Area
64,589 sq. km. (24,938 sq. miles)
Location
Northern Europe
Population
2.3 million (as per estimates of 2006) and Population Density of 35.6 per sq. km.
Capital City
Riga with a total population of 727,578 (as per estimates of 2005).
Language
Latvian is the official and most popular language in the country. As a part of former USSR, many people can speak and understand Russian as well. There are some places where German and even English is widely spoken. The official language, i.e., Latvian, belongs to Baltic group of languages, which is a part of Indo-European language family. It has three main dialects spoken in different regions of Latvia, and the most popular is the Latgallian dialect, which is widely in use in the eastern part of the country.
Electricity
AC 220 volts, 50Hz. Two-pin plugs (European Style) are commonly used.
Currency
Latvian Lat (LVL, symbol Ls). 1Ls = 100 Santims.
Notes prevalent = Ls 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, and 500.
Coins prevalent = Ls 1 and 2; Santims 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, and 50.
Currency Exchange
Currency Exchange facility is available through bureaux de change conveniently located at major tourist centres and places of interest, like hotels, restaurants, shops, post offices, and railway stations. Most bureaux close at 1900. For convenience of European travellers, the value of Lat has been tied with Euro.
Credit/Debit Cards and ATMs
Credit/Debit/ATM Cards, like American Express, MasterCard, Visa, Diners Club, and JCB are widely accepted at all major hotels, shopping centres, and restaurants. ATMs are located at convenient locations all over the country.
Traveller's Cheques
Travellers Cheques can be exchanged in most banks in the large towns and cities. The travellers are advised to carry travellers’ cheques in major currencies, like Euros, US Dollars, Pounds Sterling etc., in order to avoid additional exchange rate charges.
Banking Hours
Banks in Latvia function from Monday to Friday from 0900-1700. Most banks are closed on Saturday but some open from 0900-1300.