20 Interesting Facts about Latvia

• Location and Borders: Latvia is located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Belarus to the southeast, and Russia to the east. It also has a coastline along the Baltic Sea to the west.
• Square: The country covers an area of approximately 64,589 square kilometers.
• National Currency: The currency of Latvia is the Euro (EUR).

Interesting Facts about Latvia:

1. Art Nouveau Capital: Riga, the capital of Latvia, is renowned for its Art Nouveau architecture. About one-third of the buildings in Riga are constructed in this style, popular in Europe in the early 20th century. There are over 800 such buildings in the city.
2. Oldest National Flag: The Latvian flag is one of the oldest national flags in the world, second only to the Danish flag. The current design of the Latvian flag has been in use since 1280.
3. Forested Land: Approximately 54% of Latvia’s territory is covered by forests, making it one of the greenest countries in Europe.
4. Movie Filming Location: Riga has been the filming location for many movies, gaining particular fame from the Sherlock Holmes series. The streets of Old Riga featured not only the apartments of Watson and Holmes but many other scenes as well.
5. Language Usage: When communicating with foreigners, English is the most commonly used language, with German and French being used less frequently.
6. First Christmas Tree: While it is commonly believed that the first Christmas tree was erected in Strasbourg, the first decorated Christmas tree was actually in Riga in 1510, 95 years earlier.
7. Environmental Protection: Local authorities in Latvia are highly active in preventing environmental pollution. The country ranks second in the Environmental Performance Index.
8. Rye Bread: Latvia is famous for its rye bread, which is considered one of the 40 most unique products in the EU.
9. National Dish: The main national dish of Latvia is pea porridge with bacon. Another unique local dish is herring with sour cream and cottage cheese.
10. National Sport: Ice hockey is Latvia’s national sport. For such a small country, the sport holds a significant place.
11. Bicycle Licenses: In Latvia, children under 16 must have a driver’s license to ride a bicycle.
12. Origin of Jeans: While jeans are often associated with the USA, thanks to Jacob Davis and Levi Strauss, few know that while Strauss came from Germany, Davis was from Latvia.
13. Riga Black Balsam: The famous Riga Black Balsam contains 24 plant ingredients, which are aged in oak barrels and used as a remedy for colds.
14. Explorer: In 1949, Latvian explorer Alexander Laime became the first person to reach Angel Falls in the tropical forests of Venezuela.
15. Smoking Ban: Latvia has strict laws prohibiting smoking within 10 meters of public places.
16. Light Festival: During the Latvian Light Festival, locals make the most of the daylight by hosting outdoor parties and enjoying nature.
17. Public Transport: Public transportation costs €0.60 per trip. You can buy tickets for multiple trips at a reduced cost.
18. Currency: The national currency used to be the Latvian lats, which was one of the strongest currencies in the world. 1 lat was equal to approximately 0.5 USD or 0.7 EUR.
19. Coastline: Latvia has a coastline along the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga that stretches over 500 kilometers.
20. International Memberships: Latvia has been a member of NATO since 2004, the European Union since May 1, 2004, the Schengen Agreement since 2007, and the World Trade Organization.