Latvia

Former Soviet state, Latvia gained independence in 1991 and in April 2004 along with Greece and Poland became full members of the EU.

There are around 30 resorts in Latvia and all are within 100 miles of the capital Riga, however only 6 of those have more than 1 lift, and the longest run in any resort is a paltry 350m.

Snowboarding in Latvia has taken off however; most of the resorts will have a terrain park, and there are a number of national snowboard events held. The Latvian Snowboard Association was started back in 1996 and now has over 120 members.

Expect snow quality to be poor, but most of the resorts do now posess some snowmaking equipment.

Useful information

Population:2.3 million
Capital City: Riga
Language: Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian
Currency: Euro (Lats prices shown)
Highest Peak:
Drugs Information: Cannabis is illegal and frowned upon
Alcohol Drinking 18
Electricity Supply: 240 Volts AC 2 Pin plugs
Driving: Drive on the right hand side
Speed Limits
d Highways-90kph (56mph) Towns -50kph (31mph
International Phone Code: 00371
Further Information:
Latvian Snowboard Association http://www.extreme.lv