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Latvia trivia: 41 questions and answers

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The country at a glance

  1. What is the capital of Latvia?

    1. A. Riga
    2. B. Daugavpils
    3. C. Liepāja
    4. D. Jelgava
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    Riga. Riga is the capital and by far the largest city, where the Daugava river meets the Gulf of Riga.

  2. Latvia adopted the euro as its currency on 1 January 2014.

    True or false?

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    True. True. The euro replaced the Latvian lats on 1 January 2014.

  3. Which of these countries does NOT share a land border with Latvia?

    1. A. Poland
    2. B. Estonia
    3. C. Belarus
    4. D. Russia
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    Poland. Poland does not border Latvia. Latvia's land neighbours are Estonia, Lithuania, Russia and Belarus.

  4. Latvia's highest point is more than 1,000 metres above sea level.

    True or false?

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    False. False. The highest point, Gaiziņkalns, is only about 312 metres high. Most of Latvia is less than 100 metres above sea level.

History

  1. Who is credited with founding Riga in 1201?

    1. A. Bishop Albert
    2. B. Duke Jacob Kettler
    3. C. Peter the Great
    4. D. Gotthard Kettler
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    Bishop Albert. Bishop Albert, leader of the German crusaders, made Riga his seat of power in 1201.

  2. In the Baltic Way of 1989, about two million people held hands in a human chain through Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

    True or false?

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    True. True. On 23 August 1989 a chain about 675 km long crossed all three Baltic countries to call for freedom from Soviet rule.

  3. On what date in 1918 was the independent Republic of Latvia proclaimed?

    1. A. 18 November
    2. B. 24 June
    3. C. 4 May
    4. D. 21 August
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    18 November. 18 November 1918: the People's Council proclaimed independence in Riga, just after the First World War ended.

  4. In the 1600s the Duchy of Courland held a colony on which Caribbean island?

    1. A. Tobago
    2. B. Jamaica
    3. C. Barbados
    4. D. Cuba
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    Tobago. Tobago. Under Duke Jacob Kettler, Courland also had a colony on the Gambia River in Africa.

  5. Which country ruled Riga from 1621 until 1710, when Riga was one of the largest cities in its empire?

    1. A. Sweden
    2. B. Denmark
    3. C. Prussia
    4. D. Poland
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    Sweden. Sweden. Riga came under Swedish rule in 1621 and was taken by Russia in 1710.

Food and drink

  1. Which Latvian dish is made from large grey peas tossed with fried bacon and onion?

    1. A. Pelēkie zirņi
    2. B. Sklandrausis
    3. C. Aukstā zupa
    4. D. Rupjmaize
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    Pelēkie zirņi. Pelēkie zirņi, grey peas with bacon, are a traditional Christmas dish in Latvia.

  2. What gives Latvian cold soup, aukstā zupa, its bright pink colour?

    1. A. Beetroot
    2. B. Red cabbage
    3. C. Strawberries
    4. D. Tomatoes
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    Beetroot. Beetroot. It is mixed with kefir or soured milk, cucumber, radish, egg and dill.

  3. Jāņi cheese is flavoured with caraway seeds.

    True or false?

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    True. True. This fresh cheese made for the Midsummer festival Jāņi is cooked with eggs, butter and caraway seeds.

  4. Sklandrausis is a small rye pie with a filling of potato and which other vegetable?

    1. A. Carrot
    2. B. Cabbage
    3. C. Beetroot
    4. D. Onion
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    Carrot. Carrot. A layer of mashed potato is topped with sweet mashed carrot and caraway.

  5. Riga Black Balsam is a sweet fizzy soft drink for children.

    True or false?

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    False. False. Riga Black Balsam is a strong herbal liqueur, first made in 1752 by a Riga pharmacist, Abraham Kunze.

  6. Rupjmaizes kārtojums is a dessert of layered whipped cream, jam and crumbs of which bread?

    1. A. Dark rye bread
    2. B. White wheat bread
    3. C. Cornbread
    4. D. Brioche
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    Dark rye bread. Dark rye bread: the crumbs are toasted with sugar and cinnamon and layered like a trifle.

