Latvia is located in the Northern Europe region at latitude 56.879635 and longitude 24.603189 and is part of the European continent.
The DMS coordinates for the center of the country are:
- 56° 52' 46.69'' N
- 24° 36' 11.48'' E
You can see the location of Latvia on the world map below:
Latvia Neighboring Countries
The neighboring countries of Latvia (LV) are:
- Belarus (BY)
- Estonia (EE)
- Lithuania (LT)
- Russian Federation (RU)
Maritime Borders
Latvia borders with the Baltic Sea.
Latvia Related Content
Latvia Key Facts
| Country | Latvia |
| Coordinates | Latitude: 56.879635 Longitude: 24.603189 |
| Country Codes | Alpha 2: LV Alpha 3: LVA |
| Country Flag Emoji | 🇱🇻 |
| Int. Phone Prefix | +371 |
| Capital city | Riga |
| Continent Subcontinent | Europe Northern Europe |
| Country Area | 64,589 sq km |
| Population 2021 | 1,883,162 World Rank: 147 |
| Median Age | 43.6 |
| Life expectancy | 73.6 |
| Major languages | Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4% (2011 est.) |
| UTC/GMT Time | Number of time zones: 1
|
| Internet TLD | .lv |
| Biggest Airport | Riga International Airport (RIX) |
| Average temperature | 5.60 °C 42.08 °F |
| Administrative Divisions | 36 municipalities 7 state cities |
| Political system | Parliamentary republic |
Latvia Economy Facts
| World Bank Income Group | High income |
| World Bank Region | Europe & Central Asia |
| Currency | Euro (EUR) |
| GDP in 2020 | $33.6 (billions of USD) World Rank: 96 |
| GDP per capita in 2020 | $17,704 World Rank: 46 |
| Major Industries / Economic Sectors | Manufacturing, services, agriculture, energy |
| Top 5 Import Countries | Russia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden |
| Top 5 Export Countries | Russia, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany |
Biggest Cities in Latvia
Here are the largest cities in Latvia based on 2021 data:
| City | Population |
|---|
| Riga | 614,618 | Daugavpils | 80,627 | Liepaja | 67,964 | Jelgava | 55,336 | Jurmala | 50,248 | Ventspils | 33,372 | Rezekne | 26,839 | Ogre | 22,978 | Valmiera | 22,971 | Jekabpils | 21,629 |
Map of Latvia with the Largest Cities
Other Countries in the Northern Europe Region
There are 5 planning regions in Latvia. These regions align with the borders of the municipalities to which they border. Planning areas not used as a management unit were created in 2009.
In this article we will get some general information about Latvian territories. Below you can find the map of Provinces of Latvia.
Provinces of Latvia
Riga
Riga is the largest city. The surface area is 10,132 square kilometers. The population of 2009 is 1,030,071. Latvia’s most populous planning region is Riga. It also has the same name as Riga, the capital of the country. Because of the small size of the area, this is the place with the population density at the same time.
Kurzeme
LiepājaThe largest city is Liepāja. The surface area is 13,596 square kilometers. The population of 2009 is 301,621.
Latgale
DaugavpilsThe largest city is Daugavpils. The surface area is 14,549 square kilometers. The population of 2009 is 304,032. Latgale is the largest region in Latvia.
Zemgale
JelgavaThe largest city is Jelgava. The surface area is 10,733 square kilometers. The population of 2009 is 254,461.
Vidzeme
ValmieraThe largest city is Valmiera. The surface area is 15,246 square kilometers. The population of 2009 is 211,309. This is the least populated area of Latvia.
Latvia Geography and Facts
Geography
Most of Latvia consists of undulating plains. The shores of the Baltic and the Gulf of Riga are quite smooth. The most important stream is the River Dvina. Other streams pour into the Baltic Sea. There are large and small lakes near the Soviet border.
Governance
According to the Constitution (Satversme), Latvia is a parliamentary republic in which sovereignty belongs to the people represented by a single-parliamentary parliament (Saeima), which has 100 members elected by four years.
Climate
Located in northern Europe, Latvia is located in a cold climate zone and has two seasons; Summer and Winter. In the country with a humid climate, almost 9 months is the winter season and the temperatures fall down to -20. In the summer, temperatures rise to 23 degrees.
Religion
The population is mostly Christian. 34.2 percent of the Latvian population defines themselves the Lutheran, 24.1 percent, Roman Catholic, 17.8 percent, Roman Catholics, Russian Orthodox, and the remaining percentage as dependent on other religions.
Industry and Tourism
The private sector dominates the Latvian economy. The strategy of exit from the economic crisis is based on export-based growth since 2010, rather than imports based on external credit. In the country with high unemployment rate, efforts are made to minimize this problem.
Art
The beauty and usefulness of souvenirs reflect the cultural heritage of Latvia. Most of the gift items are amber stones, which are sold all over the country, and there are many products that contain this stone. They make honey, traditional clothes, leather goods, household goods, and local dishes are good gifts to take home.