Riga

This article is about the Latvian capital. For other uses, see Riga (disambiguation).

Riga
Rīga (Latvian)
Reiga (Latgalian)
Rīgõ (Livonian)
Capital city and state city
Skyline of Riga from Daugava
Riga City Hall
Riga Cathedral
House of the Blackheads
Latvian National Opera
National Library of Latvia
Albert Street 8
Flag of Riga
Flag
Coat of arms of Riga
Coat of arms
Official logo of Riga
Global brandmark
Riga highlighted in red inside of Latvia
Riga highlighted in red inside of Latvia
Riga is located in Latvia
Riga
Riga
Location within Latvia
Riga is located in Baltic states
Riga
Riga
Location within the Baltics
Riga is located in Europe
Riga
Riga
Location within Europe
Coordinates: 56°56′56″N 24°6′23″E / 56.94889°N 24.10639°E / 56.94889; 24.10639
CountryLatvia
Government
[2]
 • TypeCity Council
 • MayorVilnis Ķirsis[1]
Area
[3]
 • Capital city and state city
304 km2 (117 sq mi)
 • Land253.05 km2 (97.70 sq mi)
 • Water50.95 km2 (19.67 sq mi)  15.8%
 • Metro
3,359 km2 (1,297 sq mi)
Population
 (2024)[5]
 • Capital city and state city
605,273
 • Density2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
 • Urban
917,351[4]
 • Metro
[6]
870,000
 • Metro density260/km2 (670/sq mi)
 • Demonym
Rigan (Rīdzinieks)
GDP
[7][8]
 • Capital city and state city17,647,619,000 Euro (2021)
 • Per capita28,943 Euro (2021)
Time zoneUTC+2 (EET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+3 (EEST)
Calling codes66 and 67
City budget€1.26 billion[9]
HDI (2021)0.929[10] – very high
Websiteriga.lv
Map
Official nameHistoric Centre of Riga
TypeCultural
Criteriaii, i
Designated1997
Reference no.[11]
UNESCO regionEurope

Riga (/ˈriːɡə/ REE-gə)[a] is the capital, the primate, and the largest city of Latvia. Home to 605,273 inhabitants, the city accounts for a third of Latvia's total population. The population of Riga metropolitan area, which stretches beyond the city limits, is estimated at 860,142 (as of 2023). The city lies on the Gulf of Riga at the mouth of the Daugava river where it meets the Baltic Sea. Riga's territory covers 307.17 km2 (118.60 sq mi) and lies 1–10 m (3–33 ft) above sea level[12] on a flat and sandy plain.[12]

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.[13] Riga was the European Capital of Culture in 2014, along with Umeå in Sweden. Riga hosted the 2006 NATO Summit, the Eurovision Song Contest 2003, the 2013 World Women's Curling Championship, and the IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships in 2006, 2021, and 2023. It is home to the European Union's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications (BEREC). In 2017, it was named as the European Region of Gastronomy.

In 2019, Riga received over 1.4 million foreign visitors.[14] The city is served by Riga International Airport, the largest and busiest airport in the Baltic States. Riga is a member of Eurocities,[15] the Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC),[16] and Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU).[17]

  1. ^ "Vilnis Ķirsis becomes Mayor of Rīga". eng.lsm.lv. Retrieved 18 August 2023.
  2. ^ "Riga City Council". Riga City Council. Archived from the original on 25 December 2018. Retrieved 22 July 2009.
  3. ^ "Reģionu, novadu, pilsētu un pagastu kopējā un sauszemes platība gada sākumā". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
  4. ^ "Eurostat". eurostat.ec.europa.eu.
  5. ^ "Iedzīvotāju skaits pēc tautības reģionos, pilsētās, novados, pagastos, apkaimēs un blīvi apdzīvotās teritorijās gada sākumā (pēc administratīvi teritoriālās reformas 2021. gadā)". Central Statistical Bureau of Latvia. Retrieved 21 June 2024.
  6. ^ "METRO – "The role and future perspectives of Cohesion Policy in the planning of Metropolitan Areas and Cities"". ESPON. 27 October 2020. p. 1. Archived from the original on 14 May 2021. Retrieved 26 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Gross domestic product and gross value added by planning region, State city and municipality at current prices (after administrative-territorial reform in 2021), (thousand euro) – Territorial unit, Time period and Indicator". www.data.stat.gov.lv.
  8. ^ "Gross domestic product by region and city (at current prices) 2000–2020". stat.gov.lv. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  9. ^ "Riga City Council expects EUR 140 million more in budget revenue than last year". Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  10. ^ "Sub-national HDI – Subnational HDI – Global Data Lab". globaldatalab.org. Archived from the original on 15 April 2023. Retrieved 15 April 2023.
  11. ^ "Historic Centre of Riga". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 13 May 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Riga Municipality Portal". Copyright 2003–2009, www.riga.lv/LV/Channels/ Riga Municipality. Archived from the original on 28 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2009.
  13. ^ "Historic Centre of Riga – UNESCO World Heritage Centre". UNESCO. 1997. Archived from the original on 22 June 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2012.
  14. ^ "Tourist numbers in Riga expected to reach 80% of pre-pandemic figure this year – LiveRiga". baltictimes.com. Retrieved 13 May 2023.
  15. ^ "EUROCITIES – the network of major European cities". Eurocities. Archived from the original on 24 August 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  16. ^ "Union of the Baltic Cities". Union of the Baltic Cities (UBC). Archived from the original on 15 October 2007. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
  17. ^ "Union of Capitals of the European Union". Union of Capitals of the European Union (UCEU). Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 8 November 2011.


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