1992 Edition

Climate

maritime; wet, moderate winters

Coastline

531 km

Comparative area

slightly larger than West Virginia

Contiguous zone

NA nm

Continental shelf

NA meter depth

Disputes

the Abrene section of border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944

Environment

heightened levels of air and water pollution because of a lack of waste conversion equipment; Gulf of Riga heavily polluted

Exclusive economic zone

NA nm

Exclusive fishing zone

NA nm

Land area

64,100 km2

Land boundaries

1,078 km; Belarus 141 km, Estonia 267 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km

Land use

27% arable land; NA% permanent crops; 13% meadows and pastures; 39% forest and woodland; 21% other; includes NA% irrigated

Natural resources

minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite

Terrain

low plain

Territorial sea

NA nm

Total area

64,100 km2

Birth rate

15 births/1,000 population (1992)

Death rate

12 deaths/1,000 population (1992)

Ethnic divisions

Latvian 51.8%, Russian 33.8%, Byelorussian 4.5%, Ukrainian 3.4%, Polish 2.3%, other 4.2%

Infant mortality rate

19 deaths/1,000 live births (1992)

Labor force

1,407,000; industry and construction 41%, agriculture and forestry 16%, other 43% (1990)

Languages

Latvian NA% (official), Lithuanian NA%, Russian NA%, other NA%

Life expectancy at birth

65 years male, 75 years female (1992)

Literacy

NA% (male NA%, female NA%) age 15 and over can read and write

Nationality

noun - Latvian(s);adjective - Latvian

Net migration rate

4 migrants/1,000 population (1992)

Organized labor

NA

Population

2,728,937 (July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)

Religions

Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

Total fertility rate

2.1 children born/woman (1992)

Administrative divisions

none - all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction

Capital

Riga

Chief of State

Chairman, Supreme Council, Anatolijs GORBUNOVS (since October 1988); Chairmen, Andrejs KRASTINS, Valdis BIRKAVS (since NA 1992)

Congress of Latvia

last held April 1990 (next to be held NA); note - the Congress of Latvia is a quasi-governmental structure; results - percent of vote by party NA%; seats - (231 total) number of seats by party NA

Constitution

April 1978, currently rewriting constitution, but readopted the 1922 Constitution

Diplomatic representation

Ambassador Dr. Anatol DINBERGS; Chancery at 4325 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20011; telephone (202) 726-8213 and 8214

Executive branch

Prime Minister

Flag

two horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (middle, narrower than other two bands) and maroon (bottom)

Head of Government

Prime Minister Ivars GODMANIS (since May 1990)

Independence

18 November 1918; annexed by the USSR 21 July 1940, the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic declared independence 6 September 1991 from USSR

Judicial branch

Supreme Court

Legal system

based on civil law system

Legislative branch

unicameral Supreme Council

Long-form name

Republic of Latvia

Member of

CSCE, IAEA, UN

National holiday

Independence Day, 18 November (1918)

Political parties and leaders

Democratic Labor Party of Latvia, Juris BOJARS, chairman; Inter-Front of the Working People of Latvia, Igor LOPATIN, chairman; note - Inter-Front was banned after the coup; Latvian National Movement for Independence, Eduards BERKLAVS, chairman; Latvian Social Democratic Party, Janis DINEVICS, chairman; Social Democratic Party of Latvia, Uldis BERZINS, chairman; Latvian People's Front, Romualdas RAZUKAS, chairman; Latvian Liberal Party, Georg LANSMANIS, chairman

President

last held October 1988 (next to be held NA; note - elected by Parliament; new elections have not been scheduled; results - percent of vote by party NA

Suffrage

universal at age 18

Supreme Council

last held 18 March 1990 (next to be held NA); results - undetermined; seats - (234 total) Latvian Communist Party 59, Latvian Democratic Workers Party 31, Social Democratic Party of Latvia 4, Green Party of Latvia 7, Latvian Farmers Union 7, 126 supported by the Latvia Popular Front

Type

republic

Agriculture

employs 23% of labor force; principally dairy farming and livestock feeding; products - meat, milk, eggs, grain, sugar beets, potatoes, and vegetables; fishing and fish packing

Budget

revenues $NA; expenditures $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA (1991)

Currency

as of May 1992, retaining ruble as currency but planning early introduction of ``lat''

Economic aid

US commitments, including Ex-Im (FY70-87), $NA billion; Western (non-US) countries, ODA and OOF bilateral commitments (1970-86), $NA million; Communist countries (1971-86), $NA million

Electricity

1,975,000 kW capacity; 6,500 million kWh produced, 2,381 kWh per capita (1990)

Exchange rates

NA

Exports

$239 million (f.o.b., 1990) commodities: food 14%, railroad cars 13%, chemicals 12% partners: Russia 50%, Ukraine 15%, other former Soviet republics 30%, West 5%

External debt

$650 million (1991 est.)

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP

purchasing power equivalent - $NA; per capital NA; real growth rate - 8% (1991)

Illicit drugs

transshipment point for illicit drugs from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe

Imports

$9.0 billion (c.i.f., 1989) commodities: machinery 35%, petroleum products 13%, chemicals 9% partners: NA

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1991)

Industries

employs 33.2% 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

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

approximately 200% (1991)

Overview

Latvia is in the process of reforming the centrally planned economy inherited from the former USSR into a market economy. Prices have been freed, and privatization of shops and farms has begun. Latvia lacks natural resources, aside from its arable land and small forests. Its most valuable economic asset is its work force, which is better educated and disciplined than in most of the former Soviet republics. Industrial production is highly diversified, with products ranging from agricultural machinery to consumer

electric power needs. Latvia in the near term must retain key commercial ties to Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine while moving in the long run toward joint ventures, technological support, and trade ties to the West. Because of the efficiency of its mostly individual farms, Latvians enjoy a diet that is higher in meat, vegetables, and dairy products and lower in grain and potatoes than diets in the 12 non-Baltic republics of the USSR. Good relations with Russia are threatened by animosity between ethnic Russians (34% of the population) and native Latvians.

electronics. One conspicuous vulnerability

Latvia produces only 10% of its

Unemployment rate

NA%

Airports

NA total, NA usable; NA with permanent-surface runways; NA with runways over 3,659 m; NA with runways 2,440-3,659 m; NA with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Civil air

NA major transport aircraft

Highways

59,500 km total (1990); 33,000 km hard surfaced 26,500 km earth

Inland waterways

300 km perennially navigable

Merchant marine

96 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 917,979 GRT/1,194,666 DWT; includes 14 cargo, 29 refrigerated cargo, 2 container, 9 roll-on/roll-off, 42 petroleum tanker

Pipelines

crude oil NA km, refined products NA km, natural gas NA km

Ports

maritime - Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja; inland - Daugavpils

Railroads

2,400 km (includes NA km electrified) does not include industrial lines (1990)

Telecommunications

broadcast stations - NA; international traffic carried by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch and the Finnish cellular net

Branches

Republic Security Forces (internal and border troops), National Guard, Russian Forces (Ground, Navy, Air, Air Defense, Border Guard

Defense expenditures

NA% of GDP; 3-5% of Latvia's budget (1992)

Manpower availability

males 15-49, NA; NA fit for military service; NA reach military age (18) annually