Browse listings of B&B, Home Exchange, Vacation Rentals (furnished apartments, villas, cottages, condos, farmhouses and other types of accommodations) of Latvia:
Last Minute Tips Before you Travel to Latvia
- Time Zone: GMT/UTC +2
- Electricity: 220V, 50 Hz (bring an adapter/transformer for your hair drier, laptop, cellullar phone etc.)
- Currency: Lat (Ls)
- Country Dialing Code: 371
Must See - Properties on UNESCO World Heritage List by
- Historic Centre of Riga
- Struve Geodetic Arc
Latvia
Location
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Capital
Riga
Population
2,290,237 (July 2005 est.)
Regions
26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons
Climate
maritime; wet, moderate winters
Ethnic groups
Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)
Religions
Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Languages
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Government type
parliamentary democracy
Background
After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Visitor's Impressions
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