Cities

  1. Which is Latvia's second-largest city?

    1. A. Daugavpils
    2. B. Liepāja
    3. C. Jelgava
    4. D. Jūrmala
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    Daugavpils. Daugavpils is second, Liepāja third and Jelgava fourth.

  2. Jūrmala, whose name means "seaside", is a beach resort town near Riga.

    True or false?

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    True. True. Jūrmala lies about 25 km west of Riga and has a 33 km white sand beach.

  3. Which town was the capital of the Duchy of Courland and Semigallia?

    1. A. Jelgava
    2. B. Valmiera
    3. C. Rēzekne
    4. D. Sigulda
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    Jelgava. Jelgava was the capital of the duchy, and its dukes' palace by Rastrelli now houses a university.

Landmarks

  1. In which town is the Venta Rapid, often called the widest waterfall in Europe?

    1. A. Kuldīga
    2. B. Riga
    3. C. Sigulda
    4. D. Daugavpils
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    Kuldīga. Kuldīga. The rapid is about 249 metres wide but only about 2 metres high.

  2. The pavilions of Riga Central Market reuse the roof frames of what?

    1. A. Zeppelin hangars
    2. B. Railway stations
    3. C. Old churches
    4. D. Ship warehouses
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    Zeppelin hangars. Zeppelin hangars from the First World War were reused for the market, which opened in 1930.

  3. Rundāle Palace was designed by Bartolomeo Rastrelli for a Duke of Courland.

    True or false?

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    True. True. Rastrelli designed it for Duke Ernst Johann von Biron, and it was built between 1736 and 1768.

  4. What does the figure of Liberty on top of Riga's Freedom Monument hold up?

    1. A. Three gilded stars
    2. B. A torch
    3. C. A sword
    4. D. An oak wreath
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    Three gilded stars. Three gilded stars. The copper figure is affectionately known as Milda.

  5. As of September 2026, Cēsis Castle is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

    True or false?

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    False. False. As of September 2026 Latvia's World Heritage Sites are the Historic Centre of Riga, the Old Town of Kuldīga and points of the Struve Geodetic Arc.

Fun facts

  1. Jacob Davis, born in Riga in 1831, is credited with inventing what?

    1. A. Riveted blue jeans
    2. B. The zip fastener
    3. C. The safety pin
    4. D. The sewing machine
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    Riveted blue jeans. Riveted blue jeans. Davis later went into business with Levi Strauss in San Francisco.

  2. Riga's House of the Blackheads is linked to an early record of which tradition, from 1510?

    1. A. A holiday Christmas tree
    2. B. Easter eggs
    3. C. A New Year firework display
    4. D. Advent candles
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    A holiday Christmas tree. A holiday Christmas tree, put up by the Brotherhood of Blackheads. Tallinn has similar records from 1441.

  3. Latvia won the very first EuroBasket, the European basketball championship, in 1935.

    True or false?

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    True. True. Latvia won the first EuroBasket in 1935 and took silver in 1939.

  4. Which Riga building is nicknamed "Stalin's birthday cake"?

    1. A. The Academy of Sciences
    2. B. The House of the Blackheads
    3. C. Riga Cathedral
    4. D. The Central Market
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    The Academy of Sciences. The Academy of Sciences, a 108-metre Soviet-style tower finished in 1961 and the first skyscraper in Latvia.

  5. What are Latvian dainas?

    1. A. Short folk songs
    2. B. Wooden boats
    3. C. Folk dances
    4. D. Midsummer wreaths
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    Short folk songs. Short folk songs, usually just four lines. More than 1.2 million texts have been collected.

  6. Livonian, once spoken on Latvia's coast, is closely related to Estonian and Finnish.

    True or false?

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    True. True. Livonian is a Finnic language. Its last speaker from the old coastal villages died in 2013, and it is now being revived.

