Riga is the capital and largest city of Latvia, located in Northern Europe on the Gulf of Riga, at the mouth of the Daugava River where it meets the Baltic Sea. It lies at coordinates approximately 56.95°N latitude and 24.11°E longitude. Riga covers an area of about 307.17 km² and has a population of around 591,882 as of 2025, making it the biggest city in the Baltic States (Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania) and a significant cultural, economic, and political center in the region.