Riga lies on both banks of the river Daugava in the form of a circle and can roughly bedivided into two parts, the right and left side of the river. The right side of the city is where Old Riga, New Riga and other districts are located. The left part of the city is also called “Pārdaugava”, meaning “Across the Daugava," and suburbs and other districts are located on this side.
Latvia lies at the crossroads where east meets west on the shores of the Baltic Sea. At the beginning of 2003, the population of Latvia stood at just under two and a half million and its territory covered 64 589 km².
The culture of Latvia is as colorful as its' past, having been influenced by various civilizations since ancient times. Local Latvian Pagan heritage has survived over millennia, with German missionary knights introduced Christianity to the territory of Latvia in the 13th century. These enduring Pagan customs combined with common Christian traditions and rituals are two distinct characteristics of Latvian culture today.