The Baltic country in North-Eastern Europe is washed by the waters of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, and borders on land with, and. In a state with an area of 64.5 thousand square meters. km there are 2.4 million citizens. The capital is the city of Riga. The Riga seaside is famous for its sandy beaches surrounded by pine forests, clean lakes and fresh air.
The territory of Latvia is flat, only in the east and west there are small hills, the most significant of which are the Vidzeme Upland, which reaches 312 m above sea level. There are 2,585 rivers and 2,288 lakes in small Latvia.
The climate is transitional - from maritime to continental, moderated by the Baltic Sea. Winds from the Atlantic bring precipitation, so the sky over the country is almost always overcast, and there are only 30–40 sunny days a year. It rains least in May. The average summer temperature does not exceed +20 °C; heat around +30 °C is considered abnormal in Latvia. Winters are mild, usually January temperatures do not reach −10 °C.
Once upon a time, the lands of modern Latvia were covered with forests; in places where trees were cut down, meadows were formed, suitable for grazing livestock. Only 1% of the land is natural fields. 10% of the territories are wetlands, mainly in the east of the country and in coastal areas. Over time, many swamps turned into lakes or dried out and became fertile soils.
The fauna differs little from that of northern Europe; 62 species of mammals are found here, some of which wander into the country, for example, the spotted seal. In Latvia there are about three hundred species of birds, including rare ones, 29 species of fish, and more than 17 thousand species of invertebrates.
Just 15-20 years ago, the name of the country Latvia in Europe, and in the world, perhaps, would not have evoked any associations. Perhaps many, having learned that we are talking about a state, would ask, not without curiosity: “Where is Latvia on the world map?” However, today the situation has changed a little. After all, this country has been considered a full member of the European Union since 2004. And this means that somewhere, somewhere, but in this country they already know it quite well. And it is unlikely that any European will ask: “Where is Latvia on the map?”
Baltic beauty
Neighbors of Latvia
After you have found the place where Latvia is located on the world map, you need to consider the states neighboring it. It borders on Lithuania in the south, Russia in the east, Belarus in the southeast and Estonia in the north. It also shares a water border with Sweden. Latvia, like the other two former Baltic republics that are part of the USSR, is today a party to the Schengen Agreement, therefore, if you have a Schengen visa, you can freely enter this country from Lithuania and Estonia by land, from Sweden by water, and from other Schengen countries zones - by air.
Natural landscape
Latvia has beautiful, pristine nature. Since the country is not rich in mineral resources, its landscape and the country's natural world have remained largely untouched by human hands.
The land where Latvia is located has always been rich in deciduous and coniferous forests and lush shrubs. The coastal zone is strewn with golden, very fine sand. In addition, almost ten percent of the territory of Latvia is occupied by swamps, and a fairly large area is made up of lakes, of which there are about three thousand in Latvia. They are predominantly of glacial origin. There are about 680 protected areas in this ecologically clean country. Latvians are very careful about their natural world, plants and animals, air and water resources.
Climate of Latvia
As for the climatic conditions of the country, despite the fact that on the land area where Latvia is located on the world map, that is, in the north of Europe, it should be quite cool, in Latvia, however, the climate is temperate, going from maritime to continental. This is facilitated by warm sea currents. The hottest month in Latvia (of course, if a temperature of +20 degrees can be called hot) is July. In fact, the air during this period warms up to a maximum of 19 degrees. Although there were also cases when the thermometer reached 36 degrees - something incredible for Latvians. However, such abnormal heat is extremely rare here. But the coldest month is January, when the air cools to -2, maximum to -7 degrees. As you can see, winter for this region is more than mild, but fabulously snowy and incredibly beautiful. In Latvia, precipitation of any type is not uncommon. Most of the year the sky over the country is cloudy.
May is considered the sunniest and driest month, but in recent years, due to climate instability throughout the planet, the weather in Latvia is also becoming unpredictable and is increasingly surprising Latvians. Nevertheless, the stable geological state of the country does not allow any serious natural disasters.
Conclusion
Those who have already visited Latvia immediately notice that this is a truly European country. And the long stay within the USSR did not change the customs and morals of this people at all. Since 2004, Latvia, like its close neighbors Lithuania and Estonia, has joined the large European family.
(Latvian republic)
General information
Geographical position. State in northeastern Europe. In the north it borders with Estonia, in the east with Russia, in the south with Belarus and Lithuania. In the west it is washed by the Baltic Sea.
Square. The territory of Latvia occupies 64,500 square meters. km.
Main cities, administrative divisions. The capital of Latvia is Riga. The largest cities: Riga (924 thousand people), Daugavpils (128 thousand people), Liepaja (114 thousand people). Administratively, Latvia is divided into 26 districts (counties).
Political system
Latvia is a republic. The head of state is the president. The head of government is the prime minister. The legislative body is the unicameral Sejm.
Relief. Most of the territory is occupied by a low-lying plain, hilly in the west and east.
Geological structure and minerals. Latvia is not rich in mineral resources, but the country has deposits of dolomite, limestone, and peat.
Climate. The climate of Latvia is transitional from maritime to continental. The average temperature in July is from +16 to +18°C. In January on the Baltic Sea coast it is -2°C. In the eastern regions -7°C. The sunniest and driest month is May. There are 150-170 cloudy days a year in Latvia.
