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Per the wishes of the World Culture Alliance, a sister city relationship was pursued with Riga, Latvia (then a part of the Soviet Union) in 1986. Dallas Mayor Annette Staruss and Riga Deputy Mayor Andris Barkans signed a joint Partner Cities Declaration in February of 1990 when a delegation of six Riga City Council members visited Dallas. This relationship has remaind particularly active on part of both cities. Sam Houston High School of Arlington, Booker T. Washington High School, along with many other schools have participated in student exchange programs, both sending and accepting delegates. In 1996, the Dallas Youth Orchestra presented official certificates to Riga City Council members during a joint concert. Later that year, Dallas reciprocated by hosting the Riga Boys Choir, who gave a joint concert with the Texas Boys Choir. In honor of official Latvian holidays, the Dallas/Riga Sister City Committee has hosted several celebrations in Dallas over the years. About Riga Riga is the capital of the Republic of Latvia and the geographical center of the Baltic States. The city’s crossroads location between Western Europe and huge Eastern markets has always been – and still is – one of Riga’s attraction for business activities. Latvia is situated on the Baltic coast and borders Estonia in the North, Lithuania in the South, the RussiaRepublic in the Easy, and Belarus in the Southeast. The coastal plain is mostly flat, but inland to the east the land is hilly with forests and lakes. Latvia has a total of 2,300 lakes and about 12,000 rivers. Only 17 of those 12,000 rivers are longer than 100 km. Riga is also an important transport junction. The main elements that make the city a transit center are the harbor of Riga, the Riga international airport, and the developed railway and road networks. The historically developed transportation infrastructure has facilitated Riga’s evolution as the major industrial and business center in the Baltic region. The city is well known for its architectural and cultural values, skillful labor, and developed infrastructure. Riga is not only the backbone of Latvia’s economy but also the largest center of education and science. This is confirmed by a large number of cultural events, international exhibitions, scientific conferences, and seminars that take place every year in Riga.  For more information about the Dallas/Riga Sister City relationship or to become more involved, please contact Jennie Goldstein at dallasriga@hotmail.com. Explore the City of Riga
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