Latvia Country Guide

Latvia is a country that is quickly coming to the world's attention. It's hard not to feel the buzzing sense of excitement that seems to surround the country, especially the capital city, Riga. Prior to the occupation by the Soviets, Latvia was a dynamic country with an exciting future. Since independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Latvia has recovered its sense of dynamism, and is once again an exciting and intriguing place to visit.

Join the Latvians in welcoming in a new era for their country!

Use our Latvia Country Guide below to get some background information on the country. You can also check out what there is to see and do whilst in Latvia, or the great Latvia tours on offer to help you see this beautiful country.

Check out the latest Latvia Travel features on You Tube.

Latvia Country Guide

Useful information on this page includes:

Take a look at our Latvia weather page for a six-day Riga weather forecast and for some useful information about the climate in Latvia.

The international dialling code for Latvia is 371. To dial internationally from within Latvia, dial 00 followed by the relevant country code and phone number. For all six digit numbers you need to add a 2 after the 371. Phone cards are commonly used, and come in denominations for 2, 3, 5 or 10 Lats. They can be purchased in post offices, telephone offices and state-run stores.

Emergency numbers whilst in Latvia are: Ambulance (03); Police (02); & Fire (01).

Internet cafes can be found throughout all major cities & towns, especially in Riga.

Postal services can take up to one week to reach destinations in Western Europe, longer for other international destinations. Post boxes on the street are identifiable by their bright yellow colour.

The official currency of Latvia is the Lat (L), which is divided into one hundred santimi. Notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 Lats whereas the coins used are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 santims and 1 and 2 Lats. Check the current exchange rate at OANDA.com - The Currency Site. Latvia plans to adopt the Euro in 2008.

The best place to exchange foreign currency in Latvia is at the currency booths (Valutas Maina), which offer a better rate than most banks. They accept a wide range of currencies, although Euros and US Dollars are the most convenient and will normally get you the best rate. The booths are found in a number of places, including hotels, shops, post offices and train stations.

Travellers cheques and credit cards are widely accepted, especially in the bigger cities. In some country towns you may have difficulty exchanging travellers cheques, and therefore some hard currency is recommended.

Value Added Tax (VAT) in Latvia stands at 18% and it applies to most goods and services. Most shops and restaurants include VAT in the final price. If there is any doubt, do not hesitate to ask, to avoid any confusion when it comes to payment.

As the service charge is included in the bill at most hotels and restaurants, tipping is not common and is at your discretion. If the service charge is not included, tipping would normally be about 10 to 15%. For taxi drivers, leaving small change will normally be fine. Otherwise a tip of 5 to 10% would be sufficient.

Electricity in Latvia is 220 Volts AC, 50Hz and European two pin plugs are used.

To view a list of Latvian embassies around the world, as well as foreign embassies within Latvia, click on this link to EmbassyWorld.com.

Population - 2.2 million people.
Total Area - 64,589 square kilometres.
Capital - Riga (875,000 people).
Time Zone - (GMT+2) but practices Daylight Savings Time from the last Sunday in March to the last Sunday in October. This puts it 3 hours ahead during these periods.

To view the current time in Riga, click on this link to TimeAndDate.com.

The official language is Latvian, which bears a vague resemblance to Lithuanian, but not to any other European languages. However, Russian, English and German are widely spoken, especially in the cities and major tourist destinations. Learning a few key phrases may be useful. Some common Latvian phrases that are handy to know are:

THANK YOU - Paldies
PLEASE - Ludzu
HELLO - Labdien
HI - Chau!
GOOD BYE - Atā
I DONT UNDERSTAND - Es nesaprotu
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST? - Cik tas maksa?
DO YOU SPEAK ENGLISH? - Vai Jus runajat angliski?
IM SORRY - Atvainojiet
MY NAME IS ... - Mani sauc ...
WHAT IS YOUR NAME? - Ka tevi sauc?
HOW DO I GET TO ...? - Ka noklut lidz ...?

Latvia lies in Eastern Europe and shares its coastline with the Baltic Sea & the Gulf of Riga. It shares land borders with Lithuania, Estonia, Russia & Belarus. To view a map of Latvia, click on this link to WorldAtlas.com.

Follow the link to view a current list of public holidays in Latvia.

On public holidays, most businesses, banks and shops will normally be closed. Latvia's holidays coincide with those of many other Western countries.

Latvia doesn't have an official religion; however Lutheran, Roman Catholic and Russian Orthodox are all practiced.

Latvia is a member of the European Union, and as such most nationalities, including US, Canadian, Australian and Japanese, do not require a visa for visits up to 90 days. However, it is recommended that anyone wishing to visit Latvia should contact the Latvian consulate in their home country, as visa regulations can change quickly.

Obtaining medical assistance is not difficult in urban Latvia, paying an outpatient fee at a hospital is all that is required. However, medical assistance in rural Latvia is not easily available. It is best to carry one’s own first-aid kit instead of depending on the slow, and often unresponsive medical facilities. Since air ambulance services are almost nonexistent, visitors should be well prepared for all emergencies, more so while travelling in remote and thinly populated areas. It is best to carry one’s own medicines too as most drugs are prescription drugs.

Drinking water is another area of concern in Latvia. Tap water must be boiled before drinking. Another option is to buy the reasonably priced bottled water.

Medical care must be sought immediately in case of a cat, dog or snake bite. Although snakes are generally not poisonous, dogs and cats may carry the rabies virus. Mosquitoes are nothing more than an annoyance during summer; they do not cause any disease.

Latvia has had a multi-ethnic population for centuries. However, dramatic changes in the demographics of the nation occurred after events such as the Holocaust, the World Wars, the deportation and emigration of the Baltic Germans and the occupation by the Soviets. The indigenous people of Latvia, the Livonians and the Latvians, constitute about 60% of the population while Russians form 28%. Among the people of Russian origin about 56% today are Latvian citizens.

Latvia's geographic location has always been a very advantageous one. This unfortunately, was also the reason for the many invasions by bigger nations. Latvian history has been defined by these numerous invasions.

On 26 January 1921, Latvia was recognised as an independent nation by the international community. Many other countries slowly recognised the country's independence too, and on 22 September 1922 Latvia became a member of the League of Nations.

Independence did not last long, however, and the Soviet military occupied Latvia in August 1940. Latvia was made a republic of the USSR after the communists won an election, the authenticity of which is often doubted. The nationalist feelings that rose among the Latvians after this event were not tolerated and within a year, around 35,000 Latvians fled the country, or were deported or killed.

During World War II, it was Nazi Germany's turn to occupy Latvia. The Latvians initially considered the Nazis to be their liberators and joined the German forces. However, the Nazis wiped out 90,000 Latvian Jews. In 1944 and 1945, to get away from the Soviets who re-conquered Latvia, many Latvians fled to the West. World War II saw Latvia lose around 450,000 lives. The losses continued under Stalin. From 1945 to 1949, around 175,000 Latvians were deported or killed. Latvia remained under Soviet rule for the next four decades.

On 6 September 1991, Latvia regained independence. Already a member of the League of Nations, it now became a member of the United Nations. Among the three Baltic States, Latvia soon became the first to be part of the World Trade Organisation.

On 2 April 2004, Latvia took another step towards fulfilling its foreign policy goals; it became a member of NATO and on 1 May of the same year, all three Baltic States became members of the European Union.