Latvia


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Latvia




Geography
  

 Location:  Eastern Europe, bordering
on the Baltic Sea, between Sweden
and Russia  
  

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  
  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 - Hazardous Wastes,
Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change  
 


 
People
 
    


  Population:  2,749,211 (July 1994 est.)


  
  Population growth rate:  0.5% (1994 est.)   
  
Birth rate:  13.84 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)   
  
Death rate:  12.61 deaths/1,000 population (1994 est.)   
  
Net migration rate:  3.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)   
  
Infant mortality rate:  21.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)   
  
Life expectancy at birth:   
total population: 69.44 years   

male: 64.37 years   
female: 74.75 years (1994 est.)  
  
Total fertility rate:  1.98 children born/woman (1994 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 9-49 can read and write (1970)  
total population: 100%   

male: 100%   
female: 100%   
  Labor force:  1.407
million   
by occupation: industry and construction 41%, agriculture
and forestry 16%, other 43% (1990)  
 
  
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); Saeima elected
President ULMANIS in the third round of balloting on 7 July 1993  

head of government: Prime Minister Valdis BIRKAVS (since 20 July 1993)
  
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 June 1996); 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 (guest), CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, IFC, ILO, IMF,
IMO, INTELSAT (nonsignatory user), INTERPOL, IOC, IOM (observer), ITU, LORCS,
NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO, WIPO, WMO   
  Diplomatic representation in US: 
  
chief of mission: Ambassador Ojars Eriks KALNINS   

chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011   
telephone
: (202) 726-8213 and 8214   
  US diplomatic representation: 
  
chief of mission: Ambassador Ints M, SILINS   
embassy
: Raina Boulevard 7, Riga 226050   
mailing address: use embassy
street address   
telephone: 46-9-882-0046   
FAX: 46-9-882-0047


 
  

Economy


CEEBIC Economic Updates

  
  CIA Overview:  Latvia is rapidly becoming a dynamic market
economy, rivaled only by Estonia among the former Soviet states in the speed
of its transformation. The transition has been painful with GDP falling over
45% in 1992-93, according to official statistics, and industrial production
experiencing even steeper declines. Nevertheless, the government's tough monetary
policies and reform program, which foster the development of the private sector
and market mechanisms, have kept inflation low, created a dynamic private
sector - much of which is not captured in official statistics - and expanded
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.
The economy is now poised for recovery and will benefit from 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 equivalent - $13.2 billion (1993 estimate from
the UN International Comparison Program, as extended to 1991 and published
in the World Bank's World Development Report 1993; and as extrapolated to
1993 using official Latvian statistics, which are very uncertain because of
major economic changes since 1990)  
  National product real growth rate: 
 -5% (1993 est.)  
  National product per capita:  $4,810
(1993 est.)  
  Inflation rate (consumer prices):  2% per month
(1993 average)  
  Unemployment rate:  5.6% (December 1993)
 
  Budget:   
revenues: $NA  
expenditures:
$NA, including capital expenditures of $NA  
  Exports:  $429
million from non-FSU countries (f.o.b., 1992)  
commodities: oil
products, timber, ferrous metals, dairy products, furniture, textiles  

partners: Russia, other CIS countries, Western Europe  
  Imports: 
 $NA  
commodities: fuels, cars, ferrous metals, chemicals  

partners: Russia, other CIS countries, Western Europe  
  External debt: 
 $NA  
  Industrial production:  growth rate -38% (1992
est.)  
  Electricity:   
capacity: 2,140,000 kW  

production: 5.8 billion kWh   
consumption per capita: 2,125 kWh
(1992)  
  Industries:  employs 41% of labor force; 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:  employs 16% of labor
force; 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 - 0.5917 (January 1994), 1.32 (March 1993)  
  
Fiscal year:  calendar year  
 
  
Communications
   
  
Railroads:  2,400 km (1,524-mm 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: 
 coastal - Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja; inland - Daugavpils  
  
Merchant marine:  93 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 850,840 GRT/1,107,403
DWT, cargo 15, container 2, oil tanker 41, refrigerated cargo 27, roll-on/roll-off
cargo 8  
  Airports:   
total: 50   
usable:
15   
with permanent-surface runways: 11   
with runways over 3,659 m
: 0   
with runways 2,440-3,659 m: 7   
with runways 1,060-2,439 m
: 7   
note: a C-130 can land on a 1,060-m airstrip  
  
Telecommunications:  Latvia is better provided with telephone service
than most of the other former Soviet republics; subscriber circuits 660,000;
subscriber density 240 per 1,000 persons (1993); an NMT-450 analog cellular
telephone network covers 75% of Latvia's population; 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; broadcasting services NA  
 
  
Defense Forces

 
  Branches:  Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Security Forces
(internal and border troops), Border Guard,  Home Guard (Zemessardze)   
  
Manpower availability:  males age 15-49: 652,444; fit for military service: 514,055; reach military age (18) annually: 18,803 (1994 est.)  

  
Defense expenditures:  176 million rubles, 3%-5% of GDP; note - conversion
of the military budget into US dollars using the prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results.

CIA World Facts (1994)
   



 

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