Latvia

After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority (some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia continues to revamp its economy for eventual integration into various Western European political and economic institutions.

• 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

party to:

Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

0-14 years:

17% (male 212,483; female 203,417)

15-64 years:

68% (male 777,289; female 849,967)

65 years and over:

15% (male 116,575; female 245,195) (2000 est.)

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:

0.48 male(s)/female

total population:

0.85 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

noun:

Latvian(s)

adjective:

Latvian

conventional long form:

Republic of Latvia

conventional short form:

Latvia

local long form:

Latvijas Republika

local short form:

Latvija

former:

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

chief of state:

President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)

head of government:

Prime Minister Andris BERZINS (since 5 May 2000)

cabinet:

Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament

elections:

• president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (amended from a three-year term on 4 December 1997);
• election last held 17 June 1999 (next to be held by NA June 2003);
• prime minister appointed by the president

election results:

• Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA elected as a compromise candidate in second phase of balloting, second round (after five rounds in first phase failed);
• percent of parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 53%, Valdis BIRKAVS 20%, Ingrida UDRE 9%

• Anticommunist Union or PA [P. MUCENIEKS];
• Association of Latvian Social Democrats [Juris BOJARS, Janis ADAMSONS];
• Christian Democrat Union or LKDS [Talavs JUNDZIS];
• Christian People's Party or KTP (formerly People's Front of Latvia or LTF) [Uldis AUGSTKALNS];
• Democratic Party "Saimnieks" or DPS [Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman];
• For Fatherland and Freedom or TB [Maris GRINBLATS], merged with LNNK;
• Green Party or LZP [Olegs BATAREVSK];
• Latvian Liberal Party or LLP [J. DANOSS];
• Latvian National Conservative Party or LNNK [Andrejs KRASTINS];
• Latvian National Democratic Party or LNDP [A. MALINS];
• Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Janis BOJARS];
• Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [Sergejs DIAMANIS];
• Latvian Unity Party or LVP [Alberis KAULS];
• Latvia's Way or LC [Andrei PANTELEJEVS];
• National Harmony Party or TSP [Janis JURKANS];
• New Party [Raimonds PAULS];
• "Our Land" or MZ [M. DAMBEKALNE];
• Party for the Defense of Latvia's Defrauded People [leader NA];
• Party of Russian Citizens or LKPP [V. SOROCHIN, V. IVANOV];
• Political Association of the Underprivileged or MPA [B. PELSE, V. DIMANTS, J. KALNINS];
• Political Union of Economists or TPA [Edvins KIDE];
• People's Party [Andris SKELE]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Aivis RONIS

chancery:

4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011

telephone:

[1] (202) 726-8213, 8214

FAX:

[1] (202) 726-6785

chief of mission:

Ambassador James H. HOLMES

embassy:

Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga

mailing address:

American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723

telephone:

[371] 721-0005

FAX:

[371] 782-0047

lowest 10%:

4.3%

highest 10%:

22.1% (1993)

• 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

• grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables;
• beef, milk, eggs;
• fish

• inadequate but is being modernized to provide an international capability independent of the Moscow international switch;
• more facilities are being installed for individual use

domestic:

expansion underway in intercity trunk line connections, rural exchanges, and mobile systems; still many unsatisfied subscriber applications

international:

international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998)

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)

total:

59,178 km

paved:

22,843 km

unpaved:

36,335 km (1998 est.)

total:

14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 58,699 GRT/64,043 DWT

ships by type:

cargo 4, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 6 (1999 est.)

• draft treaty delimiting the boundary with Russia has not been signed;
• ongoing talks over maritime boundary dispute with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights)

• transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Central and Southwest Asia to Western Europe and Scandinavia and Latin American cocaine and some synthetics from Western Europe to CIS;
• limited production of illicit amphetamines, ephedrine, and ecstasy for export [Country Listing] [ The World Factbook Home]