Latvia : Country overview

Geography

• Full country name: The Republic of Latvia.
• Population: 2.23 million (July 2010, World Factbook).
• Border countries: Estonia to the north, Russia and Belarus to the east, Lithuania to the south. Also shares a maritime border with Sweden on the Baltic Sea.
• Climate: there is heavy rain in late summer and cold winters due to winds from Siberia.
• Terrain: the country is mostly flat and forested, with a large number of lakes in the southeast.
• Natural hazards: there are no major natural hazards, but snow, ice and fog can pose risks to motorists and pedestrians during winter months.

Living in Latvia

• Cost of living: relatively high compared with average earnings and the country suffers from quite high inflation. Accommodation can be expensive in main cities but there are no restrictions on non-Latvians owning property.
• Internet domain: .lv
• Health: The state-funded, medical service is available for nationals and non-nationals of Latvia, as well as citizens of the EU and Swiss Confederation, who reside in Latvia due to employment or as self-employed persons.
• Laws and customs: drinking alcohol in public is forbidden. Possession of even small amounts of drugs can lead to lengthy pre-trial detention.

Economy and finance

• Currency: the lat (LVL). Plans to adopt the Euro have been shelved for the foreseeable future.
• Type of economy: Western, capitalist.
• Health of economy: the economy had experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07 but entered a severe recession in 2008 as a result of the world’s financial crisis. Unemployment is high (17%), the housing market is collapsing, with prices falling by over 60% in value and huge numbers of working age people have left the country.
• Unemployment rate: 17%.
• Main exports: timber and wood products, fish and fish products. Key areas for growth and investment in the next few years are timber and processing, transport infrastructure, regeneration and construction, and telecommunications.

Culture

• People: Latvians, 59%; Russians, 29%; remainder is made up of other ethnic groups.
• Religion: Lutheran, 20%; Orthodox, 15%; other Christian, 1%.
• History: for an overview of the history of Latvia, look at the BBC Country Profile: Latvia.

Politics

• Type of government: parliamentary democracy.
• Major political parties: New Era Party, People’s Party, Union of Greens and Farmers, LPP/LC - Latvia’s First Party (LPP) and Latvia Way (LC), Harmony Centre, and For the Fatherland and Freedom.

Travel advice

Find the latest travel advice on Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).