Facts - About Latvia - EN - Latvijas Krājbanka

Latvia:

Latvia is a democratic, parliamentary republic. Since the restoration of independence in 1991, Latvia has been pursuing full economic and political integration into European and world structures.

The Republic of Latvia was established as a parliamentary democracy in 1918. On August 21 1991 its de facto independence was recognized. Thus, Latvia proclaimed itself and in fact became a fully independent nation.

Moving into its second decade of renewed independence, Latvia looks forward to an increasingly prominent role in the new Europe. By working together with the EU and NATO, Latvia is helping shape the 21st century. Latvia today is renewing the old, creating the new and proudly displaying a revitalised national presence on the European scene. The rest of the world is rediscovering Latvia as well. It is discovering a country that has been a sovereign state since 1918, but has had a national state of mind for centuries. Latvia is actively developing its prominent new role in a rapidly globalising world community. Geography: Latvia is located in North-Eastern Europe, on the East coast of the Baltic Sea. The landscape of the country is marked by lowland plains and rolling hills. Most of the countryside is less than 100 metres above sea level.

Nature:

Latvia is a country of splendid and diverse natural landscapes. Forests cover 44% of the territory. There are parts where it is still possible to enjoy the beauty and uniqueness of nature untouched by man. Latvia distinguishes itself with a large variety of flora and fauna – the total is around 27.7 thousand species. Latvia's fauna is typical for a region with mixed forests. Latvia has the largest otter population in Europe, and there is a much greater chance of seeing the rare black stork in Latvia's forests than in any other European country.

Climate:

Summer: June - August
Winter: December - February
Average temperature:
summer: 15.8°C
winter: -4.5°C
The warmest month: July
The coldest month: January
Average amount of precipitation:
summer: 195 mm
winter: 116 mm