Background: Several eastern Baltic tribes merged in medieval times to form the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally, Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I, but it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia 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 26% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the euro zone in 2014 and the OECD in 2016. A dual citizenship law was adopted in 2013, easing naturalization for non-citizen children.

Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E

Map reference: Europe

Area
Total: 64,589 km²
Land: 62,249 km²
Water: 2,340 km²
Rank: 125
Comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries
Total: 1370 km
Border countries: (4) Belarus 161 km; , Estonia 333 km; , Lithuania 544 km; , Russia 332 km

Coastline: 498 km

Maritime claims
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain: low plain

Elevation
Mean elevation: 87 m
Lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
Highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m

Natural resources: peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land

Land use
Agricultural land: 29.2% (2011 est.)
Forest: 54.1% (2011 est.)
Other: 16.7% (2011 est.)

Irrigated land:

Natural hazards: large percentage of agricultural fields can become waterlogged and require drainage

Geography
Note: most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east

Population
Distribution: largest concentration of people is found in and around the port and capital city of Riga; small agglomerations are scattered throughout the country: 1,923,559 (July 2018 est.)
Rank: 150
Growth rate: -1.1% (2018 est.)
Growth rate rank: 227
Below poverty line: 25.5% (2015)

Nationality
Noun: Latvian(s)
Adjective: Latvian

Ethnic groups: Latvian 62.2%, Russian 25.2%, Belarusian 3.2%, Ukrainian 2.2%, Polish 2.1%, Lithuanian 1.2%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.3% (2018 est.)

Languages:

Religions: Lutheran 36.2%, Roman Catholic 19.5%, Orthodox 19.1%, other Christian 1.6%, other 0.1%, unspecified/none 23.5% (2017 est.)

Age structure
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.)

Dependency ratios
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.)

Median age
Total: 43.9 years (2018 est.)
Male: 40 years
Female: 47.3 years
Rank: 16

Population growth rate: -1.1% (2018 est.)
Rank: 227

Birth rate: 9.6 births/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 197

Death rate: 14.5 deaths/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 5

Net migration rate: -6 migrant(s)/1000 population (2018 est.)
Rank: 202

Population distribution: largest concentration of people is found in and around the port and capital city of Riga; small agglomerations are scattered throughout the country

Urbanization
Urban population: 68.2% of total population
Note: (2015-20 est.)
Rate of urbanization: -0.93% annual rate of change

Major urban areas
Population: 634,000 RIGA (capital) (2019)

Environment
Current issues: 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
International agreements 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
International agreements signed but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Sex ratio
At birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.06 male(s)/female
15-24 years: 1.07 male(s)/female
25-54 years: 0.99 male(s)/female
55-64 years: 0.81 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.49 male(s)/female
Total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2018 est.)

Mothers mean age at first birth: 27.2 years (2014 est.)

Infant mortality rate
Total: 5.1 deaths/1000 live births (2018 est.)
Male: 5.5 deaths/1000 live births
Female: 4.7 deaths/1000 live births
Rank: 175

Life expectancy at birth
Total population: 74.9 years (2018 est.)
Male: 70.4 years
Female: 79.7 years
Rank: 118

Total fertility rate: 1.52 children born/woman (2018 est.)
Rank: 193

Drinking water source
Urban: 0.2% of population
Rural: 1.7% of population
Total: 0.7% of population (2015 est.)

Current health expenditure: 6.2% (2016)

Physicians density: 3.19 physicians/1000 population (2016)

Hospital bed density: 5.8 beds/1000 population (2013)

Sanitation facility access
Urban: 9.2% of population (2015 est.)
Rural: 18.5% of population (2015 est.)
Total: 12.2% of population (2015 est.)

Hivaids
Adult prevalence rate: 0.4% (2018 est.)
Adult prevalence rate rank: 82
People living with hivaids: 5,300 (2018 est.)
People living with hivaids rank: 120
Deaths note: <100 (2018 est.)

Major infectious diseases
Degree of risk: intermediate (2016)
Vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2016)

Obesity adult prevalence rate: 23.6% (2016)
Rank: 65

Education expenditures: 5.3% of GDP (2015)
Rank: 49

Literacy
Definition: age 15 and over can read and write
Total population: 99.9%
Male: 99.9%
Female: 99.9% (2015)

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education
Total: 16 years
Male: 15 years
Female: 17 years (2016)

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
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.)

