Riga is the capital of Latvia and is home to 632,614 inhabitants , which is a third of Latvia's population. Being significantly larger than other cities of Latvia, Riga is the country's primate city. It is also the largest city in the three Baltic states and is home to one tenth of the three Baltic states' combined population. 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 and lies 1–10 m above sea level, on a flat and sandy plain.Riga was founded in 1201 and is a former Hanseatic League member. 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 2006 IIHF Men's World Ice Hockey Championships and the 2013 World Women's Curling Championship. It is home to the European Union's office of European Regulators for Electronic Communications . In 2017, it was named the European Region of Gastronomy. In 2016, Riga received over 1.4 million visitors. Riga is a member of Eurocities, the Union of the Baltic Cities and Union of Capitals of the European Union .

An ancient settlement of the Livs and Kurs, Riga emerged as a trading post in the late 12th century. Seagoing ships found a natural harbour where the small Ridzene River once flowed into the Daugava, a major trade route to points east and south from the Viking Age onward. Albert of Buxhoevden arrived in 1199 with 23 ships of Crusaders and established the military Order of the Brothers of the Sword . The city of Riga, founded in 1201, was the seat of Albert’s bishopric and a base for conquering the lands of Livonia to the northeast, Courland to the west, and Semigallia to the south. The city joined the Hanseatic League in 1282 and became the dominant centre of trade on the Baltic Sea’s eastern shore.
 

• The total land area of Riga is 117 square miles (304 square kilometres).
• Riga’s population was 632,614 in 2019 and gives it a population density of around 6000 residents per square mile.
• Riga is located 29 ft above sea level.
• Riga enjoys a humid continental climate with warm and humid summers, cold and snowy winters and an average annual temperature of just 6.1°C
• Spy cameras were actually manufactured in Riga. German-based company Minox had their revolutionary subminiature cameras built in Riga before being used by real life spies and civilians alike
   

Gundars Boj?rs was elected the Chairman of the City Council, and Sergejs Dolgopolovs and Aivars Guntis Kreituss were elected Deputy Chairmen. As compared to the previous Riga City Council, the number of standing committees increased to ten, by restoring the Security and Order Committee. The Board of the City Council was replaced by the Presidium of the Riga City Council.

After the municipal elections in 2005, Aivars Aksenoks became Chairman of the City council. Deputy chairmen were Andris ?rgalis, J?nis Birks and Almers Ludviks (the latter replaced Juris Luj?ns in summer 2005). In 2007, J?nis Birks became chairmen with J?nis Dinevi?s replacing him as deputy chairman.

Just underneath the Riga City Council building (destroyed during World War II, rebuilt in 2003) is a narrow cobble-stone street which is home to different souvenir and flower shops, a giant cascading waterfall three stories high and the remains of an ancient tree stub unearthed during the re-construction process. A small plaque states that when this oak was growing on the banks of the River Daugava.

The head of the city government in Riga is the mayor, or officially the Chairman of the Riga City Council. Since February 2020 the office is suspended and the Council has been dissolved and replaced by an interim administration of representatives from 3 governmental ministries until snap elections are held in June 2020. The last incumbent mayor since 2019 was O?egs Burovs from the Honor to serve Riga party. The city council is a democratically elected institution and is the final decision-making authority in the city. The Council consists of 60 members who are elected every four years. The Presidium of the Riga City Council consists of the Chairman of the Riga City Council and the representatives delegated by the political parties or party blocks elected to the City Council.

In February 2020 the City Council headed by O?egs Burovs was dissolved by the Saeima and the President of Latvia, following three successive council meetings at which a quorum was not obtained and due to the failure to provide autonomous functions of a municipality established in the Waste Management Law. Snap elections were announced to be held on 25 April 2020 and an interim administration of three members headed by Edv?ns Balševics, State Secretary of the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (lv), was appointed on February 25th. The election was later postponed to 6 June 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
 

Latvia is a small, open economy. After experiencing a severe economic crisis in 2008 and 2009 when the GDP reduced by as much as 18%, Latvia chose austerity measures over devaluation of the currency and successfully implemented structural reforms. As a result, in the past years the country has had one of the fastest economic growth rates in the EU, and in January 2014 Latvia became a member of the Eurozone. Latvia is also a member of the World Trade Organization , and is currently in the process of joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development .

The majority of Latvian companies, banks, and real estate properties have been privatized. The state continues to hold stakes only in the largest enterprises, e.g., in the telecommunications, electricity, aviation, and forestry sectors. Exports annually contribute approximately one third of the GDP, the largest trade partners are Russia, Lithuania, Estonia, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. Latvia's unemployment rate in 2014 was 10% of the economically active population.

Riga is not only Latvia's capital but also its economic and financial center. The city is single-handedly responsible for half of Latvia's GDP, half of its exports, and half of its employment opportunities. Also the unemployment rate is lower in Riga than in Latvia is a whole, in 2013 it was 5.6 %. Due to its advantageous geographical position, Riga has historically been a hub of trade and finance. These two branches of economic activity continue to be the most important also today with trade accounting for 20% of all jobs and finance and commerce for 17% of jobs in 2013. The Riga International Airport is the largest airport in the Baltics and offers direct flights to over 80 destinations, operated by over 20 carriers. In 2014 the airport served just under 5 million passengers and delivered around 33 thousand tons of cargo. In turn, the Freeport of Riga has the status of free economic zone and it is the largest port in the Baltics by cargo turnover.

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. Riga Port is one of the largest in the Baltics.
 

Riga, with its central geographic position and concentration of population, has always been the infrastructural hub of Latvia. Several national roads begin in Riga, and European route E22 crosses Riga from the east and west, while the Via Baltica crosses Riga from the south and north.

As a city situated by a river, Riga also has several bridges. The oldest standing bridge is the Railway Bridge, which is also the only railroad-carrying bridge in Riga. The Stone Bridge connects Old Riga and P?rdaugava; the Island Bridge connects Maskavas Forštate and P?rdaugava via Za?usala; and the Shroud Bridge connects Old Riga and P?rdaugava via ??psala. In 2008, the first stage of the new Southern Bridge route across the Daugava was completed, and was opened to traffic on 17 November.

Another major construction project is the planned Riga Northern Transport Corridor; its first segment detailed project was completed in 2015.The Freeport of Riga facilitates cargo and passenger traffic by sea. Sea ferries currently connect Riga Passenger Terminal to Stockholm operated by Tallink.Riga has one active airport that serves commercial airlines—the Riga International Airport , built in 1973. Renovation and modernization of the airport was completed in 2001, coinciding with the 800th anniversary of the city. In 2006, a new terminal extension was opened. Extension of the runway was completed in October 2008, and the airport is now able to accommodate large aircraft such as the Airbus A340, Boeing 747, 757, 767 and 777. Another terminal extension is under construction as of 2014.

Riga was also home to a military air base during the Cold War — Rumbula Air Base. Public transportation in the city is provided by R?gas Satiksme which operates a large number of trams, buses and trolleybuses on an extensive network of routes across the city. In addition, up until 2012 many private owners operated minibus services, after which the City Council established the unified transport company R?gas mikroautobusu satiksme, establishing a monopoly over the service.

Riga is connected to the rest of Latvia by trains operated by the national carrier Passenger Train, whose headquarters are in Riga. There are also international rail services to Russia and Belarus, and plans to revive passenger rail traffic with Estonia.