Latvia

republicIndependence 18 November 1918

Latvia as the 1992 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 73 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.

field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe open editionEach field below ends in its editions, 1990 to 2025. Point at a year above to follow it down.

CapitalRiga

Area64,100 km2

Populationas each edition published it

2.73 million July 1992 · 1.89m in 2025

Population growth% a year

Not in this edition 0.5% in 1993

Median ageyears

Not in this edition 39 yrs in 2003

Life expectancyyears at birth

Not in this edition 69.23 yrs in 1993

Fertility ratechildren per woman

2.1 children per woman 1992 · 1.25 in 2025

Infant mortalitydeaths per 1,000 live births

19 deaths per 1,000 live births 1992 · 2.4 in 2025

GDP per capitaeach edition's own dollars

Not in this edition $4,810 in 1994

GDP real growth% a year

Not in this edition -30% in 1993

Geography

12 fields

Land useshare of 64,100 km2

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

Total area

64,100km2

Comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia

Coastline

531km

Contiguous zone: NA nmContinental shelf: NA meter depthExclusive fishing zone: NA nmExclusive economic zone: NA nmTerritorial sea: NA nm

Land boundaries

1,078km

Belarus 141 km, Estonia 267 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km

Disputes

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

Natural resources

minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite

Environment

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

People

14 fields

Population

2,728,937

(July 1992), growth rate 0.6% (1992)

Per 1,000 population(1992)

Birth

15Death

12Net migration

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

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

Literacy

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

Labor force

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

Government

Republic

18 fields

Administrative divisions

none - all districts are under direct republic jurisdiction

Independence

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

Constitution

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

Leaders

Chief of State:: Chairman, Supreme Council, Anatolijs GORBUNOVS (since October 1988); Chairmen, Andrejs KRASTINS, Valdis BIRKAVS (since NA 1992)
Head of Government:: Prime Minister Ivars GODMANIS (since May 1990)

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

Elections

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
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
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

Diplomatic representation

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

US:: Ambassador Ints SILINS;
(mailing address is APO AE 09862);
telephone [358] (49) 306-067 (cellular), (7) (01-32) 325-968/185;
FAX [358] (49) 308-326 (cellular), (7) (01-32) 220-502

Flag

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

Economy

Latvia is in the process of reforming the centrally planned economy | inherited from the former USSR into a market economy.

17 fields

Inflation, consumer prices

200%

approximately · (1991)

External debt

$650million

(1991 est.)

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; electronics. One conspicuous vulnerability: Latvia produces only 10% of its 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.

GDP

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

Unemployment rate

NA%

Budget

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

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%

Imports

$9.0 billion (c.i.f., 1989)

commodities:: machinery 35%, petroleum products 13%, chemicals 9%
partners:: NA

Industrial production

growth rate 0% (1991)

Electricity

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

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

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

Illicit drugs

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

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