About Latvia

General Information
Latvia is a country on the Baltic Sea between Lithuania and Estonia. Its landscape is marked by wide beaches as well as dense, sprawling forests. Latvia’s capital is Riga, home to notable wooden and art nouveau architecture, a vast Central Market and a medieval Old Town with St. Peter’s Church. Riga’s museums include the Latvian Ethnographic Open-Air Museum, showcasing local crafts, food and music.

Population
The current population of Latvia is 1,942,138 as of Sunday, September 17, 2017, based on the latest United Nations estimates. Latvia population is equivalent to 0.03% of the total world population.

Political Structure
The politics of Latvia takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the Prime Minister is the head of government, and of a multi-party system. The President holds a primarily ceremonial role as Head of State.

Infrastructure and Economy
Latvia has a relatively well-developed infrastructure and a diversified industrial base, which accounts for about 26% of GDP. Agriculture constitutes approximately 5% of GDP and centers around the cultivation of potatoes, cereals, fodder, and other crops, as well as dairy farming. The largest sector of the economy is the service sector, with wholesale and retail trade, transportation, financial services, communications, and real estate management the most important industries.

Language
Latvian is the official language of Latvia. It was previously known in English as Lettish, and “Lettish” remains the most commonly used name for the Latvian language.

Currency
The currency code for Latvia is LVL, and the currency symbol is Ls. The Latvian Lat was replaced by the Euro on January 1, 2014.