Latvia

• Latvia, officially the Republic of Latvia, is a country in the Baltic region of Eastern Europe.

Ethnic groups

59.4% Latvian

27.5% Russian

3.6% Belarusian 

2.5% Ukrainian

2.31% Polish

4.69% other

• Population of Latvia is 2.22 million.• The capital city is Riga.• Riga is divided into the two parts by river

Daugava.

Old Riga.

• Old Riga is the historical and geographical centre of Riga, located on the right bank of the Daugava River.

• The Freedom Monument is a memorial located in Riga.

• Riga’s coat of arms

• Latvia is divided in four regions : Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale.

Castles• There are a lot of beautiful castles in Latvia like : Rundāles castle .

• Cēsu castle ruins.

• Bīriņu castle.

• Cesvaines castle.

Nature.• The higest point in Latvia is Gaiziņkals,which is 321m above sea level.

View from top of the tower of Gaizinkalns.

• Gauja is one of the longest rivers in Latvia, with a length of 452 kilometers. There are sandstone cliffs all around the bank.

• Latvia’s national trees are oak and linden.

• Latvia’s national bird is the White Wagtail. The White Wagtail was affirmed the national bird of Latvia in 1960 by the International Bird Protection Council.

• Oxeye daisy also known as the marguerite is national flower of Latvia. Daisies are a very popular flower and are often used in flower arrangements or given as gifts.

Culture.• Latvian Nationwide Song and Dance

Celebration. The first Latvian Nationwide Song Celebration took place in 1873. Each festival presents many concerts and dance events, large and small, but the climax is the closing combined choir concert, in which the massed choir can include as many as 20,000 singers!

National food.

• Latvian cuisine has been a heavily influenced by German, Swedish, and Russian cuisine.A typical, truly Latvian, dish would be something like boiled black peas with small snippets of bacon.

Jāņi.

• In Latvia, celebration of the summer solstice is oldest and most beloved traditional holiday. The nearly three-day long midsummer fest concludes on June 24th, the day known to Latvians as ‘Jāņi’. Most leave the cities to gather with family and friends around thousands of bonfires, where special foods, beverages, songs, dances and rituals celebrate the movement of the setting and rising of the midnight sun.