Area: 64,589 square kilometers or 24,937 square miles.
Regions: Kurzeme, Zemgale, Vidzeme, Latgale.
Total length of the national border: 1,862 km.
Length of the Latvian Baltic Sea coast: 494 km.
Population: 2,272,300
Borders: Estonia, Russia, Belarus and Lithuania.

Short history of Latvia
The Republic of Latvia was founded on November 18, 1918 (November 18 is a national holiday and the day of Latvia's declaration of independence). After the end of the freedom struggle in 1920, several countries recognized Latvia's de jure independence, and 16 foreign missions were established in Riga. Latvia lost its independence in 1940 after the start of World War II. It was first occupied by the Soviet Union (from 1940 to 1941). Then followed the occupation by Nazi Germany (from 1941 to 1945). However, the Soviet Union regained power and occupied Latvia again (from 1945 to 1991). As a result of Gorbachev's reforms, on August 21, 1991, Latvia declared de facto restoration of its independence. It restored international diplomatic relations and joined the United Nations (UN).

The name Latvia comes from the ancient Latgalians, who were one of the four Indo-European tribes involved in the ethnogenesis of Latvians along with Semigallians, Curians and Selons.

Flag of Latvia
The flag of Latvia with three horizontal stripes of maroon and white colors is one of the oldest flags in the world, dating back to the events in the city of Cēsis in the 13th century. According to legend, a mortally wounded general was wrapped in a white sheet along with his sword, and the blood stained both edges of the sheet. After the leader's death, this leaf was used as a flag in the next battle, which brought the Latvians to victory. The design of the Latvian flag is officially adopted and envisaged in the Latvian Constitution - Satversme.

Geography of Latvia and neighboring countries
Latvia is the central country of the Baltic States and is located in north-eastern Europe. Latvia's territory, whose terrain was formed during the Ice Age, consists of rich lowlands in the plains and temperate hills. Most of it is less than 100 meters below sea level. Latvia has a vast network of rivers and lakes, consisting of more than twelve thousand rivers and approximately two thousand lakes. Pine forests, dunes and white sandy beaches are everywhere in Latvia. The sea along the Latvian coast is very shallow, and the Gulf of Riga is no deeper than 26 meters. The highest mountain in Latvia is Gaiziņkalns (312 m). Latvia's neighboring countries are Estonia, Latvia, Russia and Belarus, and Latvia's strategic location facilitates trade and cultural development.

Climate Latvia
Latvia is in the temperate zone, and its climate is influenced by the proximity of the sea and air masses from the Atlantic Ocean. Latvia has four distinct seasons. Summers are mild, but winters - moderately cold; The humidity is relatively high and it rains frequently. The average temperature in summer is 15.8°C and in winter -4.5°C. Temperature records are accordingly at 36.4°C and -43.2°C. The weather in Latvia is characterized by frequent changes of air, since 170 fronts cross the area in February, July and October. These fronts are accompanied by strong winds, which are responsible for February's maximum snowstorms, July's high rainfall and thunderstorms, and October's strong winds, even storms.

Nature of Latvia
With more than 44% of its territory covered by forests and the vast network of rivers and thousands of lakes, Latvia is one of the best preserved sanctuaries for various wildlife. More than 27,000 animal and plant species live under natural conditions in areas that are still relatively untouched by humans. Many rare species such as the black stork and lesser spotted eagle live in their habitats of mixed forests, swamps and meadows. Latvia is also densely populated by otters, beavers, lynxes and wolves, as well as large numbers of deer, elk, foxes and wild boar. It is an interesting place for ornithologists and other bird watchers, particularly the coastal and wetland areas during migration periods, as well as for hunters during official hunting seasons.

Population of Latvia
The indigenous population of Latvia consists of Latvians and Fenno-Ugrian Lives (Livonians). The existing ethnic composition is the result of massive post-war migrations.The following comparison can be made – 77 % of the population were Latvians in 1935, whereas in 1989 this number had decreased to 52 %. Population was 2,248,374 in 2010, and the population dispersal is the following: 68 % live in cities and towns and 32 % – in rural areas.

Latvian language
Latvian is a Baltic language belonging to the Indo-European language family. The only language closely related to the Latvian language is Lithuanian. Latvian has been recognised as one of the most ancient and relatively unchanged languages in the world. It is the native language of approximately 1.5 million people.
Russian and English are also quite common in Latvia, but German, French and Scandinavian languages are rather rare. Latvian is the only official language in Latvia; however, there are several mechanisms in place to provide people who do not know Latvian language with effective legal protection.
The ethnic composition of Latvia is the following: 59.4 % are Latvians, 27.6 % – Russians, 3.6 % –Belarusians, 2.5 % – Ukrainians, 2.3 % – Poles, 1.3 % – Lithuanians, 3.3 % – other nationalities.