Practical Handbook for International Students

Page 9

CAPITAL CITY –

RIGA

Riga is the capital of Latvia. With 704 400 inhabitants, Riga is the largest city of the Baltic States and a home to over one third of Latvia’s population. The city is an important seaport and a major industrial, commercial, cultural and financial centre of the Baltic Sea region. The city lies by the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the river Daugava. Riga has been 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 the 19th century wooden architecture. City centre has numerous great examples of Art Nouveau architecture, as well as a medieval old town. The city was the European Capital of Culture in 2014, along with Umea in Sweden. It

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