Latvia is a country in Europe, with about 1.85 million people (2025) and an area of 64,590 square kilometres. Its capital is Riga, and it shares land borders with 4 countries.
By Team Geography·Last reviewed
Flag of LatviaLatvia in solid, land neighbours outlined, capital marked.
The app teaches each country through short hand written lenses: PLACE for physical geography, STORY for history and identity, NOW for the news, and THREAD for the ties between countries. Here is one of Latvia's 5, in full.
PLACELens 1 of 5
The middle Baltic state and its wide gulf
Latvia sits between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, with a 498-kilometer Baltic coastline that curves inward to form the Gulf of Riga. The Daugava River, the country's defining waterway, flows westward from the Belarusian border to empty into the gulf at Riga. The terrain is mostly low-lying plains and gentle hills, with forests covering more than half the land. Riga, the capital, is the largest city in the Baltic states, positioned at the point where the Daugava meets the sea.
More on Daugava River
Rising in the Valdai Hills of Russia, the Daugava flows 1,020 kilometers through Belarus and Latvia before reaching the Baltic. In Latvia, it has been dammed for hydroelectric power at three points, providing roughly 70 percent of the country's domestically generated electricity.
4 more lenses on Latvia in the app
STORY Art Nouveau capital of Europe
NOW Demographic challenge after Soviet-era migration
THREAD The Hanseatic port that linked East and West
PLACE Forest nation of northern Europe
Titles only. The app brings each lens back on a spaced repetition schedule set by how well you knew it: New, Hazy or Clear.
Compare Latvia with another country
Opens the country comparison tool with population, area, income and more side by side, every figure dated.
Common questions
What is the capital of Latvia?
The capital of Latvia is Riga. Riga lies at about 57.0 degrees north and 24.1 degrees east. Latvia is in Europe. It is home to about 1.85 million people. The world capitals quiz on this site tests every capital, and the printable capitals sheets cover each continent.
What is the population of Latvia?
About 1.85 million people live in Latvia, according to the World Bank figures for 2025. That makes it the 148th most populous of the 195 countries. With an area of 64,590 square kilometres, that is about 29 people per square kilometre.
What countries border Latvia?
Latvia shares land borders with 4 countries: Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania and Russia. The map on this page outlines each of them around Latvia. The count includes only borders on land, not neighbours across a sea or a lake. Borders here follow Natural Earth at the 1:50 million scale, with Crimea shown as part of Ukraine and Western Sahara as a separate territory.
How big is Latvia?
Latvia covers 64,590 square kilometres, or about 24,938 square miles. That makes it the 124th largest of the 195 countries. The figure is total surface area, which includes inland water such as lakes and rivers. Its population of about 1.85 million gives a density of 29 people per square kilometre.
Latvia is a country in Europe, with about 1.85 million people (2025) and an area of 64,590 square kilometres. Its capital is Riga, and it shares land borders with 4 countries.
Capital
Riga
Continent
Europe
Population
1,847,785 2025, World Bank. 148th of 195.
Area
64,590 km² (24,938 sq mi) World Bank, surface area. 124th largest of 195.
Population density
29 people per km²
Land neighbours
4: Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Russia
Official name
Republic of Latvia
UN status
Member state
PLACE · from the Geography app
The middle Baltic state and its wide gulf
Latvia sits between Estonia to the north and Lithuania to the south, with a 498-kilometer Baltic coastline that curves inward to form the Gulf of Riga. The Daugava River, the country's defining waterway, flows westward from the Belarusian border to empty into the gulf at Riga. The terrain is mostly low-lying plains and gentle hills, with forests covering more than half the land. Riga, the capital, is the largest city in the Baltic states, positioned at the point where the Daugava meets the sea.
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/latvia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
Geography · Country report
Latvia
NameDate
Draw the flag
Colour Latvia on the map, then fill in what you find.
Capital
Continent
Population
Area
Languages
Currency
Neighbours
Landmarks
Rivers or mountains
Three things I learned
1
2
3
One question I still have
?
Keep going on your iPhone. Scan for Geography: the world, one country at a time, about five minutes a day. No quizzes and no streaks. playgeography.app/countries/latvia/ · Map data: Natural Earth. Figures: World Bank and national sources, as listed on the page.
