Riga
Riga (/ˈriːɡə/ REE-gə)[a] is the capital, primate, and the largest city of Latvia, as well as the most populous city in the Baltic States. Home to 609,489 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]
This article is about the Latvian capital. For other uses, see Riga (disambiguation).
Riga
Vilnis Ķirsis[1]
304 km2 (117 sq mi)
253.05 km2 (97.70 sq mi)
50.95 km2 (19.67 sq mi) 15.8%
3,359 km2 (1,297 sq mi)
609,489
2,000/km2 (5,200/sq mi)
920,643[4]
870,000
260/km2 (670/sq mi)
Rigan (Rīdzinieks)
€17.6 billion
€21.3 billion
UTC+2 (EET)
UTC+3 (EEST)
66 and 67
€1.26 billion[9]
0.929[10] – very high
Cultural
ii, i
1997
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]
The precise origin of the name is unknown, however there are numerous and speculative theories for the origin of the name Riga:
However, the most reliably documented explanation is the affirmation by German historian Dionysius Fabricius (1610) that Riga's name comes from its already established role in trade:[22] "Riga obtained its name from the buildings or warehouses found in great number along the banks of the Duna, which the Livs in their own language are accustomed to call Riae".[23][b] The "j" in Latvian rīja hardened to a "g" in German. English geographer Richard Hakluyt (1589) corroborates this account, calling Riga as Rie, as pronounced in Latvian.[24]
Bank of Latvia
Riga Stock Exchange early 20th century. Now the Art Museum Riga Bourse.
Riga is one of the key economic and financial centres of the Baltic states. Roughly half of all the jobs in Latvia are in Riga and the city generates more than 50% of Latvia's GDP as well as around half of Latvia's exports. The biggest exporters are in wood products, IT, food and beverage manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, transport and metallurgy.[80] Riga Port is one of the largest in the Baltics. It handled a record 34 million tons of cargo in 2011[81] and has potential for future growth with new port developments on Krievu Sala.[82] Tourism is also a large industry in Riga and after a slowdown during the global economic recessions of the late 2000s, grew 22% in 2011 alone.[83]
Riga was intended to become the global financial centre in the former Soviet Union. One bank, which provided high levels of secrecy for its customers, promoted itself as "We are closer than Switzerland!" (Russian: «Мы ближе, чем Швейцария!»).[84][85][86][c] On 28 July 1995, twenty Latvian banks with assistance of persons from the Paris Stock Exchange organised the Riga Stock Exchange which was the first Latvian stock exchange in Riga.[88]
Alberta iela 2a
Staircase of Alberta ielā 12
Aleksandra Čaka iela 26
Riga Art Nouveau Museum
Strēlnieku iela 4a
meistaru iela 10 relief
Strelnieku iela relief