Government type: parliamentary republic

Capital
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: etymology: of the several theories explaining the name's origin, the one relating to the city's role in Baltic and North Sea commerce is the most probable; the name is likely related to the Latvian word 'rija,' meaning 'warehouse,' where the 'j' became a 'g' under the heavy German influence in the city from the late Middle Ages to the early 20th century

Administrative divisions:

Independence: 4 May 1990 (declared independence from the Soviet Union); 6 September 1991 (recognized by the Soviet Union)

National holiday: 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

Constitution
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
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 2019 (2019)

Legal system: civil law system with traces of socialist legal traditions and practices

International law organization participation: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Citizenship
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

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Executive branch
Chief of state: President Egils LEVITS (since 8 July 2019)
Head of government: Prime Minister Krisjanis KARINS (since 23 January 2019)
Cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister, appointed by Parliament
Electionsappointments: president indirectly elected by Parliament for a 4-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 29 May 2019 (next to be held in 2023); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by Parliament
Election results: Egils LEVITS elected president; Parliament vote - Egils LEVITS 61 votes, Didzis SMITS 24, Juris JANSONS 8; Krisjanis KARINS confirmed prime minister 61-39

Legislative branch
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%: note: since the October 2018 elections, several efforts to form a government around a new prime minister have proved unsuccessful

Judicial branch
Highest courts: Supreme Court (consists of the Senate with 36 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

Political parties and leaders: 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]

International organization participation: Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EMU, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (NGOs), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO

Diplomatic representation
In the us chancery: 2,306 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20,008
In the us telephone: [1] (202) 328-2,840
In the us FAX: [1] (202) 328-2,860
From the us chief of mission: Ambassador John Leslie CARWILE (since 5 November 2019)
From the us telephone: [371] 6,710-7,000
From the us embassy: 1 Samnera Velsa St, Riga LV-1510
From the us mailing address: Embassy of the United States of America, 1 Samnera Velsa St, Riga, LV-1510, Latvia
From the us FAX: [371] 6,710-7,050

Flag description: 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

National symbols: white wagtail (bird); national colors: maroon, white

National anthem
Name: Dievs, sveti Latviju! (God Bless Latvia)
Lyricsmusic: 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

Economy overview: Latvia is a small, open economy with exports contributing more than half of GDP. Due to its geographical location, transit services are highly-developed, along with timber and wood-processing, agriculture and food products, and manufacturing of machinery and electronics industries. Corruption continues to be an impediment to attracting foreign direct investment and Latvia's low birth rate and decreasing population are major challenges to its long-term economic vitality.Latvia's economy experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07, but entered a severe recession in 2008 as a result of an unsustainable current account deficit and large debt exposure amid the slowing world economy. Triggered by the collapse of the second largest bank, GDP plunged by more than 14% in 2009 and, despite strong growth since 2011, the economy took until 2017 return to pre-crisis levels in real terms. Strong investment and consumption, the latter stoked by rising wages, helped the economy grow by more than 4% in 2017, while inflation rose to 3%. Continued gains in competitiveness and investment will be key to maintaining economic growth, especially in light of unfavorable demographic trends, including the emigration of skilled workers, and one of the highest levels of income inequality in the EU.In the wake of the 2008-09 crisis, the IMF, EU, and other international donors provided substantial financial assistance to Latvia as part of an agreement to defend the currency's peg to the euro in exchange for the government's commitment to stringent austerity measures. The IMF/EU program successfully concluded in December 2011, although, the austerity measures imposed large social costs. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises, including 80% ownership of the Latvian national airline. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999 and the EU in May 2004. Latvia also joined the euro zone in 2014 and the OECD in 2016.

Real gdp purchasing power parity:
Rank: 108

Real gdp growth rate:
Rank: 64

Real gdp per capita:
Rank: 76

Gross national saving:
Rank: 91

Gdp composition by end use
Household consumption: 61.8% (2017 est.)
Government consumption: 18.2% (2017 est.)
Investment in fixed capital: 19.9% (2017 est.)
Investment in inventories: 1.5% (2017 est.)
Exports of goods and services: 60.6% (2017 est.)
Imports of goods and services: -61.9% (2017 est.)

Gdp composition by sector of origin
Agriculture: 3.9% (2017 est.)
Industry: 22.4% (2017 est.)
Services: 73.7% (2017 est.)

Agriculture products: grain, rapeseed, potatoes, vegetables; pork, poultry, milk, eggs; fish

Industries: processed foods, processed wood products, textiles, processed metals, pharmaceuticals, railroad cars, synthetic fibers, electronics

Industrial production growth rate: 10.6% (2017 est.)
Rank: 12

Labor force: 990,000 (2017 est.)
Rank: 144
By occupation agriculture: 7.7%
By occupation industry: 24.1%
By occupation services: 68.1% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate:
Rank: 124

Population below poverty line: 25.5% (2015)

Household income or consumption by percentage share
Lowest 10: 2.2%
Highest 10: 26.3% (2015)

Distribution of family income gini index:
Rank: 102

Budget
Revenues: 11.39 billion (2017 est.)
Expenditures: 11.53 billion (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit: -0.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Surplus or deficit rank: 62

Taxes and other revenues: 37.5% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
Rank: 54

