Welcome to Latvia
The Republic of Latvia is a Baltic country in Northern Europe. The Latvians are culturally related to the Estonians and Lithuanians, with the Latvian language closely resembling the Lithuanian language, though not the Estonian. The country is located on the Eastern shore of the Baltic sea, rendering the climate humid, continental and temperate. Weather during the summer, spring and autumn ranges from warm to fairly mild, thought the winters can be harsh because of the Northern location. Common fauna in Latvia includes deers, wild boars, moose, lynxes, bears, foxes, beavers and wolves.
Latvian folklore relies heavily on dance and songs more than a thousand years old. In fact, over a million texts and 30,000 melodies of folk songs have been identified. Even though Christianity is the largest religion in Latvia, the local pagan heritage has also been preserved, and one of the most popular celebrations is the Jani summer solstice festival.
Administratively speaking, Latvia was divided into five planning regions in 2009, namely Riga, Kurzeme, Latgale, Zemgale and Vidzeme. Riga is the capital of Latvia and its largest city, as well as one of the major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centers of the Baltics. Some of the most visited Latvian attractions are located in Riga, including the Lutheran cathedral (the largest church in the Baltic states), Riga Castle (home of the Museum of Latvian History, the Museum of Foreign Art, and the president's official residence), St. John's Church (a small 13th-century chapel), St James's Roman Catholic cathedral, Riga Museum of History and Navigation (among the largest and oldest museums in the Baltic states), Riga Circus (which is the only permanently situated circus in the Baltic states), Vērmanes Garden (the oldest public garden in the city), and the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, which keeps a record of Latvian seizure and occupation by different invaders between the years of 1940 and 1991.