| Area: |
64,589 sq km (24,938 sq miles). |
| Location: |
Eastern Europe |
| Bordering Countries: |
Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 |
| Population: |
2.3 million (UN, 2005) |
| Capital: |
Riga |
| Population: |
739,232 (2003) |
| Climate: |
The climate is maritime, wet. Winters are moderate. |
| Language: |
Latvian is the official language. It is an Indo-European, non-Slavic and non-Germanic language and is similar only to Lithuanian. Russian is the mother tongue of over 30 per cent of the population and is understood by most people. English and German may also be understood. |
| Religion: |
Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran) with 19 per cent of the population being Roman Catholic. There is also a Russian Orthodox minority. |
| Government: |
Parliamentary democracy |
| Currency: |
Latvian lat |
| Electricity: |
220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style two-pin plugs are in use. |
| Natural resources: |
Limestone, peat, dolomite, wood, arable land,
Hydropower and amber. |
| Industries: |
Synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, washing machines, vans, buses, cars, railroad cars, electronics, fertilizers, processed fertilizers, processed foods, pharmaceuticals. |
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