Latvia is located in north-eastern Europe at the shores of the Baltic Sea and is one of the three Baltic States. Latvia has an 1862 km long border. To the north Latvia borders with Estonia (343 km), in the east with Russia (282 km), in the south-east with Belarus (167 km) and in the south with Lithuania (576 km). The country also has a 494 km long sea border.  The geographic coordinates of Latvia are: 57º North latitude and 25º East longitude. The territory of Latvia comprises 64 589 km2 and the population numbers around 2 million 285 thousand.

State institutions, banks, insurance and finance institutions in Latvia are open on working days from 9 am to 5 pm. Some bank branches that are located in shopping centres are open to 10 pm also on Saturdays and Sundays. Private enterprises are open from 9 am to 6 pm. Shopping malls and department stores work every day, usually from 8 am to 10 pm, without holidays. Restaurants, cafes and bars are working from 10 am to 10 pm from Sundays till Thursdays but on Fridays and Saturdays are open till midnight or all night.

Gross domestic product: 16.2 billion Ls (2008) GDP per capita: 15 000 USD (2008) GDP increase: 4,6% (2008) Unemployment rate: 15.8% (December 2009) Inflation rate: 9.6% (February 2009) Monetary unit: 1 Lats = 100 Santims Agricultural products: grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables, beef, pork, milk, eggs, fish. Main industries: textiles, electrical equipment, pharmaceuticals, processed foods Main exports: timber and wood products, metal and metal products, electrical equipment, textiles, mineral products, processed foods Main export partners: EU and Russia Main imports: chemicals, fuels, vehicles, electrical equipment Main import partners: EU, Russia and Belarus

Latvia is located in a temperate climate zone and weather conditions are determined by the Atlantic air masses, the Baltic Sea and the Riga Sea Gulf stretching deep into the country. Climate is characterized by a periodic influence of high- and low-pressure centers and a comparatively high precipitation. Weather in Latvia is inconsistent and hardly predictable. Precipitation can be expected 180 days per year – on average every other day (in summer it rains rarely, during autumn it rains more often, but in winter it may snow every day). Average amount of precipitation is 500 – 800 mm per year.  Summers are sunny and warm with an average temperature of +19ºC; the hottest months are July and August.   During spring and autumn weather is variable and generally humid with the average temperature around +10ºC.  In winter snow falls from December until March, the coolest month is January, with the average temperature -6ºC.  Length of the day in Latvia in winter is around 6-7 hours, in summer 17-18 hours, depending on the location of the sun over the horizon.