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Latvia is located on the bank of the Baltic Sea and borders on Lithuania in the south, Estonia in the north, Russia in the east and Belarus in the southeast.
The area of Latvia – about 64,6 thousand square kilometers. The population - 2,3 million people: 59% of Latvians, 29% of Russians, 4% of Belarusians, and also Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians, Jews and representatives of other people.
Time - Latvia is in the Central European time zone: GMT + 2 hours.
The largest cities – the capital of Latvia – Riga (724 thousand people), Daugavpils (108 thousand people), Liepaya (86 thousand people), Yelgava (66 thousand people), Jurmala (56 thousand people) and Ventspils (44 thousand people).
Language - the Official state language of Latvia – Latvian. Russian is widespread.
Currency - the official currency used in Latvia - euro (EUR).
International telephone code of Latvia +371.
The help service of Latvia 1188 – the "hot" telephone line which works 24 hours, 7 days a week and provides information, gives consultations, gives support and help in any situation during travel across Latvia. Here you receive all necessary information: the schedule of traffic, a call of a taxi, the address and shop hours and the serving firms, a contact information of individuals, business and tourist information.
Payment in one minute of conversation is 0,58 euros. It is possible to call both with mobile, and from stationary phones. Call from the mobile phone is also included the tariff established by the mobile operator in the service price.
Phone of help service: 1188. It is more favorable to use the free help www.1188.lv portal where information in the Russian and English languages contains.
Phones of services of emergency aid (free):
In any extreme situation you call by free telephone 112 - universal number of field services. Having called on it, it is possible to call both the ambulance, and police, both firefighters, and emergency service. Operators receive calls in the Latvian, Russian, English and German languages.
The emergency service of gas can be caused by phone 04 or 114.
Smoking ban
In Latvia the law on a smoking ban in public places and rooms extends. It is forbidden to smoke:
Alcohol
USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT RIGA
Riga – the capital of Latvia and the largest city of Baltic. Is in the mouth of the Daugava River on the bank of the Gulf of Riga. Historic center of Riga is entered in the list of the World heritage of UNESCO is one of the biggest collections of buildings in the world jugenstyle.
The population — about 700 000 inhabitants.
Transport — public transport of Riga includes trolleybuses, trams and buses, all types ply from 5.30 a.m to 11.00 p.m. In Riga also there is a concept of "transport on duty". Once an hour after 11.00 p.m separate routes of buses and trams ply in the main directions.
Services of a taxi
Communication in Riga — in Riga works some mobile operators, all of them provide services of a broadcast SMS, MMS and the Internet. The main telecom operators — LMT, TELE2, BITE.
The Internet is available in any part of the city. The wireless Wi-fi networks are in many public places — the Riga airport, cafe, pizzerias, gas stations.
Banks and mail — in Riga there is a number of branches of the largest Latvian banks and the Latvian mail. The largest of them:
The international airport Riga — the airport located in the Marupsky region of Latvia in 13 kilometers from the center of the capital of Latvia of the city of Riga. The most airport terminal in Baltic on the volume of freight and passenger traffic. The Riga airport — base for 5 Latvian airlines: airBaltic, Raf-Avia, LatCharter, Inversija, Vip Avia. The largest airline of the airport — airBaltic. Phone for information - 1817.
The Riga international bus station - the bus station in Riga, is the central point of the international and long-distance bus service of Latvia. The station has 33 platforms on which buses come and go to the cities of Latvia and Europe including from Russia. The bus station is located in the historic and economic center of Riga, between Old Riga, the Central market and the Central station. Address: Pragas Street 1, phone: +371 67226658.
The Riga central station - the passenger terminal of Riga Passenger station, the largest railway station in Riga and Latvia. Station address: Statsiyas 2 Square, phone: +371 67820231
The Riga free port - one of the largest in Latvia, is important transport knot in the Baltic Sea. The Riga port begins in the center of Riga, the Riga port at Vantovy Bridge - where is located the passenger terminal and stretches for 15 kilometers on both coast of Daugava - where cargo terminals for the most various freights settle down. Address: Boulevard Kalpaka 12, Phone: +371 67030800.
USEFUL INFORMATION ABOUT JURMALA
Jurmala — the largest resort of Baltic located on the bank of the Gulf of Riga and stretched along the coast on 30 km. It consists of 15 settlements, the most known among which — Bulduri, Mayori, Dubulti, Dzintari, Vayvari, Melluzhi and Yaunkemeri.
The population — 56 000 inhabitants.
Communication in Jurmala — in Jurmala works some mobile operators, all of them provide services of a broadcast SMS, MMS and the Internet. The main telecom operators — LMT, TELE2, BITE.
The Internet is available in any part of the city. The wireless Wi-fi networks are in many public places — the Riga airport, cafe, pizzerias, gas stations.
Banks and mail — in Jurmala there is a number of branches of the largest Latvian banks and the Latvian mail. The largest of them:
Distances