* βeta
Latvia
Background :
The name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally, Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I, but it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Location :
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Geographic Coordinates Center :
57 00 N, 25 00 E (Latitude, Longtitude)
Geographic Coordinates Rectangle :
| West | 20.97 |
| North | 58.08 |
| East | 28.24 |
| South | 55.67 |
Map references :
Europe
Area :
| total | 64 589 | square km |
| land | 62 249 | square km |
| water | 2 340 | square km |
Land boundaries :
| total | 1 382 | km |
| Belarus (by) | 171 | km |
| Estonia (ee) | 343 | km |
| Lithuania (lt) | 576 | km |
| Russia (ru) | 292 | km |
Coastline :
498.00 km
Climate :
maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain :
low plain
Elevation extremes :
| lowest point | 0 | metres |
| highest point | 312 | metres |
Natural resources :
| amber | arable land |
| dolomite | hydropower |
| limestone | peat |
| wood |
Land use :
| arable land | 28.19 | % |
| permanent crops | 0.45 | % |
| other | 71.36 | % |
Irrigated land :
200 square km
Total renewable water resources :
49 cubic km
current issues :
Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010
international agreements :
| Air Pollution | Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants |
| Biodiversity | Climate Change |
| Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol | Desertification |
| Endangered Species | Hazardous Wastes |
| Law of the Sea | Ozone Layer Protection |
| Ship Pollution | Wetlands |
Population :
2 231 503
Indicators :
| Growth rate | -0.61 | % |
| Birth rate | 9.78 | births/1,000 population |
| Total fertility rate | 1.30 | children born/woman |
| Death rate | 13.62 | deaths/1,000 population |
| Net migration rate | -2.30 | migrant(s)/1,000 population |
Age structure :
| 0-14 years | 13.30 | % |
| 15-64 years | 69.60 | % |
| 65 years and over | 17.00 | % |
Median age :
| total | 40.10 | years |
| male | 37.10 | years |
| female | 43.30 | years |
Sex ratio :
| at birth | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
| under 15 years | 1.05 | male(s)/female |
| 15-64 years | 0.95 | male(s)/female |
| 65 years and over | 0.49 | male(s)/female |
| total population | 0.86 | male(s)/female |
Health :
| Infant mortality rate | 8.77 | deaths/1,000 live births |
| Life expectancy at birth - total population | 72.15 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - male | 66.98 | years |
| Life expectancy at birth - female | 77.59 | years |
| HIV-AIDS adult prevalence rate | 0.80 | % |
| HIV-AIDS people living with HIV-AIDS | 10 000 | |
| HIV-AIDS deaths | 500 |
Religions :
| Lutheran | 19.60 | % |
| Orthodox | 15.30 | % |
| other Christian | 1.00 | % |
| other | 0.40 | % |
| unspecified | 63.70 | % |
Languages :
| Latvian | 58.20 | % |
| Russian | 37.50 | % |
| Lithuanian |
Literacy :
| total population | 99.70 | % |
| male | 99.80 | % |
| female | 99.70 | % |
Country name :
| conventional long form | Republic of Latvia |
| conventional short form | Latvia |
| local long form | Latvijas Republika |
| local short form | Latvija |
| former | Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
Country Codes :
| ISO 3166 | LV |
| ISO Numeric | 428 |
| ISO3 | LVA |
| FIPS | LG |
| ccTLD | lv |
| English | Latvia |
Administrative divisions :
26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons
Capital :
| name | Riga |
| geographic coordinates | 56 57 N, 24 06 E |
| time difference | 2.00 |
| daylight saving time | 1 |
International organization participation :
| Australia Group | BA |
| BIS | CBSS |
| CE | EAPC |
| EBRD | EIB |
| EU | FAO |
| IAEA | IBRD |
| ICAO | ICCt |
| ICRM | IDA |
| IFC | IFRCS |
| IHO | ILO |
| IMF | IMO |
| IMSO | IOC |
| IOM | IPU |
| ISO (correspondent) | ITU |
| ITUC | Interpol |
