A popular nickname for Riga is the “City of Faces” recognizing Art Nouveau artwork on its Elizabeth Street.
Founded in 1918, the Latvian National Opera is famous not only for its operatic masterpieces but also its ballet troupe. One of Riga’s most iconic edifices is the Brotherhood of Blackheads building located in Riga’s old section known as Vecriga.
Research website numbeo ranks Riga in the bottom half compared to the 250 cities evaluated on its overall quality of life index at June 2020. Riga scored poorly on index factors such as health care (lowest 26%), purchasing power (weakest 32%) and climate (bottom 39%). On the positive side, Latvia rates relatively well for its pollution score (best 39%) and safety (top 41%).
Riga is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the site for several amusing culinary feats. For example, Latvia’s capital city is where the largest helping of potato salad was served at Riga Technical University’s International Exhibition Centre. The potato salad serving weighed 7,224 pounds 8 ounces (3,277 kilograms). Another record was achieved at Riga’s Dino Zoo when the biggest cake ever for dogs weighed in at 310.92 pounds (141.03 kilograms) on April 28, 2018.
Capital city Riga benefits from its Riga Port which is one of the largest ports in the Baltics.
From an international trade perspective, Latvia exported an estimated US$14.4 billion worth of products around the globe in 2019. Its most valuable exports include sawn wood (5.3% of Latvia’s global total), mobile phones (also 5.3%), liquor (3.9%), fuel wood (3.6%), drugs and medicines (3.5%), wheat and meslin (3.3%), motor cars (2.2%), rough wood (1.8%), laminated wood included plywood panels (1.7%), automotive parts or accessories (1.6%), and peat (1.5%) according to the International Trade Centre.
Capital Facts for Riga, Latvia: Quick Reference
Famous People
Below, you will find 10 of the most famous people born in Riga, Latvia.
- Mikhail Baryshnikov, ballet dancer (born Jan. 27, 1948)
- Ksenia Solo, actress (born Oct. 8, 1987)
- Aminata Savadogo, pop singer (born Jan. 9, 1993)
- Zemgus Girgensons, professional NHL hockey player (born Jan. 5, 1994)
- Elina Garanca, opera singer (born Sep. 16, 1976)
- Baiba Klints, dancer & choreographer (born Nov. 12, 1988)
- Inguna Butane, model (born Feb. 24, 1986)
- Inese Galante, opera singer (born Mar. 12, 1954)
- Ginta Lapina, model (born Jun. 30, 1989)
- Raitis Ivanāns, professional NHL hockey enforcer (born Jan. 3, 1979)
Note: Data for our Famous People tab was sourced from Google searches mostly targeting published Wikipedia articles specific to each person’s name.
Population
Demonym for a Riga resident of Riga: Rīdzinieki
Population: 630,692 (Riga) at August 16, 2020
Density: 5,046 people per square mile (1,947 per square kilometer)
Population: 1,883,546 (Latvia) at August 16, 2020
Density: 79 people per square mile (30 per square kilometer)
Median age for all Latvia: 43.9 years old
Financial
GDP: US$60.6 billion in 2019 (Latvia)
GDP per person: $31,402
Note: The above country-level GDP metrics are on a Purchasing Power Parity basis and are in U.S. dollars. Credible city GDP statistics for Riga were unavailable.
Official currency used in Riga: euro
Geography
Capital landmarks: Riga Town Hall Square, House of Blackheads, Freedom Monument (Brivibas Piemineklis), Latvian Ethnographic Open Air Museum, Latvian Academy of Sciences building, Latvian National Theater, St. Mary’s Dome Cathedral and St. Peter’s Church
Research
Research Sources:
Brookings Institution, Global Metro Monitor Report (includes GDP data).
Central Intelligence Agency, World Factbook, Field Listing: Major Urban Areas.
CityMetric, Where are largest cities in the world? 2015 edition.
Demographia, World Urban Area, 12th Annual Edition.
Guinness World Records, Largest cake for dogs.
Guinness World Records, Largest potato salad.
International Monetary Fund, World Economic Outlook Databases.
International Trade Centre, Trade Map.
Numbeo, Quality of Life Index by City.
Official Government Website, Riga City Council Informative Portal.
The World Factbook, Europe: Latvia, Central Intelligence Agency.
Wikimedia Commons, City Flags.
Note: Some city flags were unavailable. If so, attribution belongs to Wikimedia Commons for pertinent country flags.
Wikipedia, Riga.
Wikipedia, Latvia.
WorldOMeter, Latvia Population.
World Population Review, Riga Population.
Latvians celebrate Independence Day each May 4 since 1990, the date Latvian independence from the Soviet Union was declared and Latvia’s statehood was restored.
Riga covers a land area measuring 125 square miles (324 square kilometers) home to an estimated population of 630,692 residents at August 16, 2020.
A member state of the European Union since May 1, 2004, Latvia had 1.9 million people in August 2020. Latvia’s land area equals 24,016 square miles (62,200 square kilometers).
Population density is more concentrated within Latvia’s capital city Riga averaging 5,046 residents per square mile (1,947 per square kilometer).
Zooming out to national land boundaries, density drops to an average 79 Latvians per square mile (30 per square kilometer).
