Latvia Travel | Latvia Country Profile (2024)

The beautiful landscape and geography attract visitors to Latvia and Estonia. Latvia is a small east European country that lies on the east bank of the Baltic sea. The Riga is the capital city of Latvia and Tallinn is the capital city of Estonia. Riga is the coastal town, and visitors can enjoy staying at a reasonably priced local hotel that is spread over the Baltic sea bank. Riga is an ancient town with lots of history of prosperity and struggle. Both cities are not significantly overpopulated, like most of the western european towns. Visitors enjoy walking and exploring Riga.

The visitors can witness the thrill of mixing with rich and poor in almost all of Riga’s city. The evening life in the city is vibrant and lively. Visitors often see the architecture of medieval times while wandering around the outskirts of town and driving around the city.

Latvia has several beautiful beaches and dense forests. One can take local transport or drive from Riga to Tallinn or vice versa.

Latvia is known for its spectacular and unique carving of wooden architectures. Latvia is also known for amber, design pieces of jewelry and souvenirs. The friendly restaurants and small hotels provide the best hospitality to visitors who want to explore the countryside by car or bicycle. Latvia is known for several spectacular waterfalls that are spread all over the country.

Latvia is a small country surrounded by Estonia on the north, Lithuania, on the south, and Russia on the east side. The west of Latvia is the Baltic sea. The capital town of Riga is situated next to the Baltic sea.

At present, Latvia is a member of the European Union, United Nations, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Vikings came to Latvia in the 9th century, and later the settler was known as Balts. Latvians followed the Christian religion in the 12th and 13th-century influence by Germans. Later, Germans control Latvia from 1230 for the following 300 years. Latvia from 16th to 18th century was divided and control by Poland and Sweden. Russian influence was observed in Latvia from the second half of the 18th century until 1918. Latvia became independent in 1918. Latvia was occupied by USSR since 1940 and became independent on August 21, 1991

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Most of the ground of Latvia is flat and surrounded by hills. Some of the mountains of Razna are reserved as National Park territory. Forest, swamps, and wasteland cover One-third of Latvia. The country is divided in east and west by a Venta River. There are pockets of few peat bog wet areas, and one must be careful and avoid exploring the land. The water from hills on the east side forms several beautiful serene rivers that flow to the Baltic sea. The largest forest is found in the northern part of Latvia and known as the known Kurzeme Peninsula. One should visit small town Daugava and enjoy the noise and breeze along the Western Dvina River. Western Dvina river is the largest river in Latvia. The river passes through the village of Gauja, Venta, and Lielpu. The small towns offer the best flavor of tasty food and the best hospitality.

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The climate is influenced by the prevailing southwesterly winds coming from the Atlantic. Humidity is high, and the skies are usually cloudy; there are only about 30 to 40 days of sunshine per year. Average precipitation often exceeds 20 inches (about 500 mm) on the lowlands and may approach or exceed 30 inches (about 760 mm) on the uplands. The frost-free season lasts about 125 to 155 days. Summers are often cold and rainy. The mean temperature in June is in the mid-60s (about 17 °C), with occasional jumps into the mid-90s (about 34 °C). Winter sets in slowly and lasts from the middle of December to the middle of March. The mean January temperature ranges from the upper 20 F (near −2 °C) on the coast to the lower 20 F (about −7 °C) in the east. There are occasional extreme temperature drops into the −40s F (about −40 °C).

• Latvian- 62%
• Russian- 25%
• Ulranian- 2.5%
• Polish- 2.1%
• Lithuanian- 1.5%
• Others- 9%
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• Non-religious- 26%
• Roman Catholic- 19%
• Russian Orthodox- 16%
• Lutheran- 14%
• Atheist- 12%
• Other- 13%

More Common Animal- Deer, Squirrels, Foxes, hare, lynx, and badgers. Less Common Animals- Eermines, elk, beavers, and weasels.

Birds- Nightingale, Lark, Oriole, Blackbird, Quail, Woodpecker and Owl.

• Agriculture- Wheat, Oats, and Barley.
• Vegetable- Potatoes, Onions, Beets, and Corns.
• Fishing- Commercial fishing
• Industry- Chemicals, Medications, Furniture, beverages, and textile.
• Resources- Limestone, Clay, gypsum, and oil

Riga Airport- International and domestic flights connect traveling from Riga.

Sea Port- Ferries and Cruises from Riga ports.

Road Transport- Rental cars and taxis are available, one can travel to cities within Latvia and other neighboring countries by buses at a reasonable cost.

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Telecommunication services are managed by the local government and nationalized. The telephone and wifi services are available at a lower cost compared to other European countries at a reasonable price.

The population of Latvia- 1.9 Million

The rural population has been shifted to cities since the 2nd world war. At present more than 2/3rd of the population stays in cities. Riga is the most populous city, followed by Daugavpils and Liepaja.

• Capital Town- Riga
• Currency- Euro.
• Language- Latvian, Russian, French and English
• Waterfalls- Ventas Rumba, at 110 m (360 ft) wide, though only 2 m high.