with forests and lakes. There are about 12,000 rivers in Latvia but only 17 are longer than 100 km, the biggest being the Daugava. The ports of Riga, Liepaja and Ventspils are ice free in winter.
- Area:
64,589 sq km (24,938 sq miles)
- Population:
2,566,352
- Capital:
Riga, population 889,500
- Major cities:
- Daugavpils (127,000)
- Liepaja (108,000)
- Jelgava (72,000)
- Jurmala (60,000)
- People:
- 52% Letts
- 34% Russians
- 4.5% Byelorussians
- 3.5% Ukrainians
- 2.3% Poles
- Climate:
Average air temperature:
annual +7.2º C
January -4.9º C
July +16.9º C
Number of sunny days: 72
Number of foggy days: 44
- Time:
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 in summer)
- Language:
Latvian is the official language. It is an Indo-European, non-Slavic and non-Germanic language and is similar only to Lithuanian. Russian, English and German are widely spoken.
- Religion:
Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran) with Roman Catholic in the East of the country. There is also a Russian Orthodox minority.
- Electricity:
220 volts AC, 50 Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.
- Currency Exchange Rate:
USD - 0,5480
EUR - 0,6580
Latvia is one of Europe's great «getaway from it all» discoveries. With 12,310 rivers and 3,000 lakes the country has many opportunities for just making you enjoy the outdoors. There are many small medieval towns, country castles, museums and parks to be visited.
Check out Riga, a city that has come to life again since the end of the USSR. Superb architecture, from the medieval to the Art Nouveau, an old city that rivals Prague, operas and concerts, active artistic life, smart shops and cozy restaurants, all testify to it being once again a major European capital.
Riga is the capital of Latvia, its administrative and political center and the largest city in the Baltic States. It is located in the coastal lowlands on the banks of the river Daugava, close to its estuary in the Gulf of Riga.
The city's crossroad location between Western Europe and huge Eastern markets has always been - and still is - one of Riga's attractions for business people. When in the 14th and 15th centuries Riga became one of the most important trade centers of the Hanseatic League, the city was granted special rights to transport goods along the Daugava further to the East. Nowadays, Riga is an important transport junction, too. Historically developed transportation infrastructure has made the city the major industrial and business center in the Baltic region.
In the city of Riga you will find many enticing sights that are worth seeing. Riga is well known for its architectural and cultural values. Its contribution to world culture is attested by the inclusion of the city in the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List. Riga is so diverse in its character: some visitors will enjoy the Old Town - the most ancient part of the city that has been preserved from the 13th century, others might be interested in the Jugendstyle architecture and the boulevard ensembles that were formed at the end of the last century and are a must to see. Here Art Nouveau and Eclecticism dominate. And side by side with these styles there are still medieval wooden houses that today have enormous architectural value.
Riga is also called the city of parks and gardens. The central part of the city is mostly occupied by commercial offices, banks, and other business building reflecting the hectic present day life and the tendencies of the city's rapid development.
Riga is not only the backbone of Latvia's economy but also the largest center of education and science. This is confirmed by a large number of cultural events, international exhibitions, scientific conferences and seminars that take place every year in Riga. Tourism services - hotels, restaurants, cafes, shops - are located in the central part of the city.
Citizens listed below DO NOT need a visa to enter Latvia. If your country is not listed below then you WILL require a visa: Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Hong Kong SAR, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Nicaragua, the USA, Vatican.
The staff of our local agency in Riga will provide you with high quality dating services and help you find your only one among beautiful Latvian women. I hope that all this will give you a brilliant opportunity to spend a wonderful time in Latvia, so welcome and book a personal tour to Riga with our agency!
Riga Women 18-25
Riga Women 26-30
Riga Women 31+
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