Hi, friends! For those of you who know us, you’ll know that we have a soft spot for the Baltic States. So why not take a look at the smallest of the three?
Top 10 anecdotes about Latvia!
1) Latvia has a high concentration of its population living in its capital. To be precise, 1 in 3 people live in Riga. 2) Latvian and Dutch women are the tallest in the world, with an average height of around 1m70! 3) Riga: the Art Nouveau capital of the world: Riga is home to some 800 magnificent Art Nouveau buildings. So magnificent that the Historic Centre of Riga has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site 4) Latvia has one of the best wi-fi connections in the world! With an average of 13.5mbps. On top of that, the majority of Riga is covered by free wi-fi, now isn’t that nice. 5) Jacob Davis, whose real name is Jakobs Jufess, is a Latvian who emigrated to the US. He is the creator of the timeless pair of Jeans trousers. 6) In Latvia, the national sport is ice hockey. As well as having very enthusiastic fans, they produce some very good players, including a dozen who play in the NHL. 7) In the town of Liepaja, you can visit the old Karosta prison, but in an unconventional way… Experience the life of a prisoner with real physical and moral treatment! Personally, I won’t be making the trip, but it may be of interest to some. 8) Latvia has the highest percentage of deaths during the Second World War, representing 12.5% of its population. This was followed by 190,000 Latvians imprisoned in Soviet gulags after 1945. 9) In Latvia, 15% of the population is stateless. These people, who are part of the Russian-speaking community, are not granted citizenship. 10) The Ventas Rumba, located in Kuldiga, is the widest waterfall in Europe (249 m). Fish can also be seen jumping out of the water. Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments if you liked these anecdotes, or contact us about your work placement in Europe…
Pour les questions plus générales, rendez-vous sur la FAQ des stages à l’étranger de International Horizons.