Inland waters. Latvia has a developed river network, all rivers belong to the Baltic Sea basin. The largest rivers: Daugava, Lielupe, Venta, Gauja. Lakes occupy 1.5 percent of the country's territory, most of them of glacial origin. The deepest lake is Drizda (61.1 m). The lakes are used for fishing. 4.8% of the territory is occupied by swamps.
Soils and vegetation. The soils are podzolic and marshy. Deciduous and coniferous tree species are widely represented in the forests of Latvia.
Animal world. The fauna of Latvia is not very diverse, but in the forests there are a large number of deer, hares, roe deer, and wild boars. The Black Crane is quite common.
Population and language
The population is 2.386 million people. Ethnic groups: Latvians - 51.8%, Russians - 33.8%, Belarusians - 4.5%, Ukrainians - 3.4%, Poles - 2.3%. Languages: Latvian (state), Russian.
Religion
Religion: Evangelical Lutherans, Orthodox.
Brief historical sketch
Since the 13th century. Latvia was alternately under the rule of Germany, Poland and Russia. Latvia passed to Russia in 1795 after the third partition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.
After the October Revolution of 1917 Latvia got a chance to gain sovereignty and declared independence on November 19, 1918. On August 5, 1940, the country was annexed by the USSR as the 15th republic.
Brief Economic Sketch
Latvia is an industrial-agrarian country. The leading industries are mechanical engineering and metalworking (power engineering, electrical engineering, radio-electronic industry, production of communications equipment and instrument making, transport, and agricultural engineering). The chemical and petrochemical, light (textile, knitwear, etc.), food (meat and dairy, fish, etc.), forestry, woodworking and pulp and paper, glass and porcelain-faience industries are developed; production of perfumery and cosmetic products; artistic crafts: processing of leather, amber, wood carving, embroidery. The main branch of agriculture is livestock farming (dairy and beef cattle breeding and bacon pig farming). Crops of grain (rye, wheat, barley), fodder crops. Fiber flax and sugar beets are also grown. Potato growing, vegetable growing. Beekeeping, fur farming. Resorts: Jurmala, Liepaja, Kelari, Baldone, etc. Export: products of mechanical engineering, light and food industries.
The monetary unit is lat.
Brief sketch of culture
Art and architecture. Riga. Dome Cathedral (XIII century); Church of St. John (XV century); St. Peter's Cathedral (XVI century); The old town, surrounded by a moat; guild building (XIV century). Liepaja. Cathedral (XVIII century). Cesis. Castle (XIV century). Jelgava. Cathedral (XVII century).
Literature. J. Rainis (1865-1929) - poet and playwright, who wrote in figurative metaphorical form, full of deep philosophical symbolism and lyricism, using folklore motifs, author of poetry collections (“Distant Echoes on a Blue Evening”), poetic plays (“Blow, Breeze” ").
The Republic of Latvia or Latvia is a Northern European state located on the shores of the Baltic Sea. The capital of the state is the city of Riga. From 1944 until 1991, the country was part of the former Soviet Union.
Map of Latvia in Russian.
In the east, Latvia borders with Russia, in the south there are borders with Belarus and Lithuania, in the north with Estonia. The total length of the land borders is 1,862 kilometers. The west of the country is washed by the waters of the Gulf of Riga and the Baltic Sea for 500 kilometers. The state borders Sweden by sea. The total area of the country is 64.5 thousand square kilometers. 2 million 217 thousand people live in Latvia. Almost half of the country's territory (about 44%) is occupied by forests. There are more than 3 thousand lakes and 12 thousand rivers in Latvia. Daugava (Western Dvina) is the largest river. In the north of the country there is the Kurzeme Peninsula with Cape Kolkasrags. Mount Gaizinkalns is the highest point, its height is 311 meters.
Detailed map of Latvia with cities.
Latvia is a parliamentary republic. This is a unitary state with 110 territories and 9 large cities with republican status. Latvia is a member of the European Union and NATO. Since 2004, it has become a member of the Schengen Agreement.
Road map of Latvia.
Map of Latvia from satellite. Explore the satellite map of Latvia online in real time. A detailed map of Latvia was created based on high-resolution satellite images. As close as possible, the satellite map of Latvia allows you to study in detail the streets, individual houses and attractions of Latvia. The map of Latvia from a satellite can easily be switched to regular map mode (diagram).
Latvia– one of the Baltic states, which is located in northeastern Europe. The shores of Latvia are washed by the Baltic Sea. The capital of the country is the city of Riga. Despite the fact that the official language is Latvian, most residents understand and speak Russian well.
Most of the attractions are concentrated in Riga, the cultural center of the country. This city is rightfully considered one of the most beautiful in Europe. This is an ancient city with a huge number of attractions. With its monuments and architecture, Riga has rightfully earned a place on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Latvia is a fairly popular country in terms of tourism. In the summer, many tourists come to the Baltic Sea coast for an excellent seaside holiday. Jurmala is considered the most prestigious summer resort. In addition to ordinary residents of Latvia, film and pop stars vacation in Jurmala. This city is also famous for the annual New Wave competition.