The capital of Latvia, is situated at the Baltic Sea coast on the mouth of the river Daugava. With about 800 000 inhabitants, Riga is the largest city in the Baltic States, though its population has been decreasing since 1991.

The historic centre of Riga has been declared as Unesco World Heritage Site. The city is particularly notable for its extensive Art Nouveau architecture, comparable for example with Budapest or Barcelona.

Riga`s port is an important cargo shipping center. When Latvia became a member of the European Union in 2004, foreign commercial trade received new impetus.