LATVIA
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LATVIA
@Latvia:Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia
and Lithuania
Map references: Europe
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LATVIA - MAJOR CITIES
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Latitude, Internat'l Time
Population Longitude Phone Code Zone
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RIGA 917,000 56.57N, 24.06E 7- GMT+3
Daugavpils 128,000 55.53N, 26.32E 7- GMT+3
Liepaja 115,000 56.31N, 21.01E 7- GMT+3
Jelgava 75,000 56.39N, 23.40E 7- GMT+3
Jurmala 66,000 56.59N, 23.35E 7- GMT+3
Ventspils 50,000 57.22N, 21.31E 7- GMT+3
Rezekne 43,000 56.30N, 27.22E 7- GMT+3
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Area:
total area: 64,100 sq km
land area: 64,100 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total 1,078 km, Belarus 141 km, Estonia 267 km,
Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
International disputes: the Abrene section of border ceded by the
Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944
Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain: low plain
Natural resources: minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite
Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 13%
forest and woodland: 39%
other: 21%
Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1990)
Environment:
current issues: air and water pollution because of a lack of waste
conversion equipment; Gulf of Riga and Daugava River heavily polluted;
contamination of soil and groundwater with chemicals and petroleum
products at military bases
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Air Pollution, Hazardous Wastes,
Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate
Change
@Latvia:People
Population: 2,762,899 (July 1995 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 22% (female 294,521; male 304,830)
15-64 years: 65% (female 933,003; male 870,128)
65 years and over: 13% (female 247,476; male 112,941) (July 1995 est.)
Population growth rate: 0.5% (1995 est.)
Birth rate: 13.71 births/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Death rate: 12.49 deaths/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Net migration rate: 3.76 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1995 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 21 deaths/1,000 live births (1995 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 69.65 years
male: 64.6 years
female: 74.95 years (1995 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.97 children born/woman (1995 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian
Ethnic divisions: Latvian 51.8%, Russian 33.8%, Byelorussian 4.5%,
Ukrainian 3.4%, Polish 2.3%, other 4.2%
Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Languages: Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other
Literacy: age 15 and over can read and write (1989)
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 99%
Labor force: 1.407 million
by occupation: industry and construction 41%, agriculture and forestry
16%, other 43% (1990)
@Latvia:Government
Names:
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia
local long form: Latvijas Republika
local short form: Latvija
former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Digraph: LG
Type: republic
Capital: Riga
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, Leipaja*, Liepajas
Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons,
Preiju Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus
Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons,
Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons
Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 November (1918)
Constitution: newly elected Parliament in 1993 restored the 1933
constitution
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Guntis ULMANIS (since 7 July 1993);
Parliament (Saeima) elected President ULMANIS in the third round of
balloting on 7 July 1993
head of government: Prime Minister Maris GAILIS (since September 1994)
cabinet: Council of Ministers; appointed by the Supreme Council
Legislative branch: unicameral
Parliament (Saeima): elections last held 5-6 June 1993 (next to be
held NA October 1995); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(100 total) LC 36, LNNK 15, Concord for Latvia 13, LZS 12, Equal
Rights 7, LKDS 6, TUB 6, DCP 5
Judicial branch: Supreme Court
Political parties and leaders: Latvian Way Union (LC), Valdis BIRKAVS;
Latvian Farmers Union (LZS), Alvars BERKIS; Latvian National
Independence Movement (LNNK), Andrejs KRASTINS, Aristids LAMBERGS,
cochairmen; Concord for Latvia, Janis JURKANS; Equal Rights, Sergejs
DIMANIS; Christian Democrat Union (LKDS), Peteris CIMDINS, Andris
SAULITIS, Janis RUSKO; Fatherland and Freedom (TUB), Maris GRINBLATS,
Roberts MILBERGS, Oigerts DZENTIS; Democratic Center (DCP), Ints
CALITIS; Popular Front of Latvia (LTF), Uldis AUGSTKALNS
Member of: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA,
IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL,
IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO,
UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO
Diplomatic representation in US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ojars Eriks KALNINS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214
FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785
US diplomatic representation:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ints M, SILINS
embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, Riga 226050
mailing address: use embassy street address
telephone: [371] (2) 213-962
FAX: [371] 882-0047 (cellular)
Flag: two horizontal bands of maroon (top and bottom), white (middle,
narrower than other two bands)
Economy
Overview: Latvia is rapidly becoming a dynamic market economy, rivaled
only by Estonia among the former Soviet states in the speed of its
transformation. However, the transition has been painful; in 1994 the
IMF reported a 2% growth in GDP, following steep declines in 1992-93.
