Latvia

Capital City: Riga

People: Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2%

Religion: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

Language: Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3%

Currency: Latvian Lats

Electrical Voltage: 220 volts

How to get there:
By Plane: To Riga International Airport, you can arrive from various European (London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Barcelona, etc) cities, Middle East (Tel Aviv, Dubai), CIS (Moscow, Kiev, Minsk) as well as North America New York City.
Inexpensive national airline: Air Baltic. There are also other low-cost carriers Ryanair and EasyJet.

Weather: The best time to travel to Latvia is from June to mid September, when it is warm and plenty of local food is available. January and February are the coldest months. October and November have autumn rains and daylight is short. You will probably not experience a very high comfort level while traveling in Latvia, so this is really a trip for active and self-motivated people.

Travel Documentation and Custom Duty: Citizens of many countries, including Australia, Canada, United States, Mexico, New Zealand, do not need a visa to enter Latvia for up to 90 days. As of May 1, 2004, Latvia is a member of the European Union, so citizens of EU countries do not need a visa for 90 days in 6 month period. If you want to stay longer you will need to get a residency permit. Health or travel insurance must be presented at border crossing points.

Getting Around: Airplane, Bus, Car, Trains

Tourism Website: http://www.latviatourism.lv/

Medical Facilities:

Banks:

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