LATVIA

Republic of Latvia Latvijas Republika CAPITAL: Riga FLAG: The flag consists of a single white horizontal stripe on a maroon field. ANTHEM: Dievs, sveti Latviju! (God bless Latvia!) MONETARY UNIT: The lat was introduced as the official currency in May 1993; $1 = Ls0.57; as of May 2003. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES: The metric system is in force. HOLIDAYS: New Year’s Day, 1 January; Good Friday (movable); Midsummer Festival, 23–24 June; National Day, Proclamation of the Republic, 18 November; Christmas, 25–26 December; New Year’s Eve, 31 December. TIME: 2 PM = noon GMT.