18 August: Riga, Latvia

On this date in 1201 the city of Riga, capital of Latvia, was founded. 10 things you might not know about Riga:

1. There are three theories about the origin of the city's name: It derives from an old word for "loop", referring to the tributary loop of the Daugava River which forms a natural harbour; from Riege, the German name for the River Rīdzene, a tributary of the Daugava; or from the Latin rigata ("irrigated") coined by Bishop Albert who claimed to have "irrigated dry pagan souls by Christianity".
2. The total land area of Riga is 118 square miles. It's 29 feet above sea level and the population is 632,614, as of 2019. That's a third of the population of Latvia.
3. The river Daugava separates the city into two parts, Vecriga (Old Riga) and Pardaugava. The river has been a trade route since antiquity, part of the Vikings’ navigation route to Byzantium.
4. The city is known for Art Nouveau artwork, which has earned it the nickname “City of Faces”.
5. The historic centre of Riga was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997.
6. Riga was once the largest and most developed city in... Sweden. It came under the rule of Gustavus Adolphus, King of Sweden, in 1621. It was part of Sweden until 1710 when the city was besieged by Russian Tsar Peter the Great.
7. Famous people from Riga include Chess grand master Mikhail Tal, one of only 19 World Champions in history, who still holds the record for the longest un-beaten run; and the dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov.
8. Once every 5 years, Riga plays host to the Latvian Song and Dance festival, in which more than 50,000 participants perform over three days. The climax is when 20,000 singers take to the stage in Mežaparks and sing in unison.
9. The tallest structure is the radio and TV tower of Riga, which at 368.5 m (1,209 ft) is not only the highest in Riga but in Latvia and the Baltic States.
10. Riga holds a couple of food related Guinness World Records. One is the largest helping of Potato salad, which was served at Riga Technical University’s International Exhibition Centre. It weighed 7,224 pounds 8 ounces (3,277 kilograms). The other was achieved at Riga’s Dino Zoo: the biggest cake for Dogs, which weighed in at 310.92 pounds (141.03 kilograms).

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