Riga (TheodoresTomfooleries)

Riga Rīga · Рига
Capital city and city of republican subordination
From top to bottom, left to right: Freedom Monument, Opera and Ballet Theatre of Latvia, Riga Radio and TV Tower, Riga Castle, Daugava Stadium, Supreme Soviet House
Flag Coat of arms
Riga's location in the Soviet Union Riga's location in the Soviet Union
Coordinates:
Country	Soviet Union
Union republic	Latvian SSR
Founded	1201
Government
• Body	People's Deputy Council of Riga
Area
• Total	2,815.8 km2 (1,087.2 sq mi)
Population  (2019)
• Total	1,126,545 (metropolitan area)
Demonym	Rigan
Time zone	UTC+2
ISO 3166 code	SU-RIG
Website	rigagov.su

Riga (Latvian: Rīga; Russian: Рига) is the largest city and capital of the Latvian SSR, with a metropolitan population of 1.12 million. Riga's metropolitan area stretches over 2,000 km and is the most populated in the Baltic region. Founded in 1201 by the Canon Albert of Riga, Riga was a member of the Hanseatic League and was dominated by Baltic German nobility for over 700 years. Its territory has been part of the Holy Roman Empire, the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Swedish Empire and the Russian Empire. Riga was the capital of the independent Republic of Latvia from 1920 to 1940 and continues to be recognized by the west as the capital of the Latvian government in exile.