1994 Edition
CIA World Factbook 1994 (Project Gutenberg)
Introduction
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
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
Airports
total: 50 usable: 15 with permanent-surface runways: 11 with runways over 3,659 m: 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
Area
total area: 64,100 sq km land area: 64,100 sq km comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia
Birth rate
13.84 births/1,000 population (1994 est.)
Branches
Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops), Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Budget
revenues: $NA expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Capital
Riga
Climate
maritime; wet, moderate winters
Coastline
531 km
Constitution
newly elected Parliament in 1993 restored the 1933 constitution
Currency
1 lat = 100 cents; introduced NA March 1993
Death rate
12.61 deaths/1,000 population (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
Digraph
LG
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
Economic aid
$NA
Electricity
capacity: 2,140,000 kW production: 5.8 billion kWh consumption per capita: 2,125 kWh (1992)
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
Ethnic divisions
Latvian 51.8%, Russian 33.8%, Byelorussian 4.5%, Ukrainian 3.4%, Polish 2.3%, other 4.2%
Exchange rates
lats per US$1 - 0.5917 (January 1994), 1.32 (March 1993)
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
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
External debt
$NA
FAX
46-9-882-0047
Fiscal year
calendar year
Flag
two horizontal bands of maroon (top and bottom), white (middle, narrower than other two bands)
Highways
total: 59,500 km paved and graveled: 33,000 km unpaved: earth 26,500 km (1990)
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
Imports
$NA commodities: fuels, cars, ferrous metals, chemicals partners: Russia, other CIS countries, Western Europe
Independence
6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production
growth rate -38% (1992 est.)
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
Infant mortality rate
21.5 deaths/1,000 live births (1994 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)
2% per month (1993 average)
Inland waterways
300 km perennially navigable
International disputes
the Abrene section of border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944
Irrigated land
160 sq km (1990)
Judicial branch
Supreme Court
Labor force
1.407 million by occupation: industry and construction 41%, agriculture and forestry 16%, other 43% (1990)
Land boundaries
total 1,078 km, Belarus 141 km, Estonia 267 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
Land use
arable land: 27% permanent crops: 0% meadows and pastures: 13% forest and woodland: 39% other: 21%
Languages
Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other
Legal system
based on civil law system
Legislative branch
unicameral
Life expectancy at birth
total population: 69.44 years male: 64.37 years female: 74.75 years (1994 est.)
Literacy
age 9-49 can read and write (1970) total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100%
Location
Eastern Europe, bordering on the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia
Manpower availability
males age 15-49 652,444; fit for military service 514,055; reach military age (18) annually 18,803 (1994 est.)
Map references
Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World
Maritime claims
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm territorial sea: 12 nm
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
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
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
National holiday
Independence Day, 18 November (1918)
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 per capita
$4,810 (1993 est.)
National product real growth rate
-5% (1993 est.)
Nationality
noun: Latvian(s) adjective: Latvian
Natural resources
minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite
Net migration rate
3.74 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1994 est.)
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.
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
Pipelines
crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992)
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
Population
2,749,211 (July 1994 est.)
Population growth rate
0.5% (1994 est.)
Ports
coastal - Riga, Ventspils, Liepaja; inland - Daugavpils
Railroads
2,400 km (1,524-mm gauge); 270 km electrified
Religions
Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal
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
Terrain
low plain
Total fertility rate
1.98 children born/woman (1994 est.)
Type
republic
Unemployment rate
5.6% (December 1993)
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