Latvia
Republic of LatviaLatvijas Republika
republicIndependence 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Latvia as the 1997 edition of the CIA World Factbook published it: 99 fields, one of 34 editions from 1992 to 2025.
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Geography
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia | and Lithuania
17 fieldsLand useshare of 64,100 sq km
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
Environment - international agreements
- party to :
- Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
- signed, but not ratified:
- none of the selected agreements
People
15 fieldsPer 1,000 population(1997 est.)
Male · female
Age structure
- 0-14 years:
- 19% (male 238,793; female 229,160) 15-64 years : 66% (male 762,635; female 836,839)
- 65 years and over:
- 15% (male 112,989; female 240,747) (July 1997 est.)
Sex ratio
- at birth:
- 1.05 male(s)/female
- under 15 years:
- 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years : 0.91 male(s)/female
- 65 years and over:
- 0.47 male(s)/female
- total population:
- 0.85 male(s)/female (1997 est.)
Government
Republic; President Guntis ULMANIS (since 7 July 1993); Prime Minister Andris SKELE (since 21 December 1995)
20 fieldsPresidential electionpercent of vote
Parliament or Saeima, 100 seatsone dot, one seat
Percent of vote
Country name
- conventional long form:
- Republic of Latvia
- conventional short form:
- Latvia
- local long form:
- Latvijas Republika
- local short form:
- Latvija
- former :
- Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
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
Constitution
the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms
Executive branch
- chief of state:
- President Guntis ULMANIS (since 7 July 1993)
- head of government:
- Prime Minister Andris SKELE (since 21 December 1995)
- cabinet:
- Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament
- elections:
- president elected by Parliament for a four-year term;
- election last held 7 July 1993 (next to be held by 20 June 1997);
- prime minister appointed by the president
- election results:
- Guntis ULMANIS elected president in the first round of balloting; percent of parliamentary vote - 53%
Legislative branch
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms)
- elections :
- last held 30 September-1 October 1995 (next to be held NA October 1998)
- election results:
- percent of vote by party - Saimnieks 18%, LC 17%, For Latvia 16%, TB 14%, LNNK 8%, Unity 8%, LSZ/LKDS 7%, Harmony 6%, Socialist 6%;
- seats by party - Saimnieks 18, LC 17, For Latvia 16, TB 14, LNNK 8, Unity 8, LSZ/LKDS 7, Harmony 6, Socialist 6
Political parties and leaders
- Democratic Party "Saimnieks" or DPS [Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman];
- Latvia's Way or LC [Valdis BIRKAVS];
- For Latvia [Joachim SIEGERIST];
- Fatherland and Freedom or TB [Maris GRINBLATS];
- Latvian Unity Party or LVP [A. KAULS];
- Latvian National Conservative Party or LNNK [Anna SEILE];
- Green Party or LSZ [O. BATAREVSK];
- Latvian Farmers Union or LZS [A. ROZENTALS];
- Christian Democrat Union or LKDS [Maris VITOLDS];
- National Harmony Party or TSP [Janis JURKANS];
- Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [F. STROGANOVS];
- Latvian Liberal Party or LLP [J. DANOSS];
- Political Association of the Underprivileged or MPA [B. PELSE, V. DIMANTS, J. KALNINS];
- Latvian Democratic Labor Party or LDDP [J. BOJARS];
- Party of Russian Citizens or LKPP [V. SOROCHIN, V. IVANOV];
- Peoples Front of Latvia or LTF [Uldis AUGSTKALNS];
- Political Union of Economists or TPA [E. KIDE];
- Latvian National Democratic Party or LNDP [A. MALINS];
- "Our Land" or MZ [M. DAMBEKALNE];
- Anticommunist Union or PA [P. MUCENIEKS];
- Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party or LSDSP;
- Party for the Defense of Latvia's Defrauded People;
- Latvian Independence Party or LNP [Valdis KONOVALOVS]
International organization participation
BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), ISO, ITU, NACC, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US
- chief of mission:
- Ambassador Ojars Eriks KALNINS
- chancery:
- 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
- telephone:
- [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214
Diplomatic representation from the US
- chief of mission :
- Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
- embassy:
- Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga
- mailing address:
- PSC 78, Box R, APO AE 09723
- telephone:
- [371] (2) 210-005
Economy
In the five years following the implosion of the | USSR in December 1991, the Latvian economy has made substantial | progress toward establishing a modern market economy and widening | economic ties with the West.
22 fieldsGDP - composition by sector(1994)
Economy - overview
In the five years following the implosion of the USSR in December 1991, the Latvian economy has made substantial progress toward establishing a modern market economy and widening economic ties with the West. Two major long-term concerns are the growing trade deficit and the impact of organized crime.
The economy in 1996 has largely recovered from the mid-1995 collapse of several commercial banks - including Latvia's large bank, Bank Baltija - and a severe government budget crisis. Prime Minister SKELE has stated that he expects the country's GDP to grow 5% in 1997 through the implementation of the government's new economic reform program.
In December 1996, the government passed a balanced 1997 budget - its first - that SKELE predicts will reduce inflation to 10% to 12% in 1997. Unemployment, which has held steady at about 6% over the past two years, reached roughly 7.5% in 1996. One of SKELE's key objectives for 1997 is to speed up the privatization program, which has lagged behind other areas of reform.
GDP - per capita
purchasing power parity - $3,800 (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)
Industries
- buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles;
- dependent on imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products
Exports
- total value:
- $1.6 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
- commodities:
- machinery and equipment, timber, textiles, foodstuffs
- partners :
- Russia, other CIS, Germany, Sweden, UK
Imports
- total value:
- $2.4 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
- commodities :
- fuels, machinery and equipment, chemicals
- partners:
- Russia, other CIS, Germany, Sweden, UK, Finland
Economic aid
recipient: ODA, $122 million (1993) note: commitments from the West and international institutions, $525 million (1992-95)
Exchange rates
lats (LVL) per US$1 - 0.563 (January 1997), 0.551 (1996), 0.528 (1995), 0.560 (1994), 0.675 (1993), 0.736 (1992)
Communications
6 fieldsTelephone system
service is better than in most of the other former Soviet republics
- domestic:
- an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network covers 75% of Latvia's population
- international:
- international traffic carried by leased connection to the Moscow international gateway switch, through the new Ericsson digital telephone exchange in Riga, and through the Finnish cellular net;
- Sprint data network carries electronic mail
Transportation
9 fieldsMerchant marine, 51 ships by typeone square, one ship · (1996 est.)
Airports by runway lengthpaved only
Networkskm
Railways
- total:
- 2,412 km
- broad gauge:
- 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) (1992)
- narrow gauge:
- 33 km 0.750-m gauge (1994)
Military
Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, | Security Forces, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
7 fieldsMilitary branches
Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security Forces, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Military expenditures - dollar figure
176 million rubles (1994); note - conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results
Transnational Issues
2 fieldsDisputes - international
- based on the 1920 Treaty of Riga, Latvia had claimed the Abrene/Pytalovo section of border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944;
- disputes maritime border with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights)
Illicit drugs
- transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia and cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia;
- produces illicit amphetamines for export LEBANON
Introduction
1 fieldCurrent issues
Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since the end of the devastating 16-year civil war, which began in 1975. 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 the end of the civil war, the Lebanese have formed five cabinets and conducted two legislative elections. 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 Shi'a party, retains most of its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon and 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 Jazzin. Syria maintains 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 during 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 Lebanon.
Cite this entry
Central Intelligence Agency. “Latvia.” The World Factbook 1997. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/latvia/1997.