Latvia is a unitary state, currently divided into 43 local government units consisting of 36 municipalities. It covers an area of 64,589 km2 (24,938 sq mi), with a population of 1.9 million. In December 2010 the Riga and Pieriga Mobility Plan (RPMP) was approved by Latvia’s Ministry of Transport. The RPMP is meant to create an overall framework in which all existing and new plans for the construction and improvement of the traffic and transport system in Riga and Pieriga are evaluated and prioritised. The professional expertise and ideas of the consultant team have been combined with existing plans and information in the development of the plan. The plan provides solutions for traffic and transport problems faced by the Ministry of Transport, contributing to spatial, ecological, economic, social and institutional optimisation.