Capital: Riga 
Government: parliamentary democracy 
Currency: Latvian lat (LVL) 
Area: 64,589 sq km 
Population: 2,274,735 (July 2006 est.) 
Language: Latvian (official), Russian (understood, especially in Riga), English, other 
Religion: Lutheran, Catholic, Muslim, Russian Orthodox, Jewish 
Electricity: 220V/50Hz (European plug) 
Calling Code: +371 
Internet TLD: .lv 
Time Zone: UTC+2

  Latvia is a European state which is situated on the coast of Baltic Sea. One of the three Baltic states, Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus on the south east, and the Baltic Sea on the west. The most famous travel spot is the capital Riga, a World Heritage Site. It is however higly recommended to go to many other great places, both urban and rural, such as Liepaja with its unique former secret military town of Karosta and a magnificent beach. Kuldiga with Europe`s widest waterfall and Cesis with its medieval castle ruins are also interesting. Tourists can also enjoy the wild beauty of Latvia`s unspoilt sea coast, which is 500 km long and consists mainly of white, soft sandy beaches. Forests, which cover approximately a half of Latvia`s territory, offer many nature trails and nature parks.