Latvia
Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republika
republicIndependence 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Latvia as the 1993 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 78 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Geography
Eastern Europe, bordering on the Baltic Sea, between Sweden and Russia
13 fieldsLand useshare of 64,100 km2
International 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 and Daugava River heavily polluted;
- contamination of soil and groundwater with chemicals and petroleum products at military bases
People
14 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1993 est.)
Male · female(1993 est.)
Government
Republic
20 fieldsNames
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Latvia
- conventional short form:
- Latvia
- local long form:
- Latvijas Republika
- local short form:
- Latvija
- former:
- Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Labor Party of Latvia, Juris BOJARS, chairman;
- Inter-Front of the Working People of Latvia, Igor LOPATIN, chairman (Inter-Front was banned after the coup);
- Latvian National Movement for Independence, Eduards BERKLAVS, chairman;
- Latvian Democratic Party, Janis DINEVICS, chairman;
- Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party, Uldis BERZINS, chairman;
- Latvian People's Front, Uldis AUGST-KALNS, chairman;
- Latvian Liberal Party, Georg LANSMANIS, chairman
Elections
- President:
- last held October 1988 (next to be held NA);
- note - Anatolijs V. GORBUNOVS elected by Supreme Soviet;
- elected to restyled post of Chairman of the Supreme Council on 3 May 1990;
- new elections have not been scheduled
- Supreme Council:
- last held 18 March 1990 for the Supreme Soviet (next to be held 5-6 June 1993 for the Saeima);
- results - percent of vote by party NA;
- 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, Latvian Popular Front 126;
- note - the Supreme Council is an interim 201-seats legislative body;
- a new parliament or Saiema to be elected in June 1993
- Congress of Latvia:
- last held April 1990 (next to be held NA);
- results - percent of vote by party NA;
- seats - (231 total) number of seats by party NA;
- note - the Congress of Latvia is a quasi-governmental structure
Leaders
- Chief of State:
- Chairman Supreme Council Anatolijs V. GORBUNOVS (since NA October 1988)
- Head of Government:
- Prime Minister Ivars GODMANIS (since NA May 1990)
Member of
CBSS, CSCE, EBRD, ECE, FAO, IBRD, ICAO, IDA, ILO, IMF, IOM (observer), ITU, NACC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WHO
Diplomatic representation in US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ojars 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:
- APO AE 09862
- telephone:
- 0-11 [358] (49) 311-348 (cellular)
- FAX:
- [358] (49) 314-665 (cellular), (7) (01-32) 220-502
note: dialing to the Baltics still requires use of an international operator, unless you use the cellular phone lines
Economy
Latvia is in the process of reforming the centrally planned economy | inherited from the former USSR into a market economy.
19 fieldsOverview
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 with technological support from, 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 former USSR. Good relations with Russia are threatened by animosity between ethnic Russians (34% of the population) and native Latvians. The cumulative difficulties in replacing old sources of supply and old markets, together with the phasing out of the Russian ruble as the medium of exchange, help account for the sharp 30% drop in GDP in 1992.
Industries
- employs 33% 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 to Western Europe;
- limited producer of illicit opium;
- mostly for domestic consumption;
- also produces illicit amphetamines for export
Communications
8 fieldsMerchant marine, 96 ships by typeone square, one ship
Networkskm
Airports
- total:
- 50
- useable:
- 15
- with permanent-surface runways:
- 11
- with runways over 3,659 m:
- 0
- with runways 2,440-3,659 m:
- 7
- with runways 1,220-2,439 m:
- 7
Telecommunications
- NMT-450 analog cellular network is operational covering Riga, Ventspils, Daugavpils, Rezekne, and Valmiera;
- broadcast stations - NA;
- international traffic carried by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch and through new independent international automatic telephone exchange in Riga and the Finnish cellular net
Defense Forces
Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Security Forces (internal and border | troops), Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
4 fieldsBranches
Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Security Forces (internal and border troops), Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Manpower availability
- males age 15-49 648,273;
- fit for military service 511,297;
- reach military age (18) annually 18,767 (1993 est.)
Note
Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since the end of the devastating 16-year civil war in October 1990. Under the Ta'if accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process.
Since December 1990, the Lebanese have formed three cabinets and conducted the first legislative election in 20 years. Most of the militias have been weakened or disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized vast quantities of weapons used by the militias during the war and extended central government authority over about one-half of the country.
Hizballah, the radical Sh'ia party, is the only significant group that retains most of its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel continues to support a proxy militia, The Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territory contiguous to its border.
The ASL's enclave encompasses this self-declared security zone and about 20 kilometers north to the strategic town of Jazzine. As of December 1992, Syria maintained about 30,000 troops in Lebanon. These troops are based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's deployment was legitimized by the Arab League early in Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if accord.
Citing the continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the Lebanese Government to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if accord, Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops from Beirut.
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Latvia.” The World Factbook 1993. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/latvia/1993.