| Hoofdstad | name: Riga geographic coordinates: 56 57 N, 24 06 E time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October etymology: of the several theories explaining the name's origin, the one relating to the city's role in Baltic and North Sea commerce is the most probable; the name is likely related to the Latvian word "rija," meaning "warehouse," where the 'j' became a 'g' under the heavy German influence in the city from the late Middle Ages to the early 20th century |
| Onafhankelijkheid dag | 4 Mei 1990 (declared independence from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union) |
| Nationale feestdag | Independence Day (Republic of Latvia Proclamation Day), 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia established its statehood and its concomitant independence from Soviet Russia; 4 Mei 1990 was the date it declared the restoration of Latvian statehood and its concomitant independence from the Soviet Union |
| Grondwet | history: several previous (pre-1991 independence); note - following the restoration of independence in 1991, parts of the 1922 constitution were reintroduced 4 Mei 1990 and fully reintroduced 6 Juli 1993 amendments: proposed by two thirds of Parliament members or by petition of one tenth of qualified voters submitted through the president; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in each of three readings; amendment of constitutional articles, including national sovereignty, language, the parliamentary electoral system, and constitutional amendment procedures, requires passage in a referendum by majority vote of at least one half of the electorate; amended several times, last in 2019 (2019) |
| Stemmen | 18 jaar; universal |
| uitvoerende macht | chief of state: President Egils LEVITS (since 8 July 2019) head of government: Prime Minister Krisjanis KARINS (since 23 January 2019) cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by Parliament elections/appointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 May 2019 (next to be held in 2023); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by Parliament election results: Egils LEVITS elected president; Parliament vote - Egils LEVITS 61 votes, Didzis SMITS 24, Juris JANSONS 8; Krisjanis KARINS confirmed prime minister 61-39 |
Referenties: CIA World Factbook - Tenzij anders vermeld, voor informatie op deze pagina correct is met ingang van 31 december 2019
