Where is Latvia?

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:

  • 56Β° 52' 46.69'' N
  • 24Β° 36' 11.48'' E

You can see the location of Latvia on the world map below:

Pin showing Latvia on a map

Latvia Neighboring Countries

The neighboring countries of Latvia (LV) are:

  1. Belarus (BY)
  2. Estonia (EE)
  3. Lithuania (LT)
  4. Russian Federation (RU)

Maritime Borders

Latvia borders with the Baltic Sea.

Latvia Related Content

Latvia Key Facts

CountryLatvia
CoordinatesLatitude: 56.879635
Longitude: 24.603189
Country CodesAlpha 2: LV
Alpha 3: LVA
Country Flag EmojiπŸ‡±πŸ‡»
Int. Phone Prefix+371
Capital cityRiga
Continent
Subcontinent		Europe
Northern Europe
Country Area64,589 sq km
Population 20211,883,162
World Rank: 147
Median Age43.6
Life expectancy73.6
Major languagesLatvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4% (2011 est.)
UTC/GMT TimeNumber of time zones: 1
  • UTC+02:00
Internet TLD.lv
Biggest AirportRiga International Airport (RIX)
Average temperature5.60 Β°C
42.08 Β°F
Administrative Divisions36 municipalities 7 state cities
Political systemParliamentary republic

Latvia Economy Facts

World Bank Income GroupHigh income
World Bank RegionEurope & Central Asia
CurrencyEuro (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 SectorsManufacturing, services, agriculture, energy
Top 5 Import CountriesRussia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Sweden
Top 5 Export CountriesRussia, 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

A color-coded map showing the provinces of Latvia with labels for each province.
Provinces of Latvia

Riga

Aerial view of a city with a mix of historic and modern buildings, a river running through it, and a clear sky.

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

A person standing next to large, reflective, three-dimensional letters on a sandy beach with the sky and trees in the background.

LiepājaThe largest city is Liepāja. The surface area is 13,596 square kilometers. The population of 2009 is 301,621.

Latgale

Aerial view shows a large prison complex with various buildings, surrounded by greenery, water bodies, and nearby roads.

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

Aerial view of a historic red-brick building with a courtyard, next to a river, surrounded by a park and trees.

JelgavaThe largest city is Jelgava. The surface area is 10,733 square kilometers. The population of 2009 is 254,461.

Vidzeme

Aerial view of a town with buildings and roads alongside a winding river, surrounded by greenery and trees.

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

A colorful political map of the world showing different countries in various colors with blue oceans surrounding the landmasses.
Latvia on the World Map

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.