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Geography of Latvia

Located in Eastern Europe, Latvia is part of the Baltic States and is bordered by Estonia, Lithuania, Russia and Belarus. Before the Second World War, Latvia bordered Poland. The capital of the country and its main tourist destination is Riga, which has plenty of historical and cultural sights that are worth visiting. The other tourist spots include the town of Karosta, which has a long, beautiful beach, the town of Kuldiga, where the widest waterfall in Europe is set, and the town of Cessi with its lovely Medieval castle. The country is part of the Eastern European Plain, and has low-lying fertile plains covered densely by pine forest, unspoilt 500 km long sea coast with white sandy beaches, many nature parks and trails. The land that covers Latvia is cut by five major rivers, the Daugava, Gauja, Lielupe, Salaca and Venta.

Wildlife species which are common on the territory of Latvia include deer, wild boar, foxes and wolves. The climate in Latvia is continental and humid, influenced by the Baltic Sea. The summer months are warm, while the winter months can be very cold with severe snowfall and freezing winds. The springs and autumns are mild and very pleasant, and probably the best periods to come for a trip. Administratively, Latvia is divided into 26 districts and has seven cities that have special status. There are five regions in the country, and these are Kurzeme, Riga, Latgale, Zamgale and Vidzeme. The population in the country has been multi-ethnic for many centuries now.

The indigenous people in Latvia are the Latvians and the Livonians, which comprise 60% of the population today, followed by 28% Russian and some small minority groups. The official language in the country is Latvian, which is part of the Indo-European language group. In some parts of Latvia, the Livonian language is also spoken, though almost extinct now. The most widespread minority language which once had an official status is Russian. The religion in Latvia is Christianity, which can be divided into three groups, the largest of which is Roman Catholic, followed by Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox.