Latvia

mean elevation:

87 m

elevation extremes:

0 m lowest point: Baltic Sea; 312 highest point: Gaizina Kalns

• while land, water, and air pollution are evident, Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence;
• improvements have occurred in drinking water quality, sewage treatment, household and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution;
• concerns include nature protection and the management of water resources and the protection of the Baltic Sea

party to:

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

noun:

Latvian(s)

adjective:

Latvian

0-14 years:

15.24% (male 150,514 /female 142,580)

15-24 years:

9.16% (male 90,980 /female 85,302)

25-54 years:

41.36% (male 396,677 /female 398,972)

55-64 years:

14.38% (male 123,611 /female 153,007)

65 years and over:

19.85% (male 125,709 /female 256,207) (2018 est.)

total dependency ratio:

52.5 (2015 est.)

youth dependency ratio:

23.1 (2015 est.)

elderly dependency ratio:

29.4 (2015 est.)

potential support ratio:

3.4 (2015 est.)

at birth:

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

0-14 years:

1.05 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

15-24 years:

1.07 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

25-54 years:

0.98 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

55-64 years:

0.79 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

65 years and over:

0.48 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

total population:

0.85 male(s)/female (2017 est.)

degree of risk:

intermediate (2016)

vectorborne diseases:

tickborne encephalitis (2016)

conventional long form:

Republic of Latvia

conventional short form:

Latvia

local long form:

Latvijas Republika

local short form:

Latvija

former:

Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

etymology:

the name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.)

name:

Riga

geographic coordinates:

56 57 N, 24 06 E

time difference:

UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time:

+1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

110 municipalities (novadi, singular - novads) and 9 cities municipalities: Adazu Novads, Aglonas Novads, Aizkraukles Novads, Aizputes Novads, Aknistes Novads, Alojas Novads, Alsungas Novads, Aluksnes Novads, Amatas Novads, Apes Novads, Auces Novads, Babites Novads, Baldones Novads, Baltinavas Novads, Balvu Novads, Bauskas Novads, Beverinas Novads, Brocenu Novads, Burtnieku Novads, Carnikavas Novads, Cesu Novads, Cesvaines Novads, Ciblas Novads, Dagdas Novads, Daugavpils Novads, Dobeles Novads, Dundagas Novads, Durbes Novads, Engures Novads, Erglu Novads, Garkalnes Novads, Grobinas Novads, Gulbenes Novads, Iecavas Novads, Ikskiles Novads, Ilukstes Novads, Incukalna Novads, Jaunjelgavas Novads, Jaunpiebalgas Novads, Jaunpils Novads, Jekabpils Novads, Jelgavas Novads, Kandavas Novads, Karsavas Novads, Keguma Novads, Kekavas Novads, Kocenu Novads, Kokneses Novads, Kraslavas Novads, Krimuldas Novads, Krustpils Novads, Kuldigas Novads, Lielvardes Novads, Ligatnes Novads, Limbazu Novads, Livanu Novads, Lubanas Novads, Ludzas Novads, Madonas Novads, Malpils Novads, Marupes Novads, Mazsalacas Novads, Mersraga Novads, Nauksenu Novads, Neretas Novads, Nicas Novads, Ogres Novads, Olaines Novads, Ozolnieku Novads, Pargaujas Novads, Pavilostas Novads, Plavinu Novads, Preilu Novads, Priekules Novads, Priekulu Novads, Raunas Novads, Rezeknes Novads, Riebinu Novads, Rojas Novads, Ropazu Novads, Rucavas Novads, Rugaju Novads, Rujienas Novads, Rundales Novads, Salacgrivas Novads, Salas Novads, Salaspils Novads, Saldus Novads, Saulkrastu Novads, Sejas Novads, Siguldas Novads, Skriveru Novads, Skrundas Novads, Smiltenes Novads, Stopinu Novads, Strencu Novads, Talsu Novads, Tervetes Novads, Tukuma Novads, Vainodes Novads, Valkas Novads, Varaklanu Novads, Varkavas Novads, Vecpiebalgas Novads, Vecumnieku Novads, Ventspils Novads, Viesites Novads, Vilakas Novads, Vilanu Novads, Zilupes Novads; cities: Daugavpils, Jekabpils, Jelgava, Jurmala, Liepaja, Rezekne, Riga, Valmiera, Ventspils

• Independence Day (Republic of Latvia Proclamation Day), 18 November (1918);
• note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia established its statehood and its concomitant independence from Soviet Russia;
• 4 May 1990 was the date it declared the restoration of Latvian statehood and its concomitant independence from the Soviet Union

history:

• several previous (pre-1991 independence);
• note - following the restoration of independence in 1991, parts of the 1922 constitution were reintroduced 4 May 1990 and fully reintroduced 6 July 1993 (2016)

amendments:

• proposed by two-thirds of Parliament members or by petition of one-tenth of qualified voters submitted through the president;
• passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of Parliament in each of three readings;
• amendment of constitutional articles including national sovereignty, language, the parliamentary electoral system, and constitutional amendment procedures requires passage in a referendum by majority vote of at least one-half of the electorate;
• amended several times, last in 2014 (2016)

citizenship by birth:

no

citizenship by descent only:

at least one parent must be a citizen of Latvia

dual citizenship recognized:

no

residency requirement for naturalization:

5 years

highest courts:

