Even 15-20 years ago, the name of the country Latvia in Europe, and indeed in the world, would probably not have caused any associations. Perhaps many, having learned that this is a state, would ask, not without curiosity: "Where is Latvia on the world map?" However, today the situation has changed a bit. After all, this country since 2004 is considered a full member of the European Union. And this means that where and where, but in this part of the world this country is already well known. And hardly any European will ask: "Where is Latvia on the map?"
Baltic beauty
Latvia is one of the Baltic countries. To find the place where Latvia is located on the world map, you need to arm yourself with a magnifying glass, since it occupies a very small territory and has an area of 64,589 km². For convenience, we first find the Eastern Hemisphere, then in the north we look for the Baltic Sea. Here on the coast of this large sea lies the small country of Latvia. In addition, its shores are washed by the waters of the Gulf of Riga. Thus, this Baltic country is located in the northwest of the continent of Eurasia.
Latvia's neighbors
After you have found the place where Latvia is located on the world map, you need to consider the neighboring states. In the south it borders with Lithuania, in the east with Russia, in the southeast with Belarus and in the north with Estonia. It also has a water border with Sweden. Latvia, like the other two former Baltic republics that are part of the USSR, is today a party to the Schengen agreement, so if you have a Schengen visa, you can easily get to this country from Lithuania and Estonia by land, from Sweden - by water, and also from other Schengen countries zones - by air.
Natural landscape
Latvia has a beautiful pristine nature. Since the country is not rich in minerals, its landscape and the natural world of the country almost did not suffer at the hands of man.
The land where Latvia is located has always been rich in deciduous and coniferous forests, lush shrubs. The coastal zone is strewn with golden, very fine sand. In addition, almost ten percent of the territory of Latvia is occupied by swamps; a rather vast area is made up of lakes, of which about three thousand in Latvia. They are mainly of glacial origin. In this ecologically clean country, there are about 680 protected areas. Latvians are very careful about their natural world, plants and animals, air and water resources.
Latvian climate
As for the climatic conditions of the country, despite the fact that on the land, where Latvia is located on the world map, that is, in northern Europe, it should be pretty cool, in Latvia, however, the climate is temperate, changing from maritime to continental. This is facilitated by warm sea currents. July is the hottest month in Latvia (of course, if the temperature of +20 degrees can be called heat). In fact, the air during this period warms up to a maximum of 19 degrees. Although there were also cases when the thermometer reached 36 degrees - something unbelievable for Latvians. However, such abnormal heat is extremely rare here. But the coldest month is January, when the air cools to -2, a maximum of -7 degrees. As you can see, winter for this region is more than mild, but fabulously snowy and incredibly beautiful. Precipitation of any type in Latvia is not uncommon. Most of the year the sky over the country is cloudy.
May is considered the sunniest and driest month, however, in recent years due to the instability of the climate on the whole planet, the weather in Latvia also becomes unpredictable and more and more often surprises Latvians. Nevertheless, the stable geological state of the country does not allow any serious natural disasters.
Conclusion
Those who have already visited Latvia immediately notice that this is a primordially European country. And a long stay in the USSR did not change the customs and customs of this people. Since 2004, Latvia, like its close neighbors - Lithuania and Estonia - has joined the EU, joining a large European family.