Riga in Figures
Permitted use of areas according to the physical planning of the Riga city (2006.-2018.)
| The type of the use of the area |
Hectares |
% |
| Private housing (family houses) development areas |
1 839 |
6.0% |
| Residental development areas |
2 630 |
8.6% |
| Mixed development areas |
4 305 |
14.2% |
| Centre development areas |
765 |
2.5% |
| Public development areas |
652 |
2.1% |
| Manufacturing and industrial areas |
2 162 |
7.1% |
| Public works development areas |
881 |
2.9% |
| Main roads, highways, and streets |
3 562 |
11.7% |
| Development areas with green zones |
1 223 |
4.0% |
| Areas with bodies of water |
4 674 |
15.4% |
| Green zones and nature areas |
7 712 |
25.4% |
| Total area of the city |
30 405 |
100.0% |
| Including dry land areas |
25 731 |
84.6% |
On 1 January 2008 there were 717.4 thausands permenet inhabitants in Riga. The density of the population on 1 January 2008 - 2322 inhabitants per km2.
The composition of nationalities in 2008:
Monthly average air temperature in Riga in 2008:
*January -.1.1˚C
*July +18.5 ˚C
Monthly average precipitation 85mm
Annual average precipitation 750 mm
Average relative humidity 81%
The national currency is the lat (LVL 1 = 100 centimes (santīms)). The lat is freely convertible currency. The bank of Latvija has determined the peg rate of lat to euro: 1EUR = 0.702804 LVL, wich has been in force since 1 January 2005.
The average number of the population employed in the national economy at the end of 2008 was 404.9 thausand or 69.37%. The average number of the unemployed reg istered at the Employment Service at the beginning of 2009 was 31.0 thausand. The actual unemployment rate in January 2009 was 7.2% of economically active residents.
- Transport and Communications
The importance of Riga as a transport hub has increased considerably over the recent years. Essentail changes have taken place after restoration of independence; passenger transportation in the Western direction has increased rapidly, airplanes and ferries being the most popular means of transport.
In 2007, 267.2 million passengers have been cerried by the public transport, of which:
The cargo and passenger turnover has also increased at the Riga Commercial Porta - in 2008, the cargo turnover was 29.4 miilon tons or by 14% more than 2007.
In 2008 services of the Riga Passenger Port were used by 503 174 passengers that is by 13.9% more than in previous year. In 2007, services of the airport "Riga"were used by 3 million passengers, but in 2008 there were 3.69 millon arrivals and departures at the airport "Riga" that was 49% of all the passengers served at the airports of the Baltic States.
Riga in 2007
| Museums |
33 |
| Professional state and municipal theatres |
6 |
| Latvian National Opera |
1 |
| Cinemas+cinema equipment in culture centres |
7 |
| Libraries (including the Latvian National Library and the Latvian Academic Library) |
51 |
| Culture centres |
18 |
| Culture and recreation park "Mezaparks" |
1 |
| Concert halls |
3 |
| Zoo |
1 |
| Circus |
1 |
(beginning of the study year 2007/2008)
Riga is the largest educational centre in Latvia.
82 thausand students attend 166 comprehensive school.
160 pre-school establishments, 32 vocational schools, 11 colleges and 29 higher educational establishments are located in Riga.
Reference: brochure "Riga 2009"