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Location
Northern Europe.
Time
GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to last Sunday in October).
Area
64,589 sq km (24,938 sq miles).
Population
2.3 million (2006 estimate).
Population Density
35.6 per sq km.
Capital
Riga. Population: 727,578 (2006 estimate).
Geography
Latvia is situated on the Baltic coast and borders Estonia in the north, Lithuania in the south, the Russian Federation in the east and Belarus in the southeast. The coastal plain is mostly flat but, inland to the east, the land is hilly with forests and lakes. There are about 12,000 rivers in Latvia, the biggest being the River Daugava. The ports of Riga and Ventspils often freeze over during the winter.
EU
Member since 2004.
Government
Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Head of State
President Valdis Zatlers since 2007.
Head of Government
Prime Minister Ivars Godmanis since 2007.
Recent History
Ivars Godmanis has led a new four-party centre-right government since December 2007. This is Latvia's 14th government in 16 years. An election was called when former prime minister Aigars Kalvitis resigned amid a series of scandals. Godmanis is not entirely new to the job: he was prime minister when Latvia secured independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Language
Latvian is the official language. Russian, English and German are widely spoken. Latvian belongs to the Baltic language group, part of the Indo-European language family. The language has three main dialects, with the Latgallian dialect, spoken in the eastern part of Latvia, especially distinctive.
Religion
Non-religious 35%, Lutheran 24%, Catholic 18%, Orthodox 15%, others 8%.
Electricity
220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are in use.
Social Conventions
Handshaking is customary. Normal courtesies should be observed. The Latvians are somewhat reserved and formal, but nevertheless very hospitable. They are proud of their culture, and visitors should take care to respect this sense of national identity.