*** Welcome to piglix ***

Riga, Latvia

Riga
Rīga
City
From top, left to right: the Freedom Monument, the Riga City Council building, the House of the Blackheads, Līvu Square, and the Latvian National Opera
From top, left to right: the Freedom Monument, the Riga City Council building, the House of the Blackheads, Līvu Square, and the Latvian National Opera
Flag of Riga
Flag
Coat of arms of Riga
Coat of arms
Location of Riga within Latvia
Location of Riga within Latvia
Coordinates: 56°56′56″N 24°6′23″E / 56.94889°N 24.10639°E / 56.94889; 24.10639Coordinates: 56°56′56″N 24°6′23″E / 56.94889°N 24.10639°E / 56.94889; 24.10639
Country  Latvia
Government
 • Type City council
 • Mayor Nils Ušakovs
Area(2002)
 • City 304 km2 (117 sq mi)
 • Water 48.50 km2 (18.73 sq mi)  15.8%
 • Metro 10,133 km2 (3,912 sq mi)
Population (2015
 • City 696,593
 • Density 2,300/km2 (5,900/sq mi)
 • Metro 1,018,295 (Riga Planning Region)
 • Metro density 101.4/km2 (263/sq mi)
 • Demonym Rīdzinieki
Ethnicity(2016)
 • Latvians 46.2%
 • Russians 37.7%
 • Belarusians 3.9%
 • Ukrainians 3.5%
 • Poles 1.8%
 • Lithuanians 0.8%
 • Romanies 0.1%
Time zone EET (UTC+2)
 • Summer (DST) EEST (UTC+3)
Calling codes 66 and 67
GDP(nominal) 2012
 - Total €12($15) billion
 - Per capita €18,000($23,000)
Website www.riga.lv
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Historic Centre of Riga
Name as inscribed on the World Heritage List
The Old Town of Riga
The Old Town of Riga is one of many World Heritage Sites in Europe

Location Latvia
Type Cultural
Criteria i, ii
Reference 852
UNESCO region Europe and North America
Inscription history
Inscription 1997 (21st Session)

Riga (/ˈrɡə/; Latvian: Rīga, pronounced [ˈriːɡa]) is the capital and the largest city of Latvia. With 696,593 inhabitants (2015), Riga is the largest city of the Baltic states and home to one third of Latvia's population. The city lies on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava. Riga's territory covers 307.17 square kilometres (118.60 square miles) and lies between one and ten metres (3 feetinches and 32 feet 10 inches) above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain.

Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. Riga's historical centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, noted for its Art Nouveau/Jugendstil architecture and 19th century wooden architecture. Riga was the European Capital of Culture during 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden. Riga hosted the 2006 NATO Summit, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, and the 2006 IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships. It is home to the European Union's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). Riga is served by Riga International Airport, the largest airport in the Baltic states.


...
Wikipedia

...