From the inventor of jeans to the world’s first decorated Christmas tree (maybe), these are the most interesting facts about Latvia.
Fast facts
Official name: Republic of Latvia
Population: 1.85 million
Area: 64,589 sq km
Capital city: Riga
Major languages: Latvian, Russian
Major religions: Christianity
Time zone: UTC+2 (Eastern European Time)
Interesting facts about Latvia
1. Latvia is a small Baltic country in Northeastern Europe bordering Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania and Russia.
2. Over the centuries, Latvia has been occupied and invaded by various peoples including the Vikings, Germans, Poles, Lithuanians Swedes and Russians.
3. From 1940 to 1991, Latvia was part of the Soviet Union and known as the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1991, after the USSR had collapsed, Latvia gained independence again.
4. However, it was invaded by Germany in 1941 until 1944. During that time, around 70,000 Latvian Jews were killed by Nazi death squads and Latvian paramilitary units.
5. Latvia’s flag is made up of a red background separated horizontally by a narrow white stripe. In use since 1279, it is the world’s second-oldest flag. Only Denmark’s has been around longer.
See how Latvia’s flag compares to other European flags.
6. The inventor of jeans was born in Latvia. Jacob William Davis was born in Riga, Latvia, in 1831; moved to the USA in 1854; and registered the first patent for riveted work pants – known today as blue jeans – in 1873.
7. Latvia is watery – there are around 12,500 rivers, streams and large ditches as well as 498km of coast.
8. Latvia’s UNESCO-listed capital city, Riga, is considered to have the finest collection of art nouveau buildings in Europe.
9. Almost a third of Latvia’s 1.85 million population lives in Riga. The city’s 2025 estimate was 591,882 people.
10. The name Latvia derives from the ancient Latgalians, one of four Baltic tribes that formed the core of the Latvian people from the 8th to 12th centuries AD.
11. You can spend a night in a prison in Latvia. Karosta Prison Hotel claims to be the “only military prison in Europe open to tourists.” Prices start from €30 a night.
12. Latvia is one of Europe’s most forested countries with around 56% of the country’s total land area covered in forest.
13. The UNESCO-listed Struve Geodetic Arc passes through Latvia. The Struve Arc is a chain of survey triangulations stretching 2,820km (1,752 miles) across 10 countries from Norway in the north to the Black Sea in the south. The survey, carried out between 1816 and 1855 by the astronomer Friedrich Struve, helped to establish the exact size and shape of the Earth.
14. Latvia’s only other UNESCO site is the Old Town of Kuldīga which is known for its traditional log architecture dating from between the 16th and 18th centuries.
15. During the Second World War, Latvia suffered one of the highest casualty rates of any country. Estimates suggest up to 250,000 people died – around 12.5% of the country’s total population.
16. Around 24% of Latvia’s population is Russian-speaking. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Latvia has banned all Russian broadcast channels.
17. Latvians rank 3rd in the world for alcohol consumption, averaging 14.7 liters of pure alcohol per person each year. This is roughly the equivalent of 163 bottles of wine!
18. Latvia is famous for its Latvian Song and Dance Festival. Now in its 150th, the festival attracts over 50,000 people and features over 21,000 performers including a 17,000-strong choir.
19. Latvia once had a colony in the Caribbean. From 1654 to 1659 and intermittently from 1660 to 1689, the Duchy of Courland (now Latvia) established a colony on the island of Tobago after the Duchy’s ships began making trade voyages to the region.
20. In 1989, approximately two million people joined hands to form a 600km long human chain through the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania known as The Baltic Way. It was part of a peaceful political demonstration against Soviet rule.
21. In turn, Latvia has Europe’s widest waterfall. The Venta Waterfall can reach as wide as 110m (361ft).
22. Latvia’s population is in decline. Since 1990, it has lost almost 30% of its population and is set to lose 23.5% more by 2050.
23. Latvia’s minimum wage stands at $7 per hour, or $15,415 per year, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP). PPP compares wages by considering local prices, showing how far money actually goes.
24. The most successful player in the history of female basketball was from Latvia. Uļjana Semjonova was a 213cm (6’11”)-tall former basketball player who led TTT Riga to 11 European titles between 1968 and 1982 and the USSR Women’s National Team to 10 consecutive European Championships and two Olympic gold medals.
25. Riga in Latvia claims to be the site of the world’s first decorated Christmas tree in 1510. However, Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, also claims to have done the same only earlier. The Christmas tree spat dates back to 2010 when a Latvian advertising campaign claimed that Riga was the first when a medieval brotherhood known as the House of the Black Heads paraded through Riga carrying a constructed replica of a tree in 1510. But Estonia responded making the same claim but earlier in 1441.
26. The real Crocodile Dundee was actually from Latvia. Crocodile Harry – or Arvids Blumentals – was the inspiration behind the Hollywood film. He was from the Latvian village of Dundaga and moved to Australia in 1951 and supposedly killed as many as 10,000 crocs.
27. Latvia maintains solid press freedom protections, much like its Baltic neighbours, landing 15th globally in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index.
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Caitriona Maria is an education writer and owner of The Facts Institute. With seven years of teaching experience and a background in educational content, she specialises in creating clear reference resources about countries, geography and global topics.