| MIGA | NATO |
| NIB | NSG |
| OAS (observer) | OIF (observer) |
| OPCW | OSCE |
| PCA | Schengen Convention |
| UN | UNCTAD |
| UNESCO | UNWTO |
| UPU | WCO |
| WEU (associate partner) | WFTU |
| WHO | WIPO |
| WMO | WTO |
Independence :
1918-11-18
National holiday :
Independence Day
1918-11-18
Executive branch :
| President Valdis ZATLERS | Prime Minister Valdis DOMBROVSKIS |
Legislative branch :
| TP | 19.50 | % |
| ZZS | 16.70 | % |
| JL | 16.40 | % |
| SC | 14.40 | % |
GDP - Gross Domestic product :
| PPP - Purchasing Power Parity | 32 400 000 000 | $ |
| Official Exchange Rate | 24 200 000 000 | |
| RGR - Real Growth rate | -17.80 | % |
| PPP - per capita | 14 500 | $ |
GDP Composition by sector :
| agriculture | 3.60 | % |
| industry | 24.00 | % |
| services | 72.40 | % |
Labor force - by occupation :
| agriculture | 12.10 | % |
| industry | 25.80 | % |
| services | 61.80 | % |
Other Indicators :
| Labor force | 1 205 000 | people |
| Unemployment rate | 16.60 | % |
| Distribution of family income - Gini index | 36.00 | |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 3.30 | % |
| Investment (gross fixed) | 26.20 | % of GDP |
| Current account balance | 1 640 000 000 | $ |
| Reserves of foreign exchange and gold | 5 030 000 000 | $ |
| Debt external | 38 010 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad | 1 103 000 000 | $ |
| Stock of direct foreign investment - at home | 11 460 000 000 | $ |
| Market value of publicly traded shares | 1 609 000 000 | $ |
| Military expenditures | 1.20 | % of GDP |
| Public debt | 32.50 | % of GDP |
Household income or consumption by percentage share :
| lowest 10% | 2.70 | % |
| highest 10% | 27.40 | % |
Budget :
| revenues | 9 501 000 000 | $ |
| expenditures | 12 150 000 000 | $ |
Agriculture - products :
| beef | eggs |
| fish | grain |
| milk | pork |
| potatoes | sugar beets |
| vegetables |
Industries :
| agricultural machinery | buses |
| electronics | fertilizer |
| pharmaceuticals | processed foods |
| radios | street and railroad cars |
| synthetic fibers | textiles |
| vans | washing machines |
Industrial production growth rate :
-17.50 %
Energy :
| Electricity Production | 4 620 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Consumption | 6 822 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Exports | 2 123 000 000 | kWh |
| Electricity Imports | 4 643 000 000 | kWh |
| Oil Consumption | 39 000 | bbl/day |
| Oil Exports | 5 873 | bbl/day |
| Oil Imports | 43 400 | bbl/day |
| Natural gas Consumption | 2 049 999 999 | cubic metres |
| Natural gas Imports | 2 049 999 999 | cubic metres |
Value :
6 721 000 000 $
Partners :
| Lithuania (lt) | 15.40 | % |
| Russia (ru) | 14.70 | % |
| Estonia (ee) | 13.10 | % |
| Germany (de) | 7.60 | % |
| Sweden (se) | 6.20 | % |
| Denmark (dk) | 4.30 | % |
Commodities :
| foodstuffs | machinery and equipment |
| metals | textiles |
| wood and wood products |
Value :
8 849 000 000 $
Partners :
| Lithuania (lt) | 16.00 | % |
| Germany (de) | 12.80 | % |
| Russia (ru) | 10.60 | % |
| Poland (pl) | 7.00 | % |
| Estonia (ee) | 7.00 | % |
| Sweden (se) | 4.30 | % |
| Finland (fi) | 4.30 | % |
Commodities :
| chemicals | fuels |
| machinery and equipment | vehicles |
Currency-code :
LVL
Currency-name :
lat
Communications :
| Telephons Main lines in use | 644 000 | |
| Telephons Mobile, Cellular | 2 234 000 | |
| FM Radio broadcast stations | 62 | |
| Television broadcast stations | 37 | |
| Internet Country code (ccTLD) | lv | |
| Internet Hosts | 257 414 | |
| Internet Users | 1 254 000 |
Transportation :
| Airports with paved runways | 20 | |
| Pipelines - gas | 948 | km |
| Pipelines - refined products | 415 | km |
| Roadways - total | 69 675 | km |
| Roadways - paved | 69 675 | km |
| Railways | 2 298 | km |
| Waterways | 300 | km |
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