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Information about
the City of Riga
 Natural heritage
Riga is a
"Green-Blue" city, with the natural environment occupying 16,652
hectares or 54.2% of the city's total area. This is great benefit
enjoyed by the residents of Riga
(211m2 of natural environment per inhabitant).
Riga's
"Green-Blue" structure is formed by six different but interconnected
nature elements:
The so-called "green"
Riga covers 11,252
hectares or 36.6% of the total area (compared to: 35% in
Helsinki, 34% in
Edinburgh, 20% in
Tallinn). This
includes 10 large-scale blocks of forests that alone cover 5,200 ha
or 17% of city territory. Five of the areas in
Riga
's "green" structure are of
special interest. Within their boundaries are bird sanctuaries and 25
protected plant species. All of these areas are already designated and protected
by state law. Together these areas comprise 743 ha of the
city in close proximity to residential areas.
The rivers, lakes, and
other wetlands, or the "blue" Riga, occupy
another 17.6% of the total city area. This includes 13 lakes with
Kisezers (17.4 sq. km) and Juglas
Lake (5.7 sq. km)
the largest among them. The total length of rivers within the city
is 96.4 kilometres, with Daugava being the largest. Many minor ponds
and lakes of recreational significance are found throughout the
city.
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