2,439,800 (1999).

37.8 per sq km.

Riga

815,851 (1997).

Latvia is situated on the Baltic coast and borders Estonia in the north, Lithuania in the south, the Russian Federation in the east and Belarus in the southeast. The coastal plain is mostly flat, but inland to the east the land is hilly with forests and lakes. There are about 12,000 rivers in Latvia, the biggest being the River Daugava. The ports of Riga, Liepaja and Ventspils never freeze over during the winter.

Republic. Gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State: President Guntis Ulmanis since 1993. Head of Government: Prime Minister Guntars Krasts since 1997.

Latvian is the official language. It is an Indo-European, non-Slavic and non-Germanic language and is similar only to Lithuanian. Russian and, increasingly, English are widely spoken. German may also be understood.

Predominantly Protestant (Lutheran) with Roman Catholic communities in the east of the country. There is also a Russian Orthodox minority.

GMT + 2 (GMT + 3 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in October).

220 volts AC, 50Hz. European-style 2-pin plugs are in use.