The government's tough monetary policies and reform program have kept
inflation at less than 2% a month, supported a dynamic private sector
now accounting for more than half of GDP, and spurred the growth of
trade ties with the West. Much of agriculture is already privatized
and the government plans to step up the pace of privatization of state
enterprises. Latvia thus is in the midst of recovery, helped by the
country's strategic location on the Baltic Sea, its well-educated
population, and its diverse - albeit largely obsolete - industrial
structure.
National product: GDP - purchasing power parity - $12.3 billion (1994
estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1992)
National product real growth rate: 2% (1994 est.)
National product per capita: $4,480 (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 1.9% (monthly average 1994)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (December 1994)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Exports: $1 billion (f.o.b., 1994)
commodities: oil products, timber, ferrous metals, dairy products,
furniture, textiles
partners: Russia, Germany, Sweden, Belarus
Imports: $1.2 billion (c.i.f., 1994)
commodities: fuels, cars, ferrous metals, chemicals
partners: Russia, Germany, Sweden, Ukraine
External debt: $NA
Industrial production: growth rate -9.5% (1994 est.); accounts for 27%
of GDP
Electricity:
capacity: 2,080,000 kW
production: 5.5 billion kWh
consumption per capita: 1,864 kWh (1993)
Industries: highly diversified; dependent on imports for energy, raw
materials, and intermediate products; produces buses, vans, street and
railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers,
washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed
foods, textiles
Agriculture: principally dairy farming and livestock feeding; products
- meat, milk, eggs, grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; fishing
and fish packing
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and
Southwest Asia and Latin America to Western Europe; limited producer
of illicit opium; mostly for domestic consumption; also produces
illicit amphetamines for export
Economic aid: $NA
Currency: 1 lat = 100 cents; introduced NA March 1993
Exchange rates: lats per US$1 - 0.55 (December 1994), 0.5917 (January
1994), 1.32 (March 1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
@Latvia:Transportation
Railroads:
total: 2,400 km
broad gauge: 2,400 km 1.520-m gauge (270 km electrified)
Highways:
total: 59,500 km
paved and graveled: 33,000 km
unpaved: earth 26,500 km (1990)
Inland waterways: 300 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560
km (1992)
Ports: Daugavpils, Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils
Merchant marine:
total: 85 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 774,182 GRT/1,010,517 DWT
ships by type: cargo 17, oil tanker 37, refrigerated cargo 24,
roll-on/roll-off cargo 7
Airports:
total: 50
with paved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
with paved runways 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
with paved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 1
with paved runways under 914 m: 27
with unpaved runways 2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
with unpaved runways 914 to 1,523 m: 2
with unpaved runways under 914 m: 10
@Latvia:Communications
Telephone system: 660,000 telephones; 240 telephones/1,000 persons
(1993); Latvia is better provided with telephone service than most of
the other former Soviet republics; an NMT-450 analog cellular
telephone network covers 75% of Latvia's population
local: NA
intercity: NA
international: international traffic carried by leased connection to
the Moscow international gateway switch and through the new Ericsson
AXE local/transit digital telephone exchange in Riga and through the
Finnish cellular net; electronic mail capability by Sprint data
network
Radio:
broadcast stations: AM NA, FM NA, shortwave NA
radios: NA
Television:
broadcast stations: NA
televisions: NA
@Latvia:Defense Forces
Branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security
Forces (internal and border troops), Border Guard, Home Guard
(Zemessardze)
Manpower availability: males age 15-49 658,193; males fit for military
service 517,896; males reach military age (18) annually 18,736 (1995
est.)
Defense expenditures: 176 million rubles, 3% to 5% of GDP (1994); note
- conversion of the military budget into US dollars using the
prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results
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