Guide to Latvia Introduction Background: After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It 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.
Geography Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area: total
Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries: total
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims: territorial sea
Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain: low plain
Elevation extremes: lowest point
Natural resources: peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
Land use: arable land
Irrigated land: 200 sq km note
Natural hazards: NA
Environment - 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
Environment - international agreements: party to
Geography - note: most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east
People Population: 2,290,237 (July 2005 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years
Median age: total
Population growth rate: -0.69% (2005 est.)
Birth rate: 9.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Death rate: 13.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Net migration rate: -2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Sex ratio: at birth
Infant mortality rate: total
Life expectancy at birth: total population
Total fertility rate: 1.26 children born/woman (2005 est.)
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate: 0.6% (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS: 7,600 (2001 est.)
HIV/AIDS - deaths: less than 500 (2003 est.)
Nationality: noun
Ethnic groups: Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)
Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Languages: Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Literacy: definition
Government Country name: conventional long form
Government type: parliamentary democracy
Capital: Riga
Administrative divisions: 26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*
Independence: 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991 is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union
Constitution: 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Executive branch: chief of state
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms) elections
Judicial branch: Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament)
Political parties and leaders: First Party of Latvia or LPP [Juris LUJANS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Tatjana ZDANOKA, Jakovs PLINERS]; For the Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [Janis STRAUME]; Harmony Center or SC [Sergejs DOLGOPOLOVS]; Latvian Green Party or LZP [Indulis EMSIS, Viesturs SILENIEKS, Raimonds VEJONIS]; Latvian Farmer's Union or LZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS]; Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris BOJARS]; Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [Alfreds RUBIKS]; Latvia's Way or LC [Ivars GODMANIS]; New Democrats or JD [Maris GULBIS]; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE]; People's Harmony Party or TSP [Aivars DATAVS]; People's Party or TP [Atis SLAKTERIS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]
Political pressure groups and leaders: Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV]
International organization participation: Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission
Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission
Flag description: three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon
Economy Economy - overview: Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. EU membership, a top foreign policy goal, came in May 2004. The current account and internal government deficits remain major concerns, but the government's efforts to increase efficiency in revenue collection may lessen the budget deficit. A growing perception that many of Latvia's banks facilitate illicit activity could damage the country's vibrant financial sector.
GDP (purchasing power parity): $26.53 billion (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate: 7.6% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $11,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - composition by sector: agriculture
Labor force: 1.17 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.)
Unemployment rate: 8.8% (2004 est.)
Population below poverty line: NA
Household income or consumption by percentage share: lowest 10%
Distribution of family income - Gini index: 32 (1999)
Inflation rate (consumer prices): 6% (2004 est.)
Investment (gross fixed): 26.1% of GDP (2004 est.)
Budget: revenues
Public debt: 11.8% of GDP (2004 est.)
Agriculture - products: grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Industries: buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials
Industrial production growth rate: 8.5% (2004 est.)
Electricity - production: 4.547 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production by source: fossil fuel
Electricity - consumption: 5.829 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports: 1.1 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports: 2.7 billion kWh (2002)
Oil - production: 0 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - consumption: 44,000 bbl/day (2001 est.)
Oil - exports: NA
Oil - imports: NA
Natural gas - production: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - consumption: 1.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - exports: 0 cu m (2001 est.)
Natural gas - imports: 1.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
Current account balance: $-1.251 billion (2004 est.)
Exports: $3.569 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Exports - commodities: wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners: UK 12.8%, Germany 12%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 9.1%, Estonia 8%, Russia 6.4%, Denmark 5.4% (2004)
Imports: $5.97 billion f.o.b. (2004 est.)
Imports - commodities: machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Imports - partners: Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 12.2%, Russia 8.7%, Estonia 7%, Finland 6.3%, Sweden 6.1%, Poland 5.4%, Belarus 4.8% (2004)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold: $1.65 billion (2004 est.)
Debt - external: $7.368 billion (2004 est.)
Economic aid - recipient: $96.2 million (1995)
Currency (code): Latvian lat (LVL)
Currency code: LVL
Exchange rates: lati per US dollar - 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001), 0.6065 (2000)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications Telephones - main lines in use: 653,900 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 1,219,600 (2003)
Telephone system: general assessment
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios: 1.76 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)
Televisions: 1.22 million (1997)
Internet country code: .lv
Internet hosts: 51,758 (2004)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 41 (2001)
Internet users: 936,000 (2003)
Transportation Railways: total
Highways: total
Waterways: 300 km (2004)
Pipelines: gas 1,097 km; oil 409 km; refined products 415 km (2004)
Ports and harbors: Riga, Ventspils
Merchant marine: total
Airports: 50 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways: total
Airports - with unpaved runways: total
Military Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Military service age and obligation: 19 years of age for compulsory military service, conscript service obligation - 12 months; 18 years of age for volunteers; Latvia plans to phase out conscription, tentatively moving to an all-professional force by 2007 (August 2004)
Manpower available for military service: males age 19-49
Manpower fit for military service: males age 19-49
Manpower reaching military service age annually: males
Military expenditures - dollar figure: $87 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP: 1.2% (FY01)
Transnational Issues Disputes - international: the Latvian-Russian boundary treaty of 1997 remains unsigned and unratified with Russia linking it to better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians and Latvian politicians demanding Russian agreement to a declaration that admits Soviet aggression during the Second World War and other issues; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia must implement the strict Schengen border rules
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS; vulnerable to money laundering despite improved legislation due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds
Last updated: 20 October, 2005
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