Words

  1. What does "paldies" mean?

    1. A. Thank you
    2. B. Hello
    3. C. Please
    4. D. Goodbye
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    Thank you. "Paldies" means thank you. "Lūdzu" means please.

  2. In Latvian, "nē" means yes.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. "Nē" means no, and "jā" means yes.

  3. What would you get if you asked for "alus" in a Latvian café?

    1. A. Beer
    2. B. Milk
    3. C. Coffee
    4. D. Bread
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    Beer. "Alus" is beer. Milk is "piens" and coffee is "kafija".

  4. What is a "vilciens"?

    1. A. A train
    2. B. A bus
    3. C. A ferry
    4. D. A taxi
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    A train. "Vilciens" is a train. A bus is "autobuss".

Phrases

  1. What do Latvians say to each other before eating together?

    1. A. Labu apetīti
    2. B. Priekā!
    3. C. Ar labu nakti
    4. D. Uz redzēšanos
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    Labu apetīti. "Labu apetīti" means enjoy your meal. "Priekā!" is cheers, "Ar labu nakti" good night and "Uz redzēšanos" goodbye.

  2. How do you ask for the bill in a Latvian restaurant?

    1. A. Rēķinu, lūdzu
    2. B. Cik tas maksā?
    3. C. Kur ir tualete?
    4. D. Labdien
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    Rēķinu, lūdzu. "Rēķinu, lūdzu" means the bill, please. "Cik tas maksā?" asks how much something costs.

  3. "Priekā!" is what Latvians say when raising a glass.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. "Priekā!" means cheers.

Local customs and tips

  1. What is the common number for emergency services in Latvia?

    1. A. 112
    2. B. 110
    3. C. 113
    4. D. 114
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    112. 112 is the common emergency number, as across the European Union. 110 reaches only the police, 113 only the ambulance and 114 is for gas emergencies.

  2. In Latvia, drivers must keep their headlights on while driving, even on a sunny summer day.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    True. True. Headlights must be on whenever you drive, in summer as well as in winter.

  3. Which animal should walkers in Latvian forests check themselves for after a summer walk?

    1. A. Ticks
    2. B. Scorpions
    3. C. Leeches
    4. D. Venomous spiders
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    Ticks. Ticks are active from May to September and can carry tick-borne encephalitis and Lyme disease.

  4. Latvian law requires restaurants to add a 25% service charge to the bill.

    True or false?

    Show the answer

    False. False. Tipping is modest: rounding up or about 5 to 10% is enough, and only a few places add a service charge.

  5. On which days does Latvia celebrate Jāņi, the Midsummer festival?

    1. A. 23 and 24 June
    2. B. 18 and 19 November
    3. C. 1 and 2 May
    4. D. 24 and 25 December
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    23 and 24 June. 23 and 24 June are public holidays, when many Latvians leave the cities to sing and light bonfires in the countryside.

Answer key

The country at a glance

  1. A. Riga
  2. True
  3. A. Poland
  4. False

History

  1. A. Bishop Albert
  2. True
  3. A. 18 November
  4. A. Tobago
  5. A. Sweden

Food and drink

  1. A. Pelēkie zirņi
  2. A. Beetroot
  3. True
  4. A. Carrot
  5. False
  6. A. Dark rye bread

Cities

  1. A. Daugavpils
  2. True
  3. A. Jelgava

Landmarks

  1. A. Kuldīga
  2. A. Zeppelin hangars
  3. True
  4. A. Three gilded stars
  5. False

Fun facts

  1. A. Riveted blue jeans
  2. A. A holiday Christmas tree
  3. True
  4. A. The Academy of Sciences
  5. A. Short folk songs
  6. True

Words

  1. A. Thank you
  2. False
  3. A. Beer
  4. A. A train

Phrases

  1. A. Labu apetīti
  2. A. Rēķinu, lūdzu
  3. True

Local customs and tips

  1. A. 112
  2. True
  3. A. Ticks
  4. False
  5. A. 23 and 24 June

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