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Related Articles |
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Geography |
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea,
between Estonia and Lithuania
Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 64,589 sq km
land: 64,589 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative: slightly larger than West
Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km,
Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims:
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain: low plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m
Natural resources: minimal; amber, peat, limestone,
dolomite, hydropower, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 46%
other: 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
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, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent
Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
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Background:
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.
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People |
Population: 2,404,926 (July 2000 est.)
Age structure:
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.)
Population growth rate: -0.84% (2000 est.)
Birth rate: 7.8 births/1,000 population (2000
est.)
Death rate: 14.88 deaths/1,000 population (2000
est.)
Net migration rate: -1.32 migrant(s)/1,000
population (2000 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: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2000 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 15.71 deaths/1,000 live
births (2000 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 68.41 years
male: 62.48 years
female: 74.62 years (2000 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.13 children born/woman (2000
est.)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s) adjective:
Latvian
Ethnic groups: Latvian 56.5%, Russian 30.4%,
Byelorussian 4.3%, Ukrainian 2.8%, Polish 2.6%, other
3.4%
Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian
Orthodox
Languages: Lettish (official), Lithuanian,
Russian, other
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 99% (1989 est.)
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Communications |
Telephones - main lines in use: 748,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular: 175,348 (1999)
Telephone system: 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)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 56, shortwave
1 (1998)
Radios: 1.76 million (1997)
Television broadcast stations: 74 (1998)
Televisions: 1.22 million (1997)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 11 (1999)
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Transportation |
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)
Highways:
total: 59,178 km
paved: 22,843 km
unpaved: 36,335 km (1998 est.)
Waterways: 300 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 750 km; refined products 780
km; natural gas 560 km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Daugavpils, Liepaja, Riga,
Ventspils
Merchant marine:
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.)
Airports: 50 (1994 est.)
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 36
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 27 (1994 est.)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 10 (1994 est.)
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