Capital: Riga 699 203

Area: 64.569 km2

Population: 2.201.196

Ethnic groups: Latvians 59,20 %, Russians27,79 %, Belorussians 3,62 %, others 9,39 %

Language: Latvian (Baltic language is most closely related to Lithuanian)

Religion: Lutheranism is the main Christian denomination among ethnic Latvians while Roman Catholicism is most prevalent in Eastern Latvia. The Latvian Orthodox Church is the third largest Christian church in Latvia.

Neighboring countries: Estonia, Belarus, Lithuania, Russia

Climate: ranges between maritime and continental. The average temperatures are +19°C in July and -3°C in January.

Time zone: UTC + 2 hours.

National currency: the euro (from 1 January 2014)

Joined the European union: 1 May 2004

Visa: EU citizens do not require a visa

Travel documents: Latvia joined Schengen on 21st Dec 2007. If you are an EU national , you do not need to show your national ID card or passport when you are travelling from one border-free Schengen EU country to another. It is still always highly recommended to take a passport or ID card with you, so you can prove your identity if needed.