Latvia in Brief
| National currency: | Euro (EUR), 1 euro consists of 100 cents |
| Official name: | Latvijas Republika (The Republic of Latvia) |
| Government: | Democratic parliamentary republic with one legislative house (Saeima, 100 members) |
| President: | Andris Bērziņš |
| Capital: |
Riga |
| Major cities: | Daugavpils, Rēzekne, Liepāja, Ventspils, Jelgava, Valmiera, Jūrmala, Jēkabpils |
| Official language: | Latvian – an Indo-European, non-Slavic and non-Germanic language similar only to Lithuanian |
| Religion: | Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran); Roman Catholic in the eastern part of the country; |
| Geography: | Northern Europe, on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea, sandy beaches, lowland plains, rolling hills, lake land in the east; |
| Area: |
64,589 km2 |
| Climate: | Summer average +18°C, winter average -3°C |
| Time: | GMT +2 (GMT +3 in summer) |
| Population: | 2,070,000 |
| Ethnic composition: | Latvian 59,0%, Russian 28,5%, Belorussian 3,8%, Ukrainian 2,5%, Polish 2,4%, Lithuanian 1,4% |
| Division into regions: | Kurzeme (western part of Latvia), Zemgale (southern part), Vidzeme (middle and northern part), Latgale (eastern part) |
| Independence Day: | 18th of November |
| History: | From 1200 to 1918 ruled by Germans, Swedes, Poles and Russians; proclaimed as an independent state in 1918; occupied by Nazi Germany and Communist Soviet Union during World War II; under Soviet occupation utill 1991 when Latvia regained its independence |
| Public holidays: | January 1 – New Year, March/April – Easter, May 1 – Labor Day, May 4 – The Day of Declaration of the Independence of the Republic of Latvia, June 23-24 – Ligo, Midsummer night, November 18 – The Proclamation day of the Republic of Latvia, December 24, 25, 26 – Christmas, December 31 – New Year’s Eve |
| More information: | www.latinst.lv |