There are 10 cities (Latvian: valstspilsēta, "state city", PL valstspilsētas) and 71 towns (Latvian: novada pilsēta, "municipality town", PL novada pilsētas) in Latvia.
By Latvian law, towns are settlements that are centers of culture and commerce with a well-developed architectural-infrastructure and street grid, and have at least 2,000 residents; however, a settlement can be designated a town if it has fewer residents, but fulfills all other requirements (or has been a historic town).
To become a city, a town must have at least 25,000 residents. Additionally, cities should have a well-developed commercial district, transport, public utilities, social infrastructure, and be a significant center of culture. However, these requirements may be disregarded if there is sufficient population.[1]