Supreme Court (consists of the Senate with 27 judges and Supreme Court of Chambers with 22 judges); Constitutional Court (consists of 7 judges)

judge selection and term of office:

• Supreme Court judges nominated by chief justice and confirmed by the Saeima;
• judges serve until age 70, but term can be extended 2 years;
• Constitutional Court judges - 3 nominated by Saeima members, 2 by Cabinet ministers, and 2 by plenum of Supreme Court;
• all judges confirmed by Saeima majority vote;
• Constitutional Court president and vice president serve in their positions for 3 years;
• all judges serve 10-year terms;
• mandatory retirement at age 70

subordinate courts:

district (city) and regional courts

chief of state:

President Raimonds VEJONIS (since 8 July 2015)

head of government:

Prime Minister Maris KUCINSKIS (since 11 February 2016); Deputy Prime Minister Arvils ASERADENS (since 11 February 2016)

cabinet:

Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by Parliament

elections/appointments:

• president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term);
• election last held on 3 June 2015 (next to be held in 2019);
• prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by Parliament

election results:

Raimonds VEJONIS elected president; Parliament vote - Raimonds VEJONIS 55 of 100

description:

unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by party list proportional representation vote; members serve 4-year terms)

elections:

last held on 6 October 2018 (next to be held in October 2022)

election results:

• percent of vote by party - SDPS 19.8%, KPV LV 14.3%, JKP 13.6%, AP! 12%, NA 11%, ZZS 9.9%, V 6.7%, other 12.7%;
• seats by party - SDPS 23, KPV LV 16, JKP 16, AP! 13, NA 13, ZZS 11, V 8;
• composition - men 69, women 31, percent of women 31%

• Development/For! or AP! [Daniels PAVLUTS, Juris PUCE]
• National Alliance "All For Latvia!"-"For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK" or NA [Raivis DZINTARS] New Conservative Party or JKP [Janis BORDANS]
• Social Democratic Party "Harmony" or SDPS [Nils USAKOVS] Union of Greens and Farmers or ZZS [Armands KRAUZE] Unity or V [Arvils ASERADENS]
• Who Owns the State? or KPV LV [Artuss KAIMINS]

chief of mission:

Ambassador Andris TEIKMANIS (since 16 September 2016)

chancery:

2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008

telephone:

[1] (202) 328-2840

FAX:

[1] (202) 328-2860

chief of mission:

Ambassador Nancy Bikoff PETTIT (since 8 September 2015)

embassy:

1 Samnera Velsa St, Riga LV-1510

mailing address:

Embassy of the United States of America, 1 Samnera Velsa St, Riga, LV-1510, Latvia

telephone:

[371] 6710-7000

FAX:

[371] 6710-7050

• three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon;
• the flag is one of the older banners in the world;
• a medieval chronicle mentions a red standard with a white stripe being used by Latvian tribes in about 1280

name:

"Dievs, sveti Latviju!" (God Bless Latvia)

lyrics/music:

Karlis BAUMANIS

note: adopted 1920, restored 1990; first performed in 1873 while Latvia was a part of Russia; banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990

• grain, rapeseed, potatoes, vegetables;
• pork, poultry, milk, eggs;
• fish

agriculture:

7.7%

industry:

24.1%

services:

68.1% (2016 est.)

lowest 10%:

26.3% (2015)

highest 10%:

26.3% (2015)

general assessment:

• recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector;
• the number of fixed lines is decreasing as mobile-cellular telephone service expands;
• EU regulatory policies, and framework provide guidelines for growth;
• govt. adopted measures to build a national fibre broadband network, part-funded by European Commission;
• commercial 5G services in 2019 (2017)

domestic:

fixed-line 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular 127 per 100 subscriptions (2017)

international:

country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber-optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden (2016)

• several national and regional commercial TV stations are foreign-owned, 2 national TV stations are publicly owned;
• system supplemented by privately owned regional and local TV stations;
• cable and satellite multi-channel TV services with domestic and foreign broadcasts available;
• publicly owned broadcaster operates 4 radio networks with dozens of stations throughout the country;
• dozens of private broadcasters also operate radio stations (2007)

number of registered air carriers:

3 (2015)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 47 (2015)

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers:

2,527,368 (2015)

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers:

2,277,996 mt-km (2015)

total:

2,239 km (2008)

narrow gauge:

33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)

broad gauge:

2,206 km 1.520-m gauge (2008)

total:

70,192 km (2016)

paved:

14,959 km (2016)

unpaved:

55,233 km (2016)

• 18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service;
• no conscription;
• under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2016)

stateless persons:

• 233,571 (2017);
• note - individuals who were Latvian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants were recognized as Latvian citizens when the country's independence was restored in 1991;
• citizens of the former Soviet Union residing in Latvia who have neither Latvian nor other citizenship are considered non-citizens (officially there is no statelessness in Latvia) and are entitled to non-citizen passports;
• children born after Latvian independence to stateless parents are entitled to Latvian citizenship upon their parents' request;
• non-citizens cannot vote or hold certain government jobs and are exempt from military service but can travel visa-free in the EU under the Schengen accord like Latvian citizens;
• non-citizens can obtain naturalization if they have been permanent residents of Latvia for at least five years, pass tests in Latvian language and history, and know the words of the Latvian national anthem

• transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Baltic countries;
• despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry;
• CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds