Background: Along with most of the other small nations of Europe, Latvia shares a history of invasion by a succession of expansionist nations, e.g., Sweden, Poland, Germany, and Russia. After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940 under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact. The USSR recaptured Latvia from its German occupiers in 1944. Latvia reestablished its independence in August 1991, a few months prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union; the last Russian troops left in 1994. The status of ethnic Russians, who make up 30% of the population, is an issue of concern to Moscow. Unemployment has become a growing problem.

Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 64,100 km²
Land: 64,100 km²
Water: 0 km²
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1,150 km
Border countries: (4) Belarus 141 km; , Estonia 339 km; , Lithuania 453 km; , Russia 217 km

Coastline: 531 km

Maritime claims
Exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm
Continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain: low plain

Elevation
Extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
Extremes highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m

Natural resources: minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite

Land use
Arable land: 27%
Permanent crops: 0%
Permanent pastures: 13%
Forests and woodland: 46%
Other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 160 km² (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

Population: 2,421,163 (July 1997 est.)
Growth rate: -1.56% (1997 est.)

Nationality
Noun: Latvian(s)
Adjective: Latvian

Ethnic groups: Latvian 51.8%, Russian 33.8%, Byelorussian 4.5%, Ukrainian 3.4%, Polish 2.3%, other 4.2%

Languages: Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other

Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

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.)

Population growth rate: -1.56% (1997 est.)

Birth rate: 8.21 births/1000 population (1997 est.)

Death rate: 15.72 deaths/1000 population (1997 est.)

Net migration rate: -8.13 migrant(s)/1000 population (1997 est.)

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

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.)

Infant mortality rate: 17.7 deaths/1000 live births (1997 est.)

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 66.91 years
Male: 60.8 years
Female: 73.33 years (1997 est.)

Total fertility rate: 1.21 children born/woman (1997 est.)

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 100%
Male: 100%
Female: 99% (1989 est.)

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

Government type: republic

Capital: Riga

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

Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)

National holiday: Independence Day, 18 November (1918)

Constitution: the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms

Legal system: based on civil law system

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

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

Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges' appointments are confirmed by the Parliament

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
In the us chancery: 4,325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20,011
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 726-8,213, 8,214
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 726-6,785
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
From the us embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga
From the us mailing address: PSC 78, Box R, APO AE 9,723
From the us telephone: [371] (2) 210-005
From the us FAX: [371] (2) 226-530

Flag description: three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon

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.

Real gdp growth rate: 2.5% (1996 est.)

Real gdp per capita: purchasing power parity - $3,800 (1996 estimate as extrapolated from World Bank estimate for 1994)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 9%
Industry: 34%
Services: 57% (1994)

Agriculture products: grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; meat, milk, eggs; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1996 est.)

Labor force
Total: 1.268 million (1995)
By occupation industry: 41%
By occupation agriculture and forestry: 16%
By occupation services: 43% (1990)

Unemployment rate: 7.5% (1996 official est.)

Budget
Revenues: $N/A
Expenditures: $N/A, including capital expenditures of $N/A

Fiscal year: calendar year

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

Debt external: $NA

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)

Electricity
Capacity: 2.018 million kW (1993)
Production: 4.27 billion kWh (1994)
Consumption per capita: 2,197 kWh (1995 est.)

Telephones: 660,000 (1993 est.)

Telephone 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

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
Percent of gdp: 3% to 5% (1994)

Airports: 50 (1994 est.)
With paved runways total: 36
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 6
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 2
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 1
With paved runways under 914 m: 27 (1994 est.)
With unpaved runways total: 14
With unpaved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 2
With unpaved runways 914 to 1523 m: 2
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 10 (1994 est.)

Pipelines: crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992)

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)

Waterways: 300 km perennially navigable

Merchant marine
Total: 51 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 491,582 GRT/639,414 DWT
Ships by type: cargo 7, oil tanker 19, refrigerated cargo 18, roll-on/roll-off cargo 7 (1996 est.)

Disputes 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