Public debt:
Rank: 147

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices:
Rank: 130

Central bank discount rate:
Rank: 155

Commercial bank prime lending rate:
Rank: 181

Stock of narrow money:
Rank: 78

Stock of broad money:
Rank: 79

Stock of domestic credit:
Rank: 94

Market value of publicly traded shares:
Rank: 80

Current account balance:
Rank: 99

Exports:
Rank: 82
Partners: Lithuania 15.8%, Russia 14%, Estonia 10.9%, Germany 6.9%, Sweden 5.7%, UK 4.9%, Poland 4.3%, Denmark 4.1% (2017)
Commodities: foodstuffs, wood and wood products, metals, machinery and equipment, textiles

Imports:
Rank: 87
Commodities: machinery and equipment, consumer goods, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Partners: Lithuania 17.6%, Germany 11.7%, Poland 8.7%, Estonia 7.6%, Russia 7.1%, Netherlands 4.2%, Finland 4.2%, Italy 4% (2017)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
Rank: 97

Debt external:
Rank: 74

Stock of direct foreign investment at home:
Rank: 82

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad:
Rank: 80

Exchange rates:

Electricity
Access electrification total population: 100% (2016)
Production: 6.241 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Production rank: 115
Consumption: 6.798 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Consumption rank: 109
Exports: 3.795 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Exports rank: 38
Imports: 4.828 billion kWh (2016 est.)
Imports rank: 39
Installed generating capacity: 2.932 million kW (2016 est.)
Installed generating capacity rank: 98
Generation sources fossil fuels: 39% of total installed capacity (2016 est.)
Generation sources fossil fuels rank: 173
Generation sources nuclear: 0% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources nuclear rank: 125
Generation sources hydroelectricity: 53% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources hydroelectricity rank: 33
Generation sources other renewable sources: 8% of total installed capacity (2017 est.)
Generation sources other renewable sources rank: 87

Petroleum
Petroleum total petroleum production: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
Petroleum total petroleum production rank: 160
Crude oil exports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil exports rank: 152
Crude oil imports: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Crude oil imports rank: 150
Crude oil proven reserves: 0 bbl (1 January 2018 est.)
Crude oil proven reserves rank: 155

Refined petroleum
Products production: 0 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products production rank: 163
Products consumption: 44,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products consumption rank: 111
Products exports: 16,180 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products exports rank: 72
Products imports: 54,370 bbl/day (2017 est.)
Products imports rank: 77

Natural gas
Production: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Production rank: 155
Consumption: 1.218 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Consumption rank: 88
Exports: 0 m³ (2017 est.)
Exports rank: 136
Imports: 1.246 billion m³ (2017 est.)
Imports rank: 58
Proven reserves: 0 m³ (2014 est.)
Proven reserves rank: 156

Carbon dioxide emissions
From consumption of energy: 8.632 million Mt (2017 est.)
From consumption of energy rank: 114

Telephones
Fixed lines total subscriptions: 342,097
Fixed lines subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 18 (2017 est.)
Fixed lines rank: 109
Mobile cellular total subscriptions: 2,464,122
Mobile cellular subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 127 (2017 est.)
Mobile cellular rank: 144

Telephone system
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 fiber broadband network, part-funded by European Commission; commercial 5G services coming in 2019 (2018)
Domestic: fixed-line 18 per 100 and mobile-cellular 127 per 100 subscriptions (2018)
International: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber-optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden

Broadcast media: 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

Internet
Country code: .lv
Users total: 1,570,374
Users percent of population: 79.9% (July 2016 est.)
Users rank: 119

Broadband fixed subscriptions
Total: 525,679
Subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 27 (2017 est.)
Rank: 80

Military expenditures:
Rank: 51

Military and security forces: National Armed Forces (Nacionalie Brunotie Speki): Land Forces (Latvijas Sauszemes Speki), Naval Force (Latvijas Juras Speki, includes Coast Guard (Latvijas Kara Flote)), Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Speki), National Guard (2019)

Military service age and obligation: 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 (2017)

National air transport system
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
Note: mt-km (2015)

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix: YL (2016)

Airports: 42 (2013)
Rank: 101
With paved runways total: 18 (2017)
With paved runways over 3047 m: 1 (2017)
With paved runways 2438 to 3047 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways 15-24 to 2437 m: 4 (2017)
With paved runways 914 to 1523 m: 3 (2017)
With paved runways under 914 m: 7 (2017)
With unpaved runways total: 24 (2013)
With unpaved runways under 914 m: 24 (2013)

Heliports: 1 (2013)

Pipelines: 1,213 km gas, 417 km refined products (2018)

Railways
Total: 1860 km (2018)
Narrow gauge: 34 km
Note: 1.520-m gauge (2018)
Broad gauge: 1826 km
Rank: 75

Roadways
Total: 70,244 km (2018)
Paved: 15,158 km (2018)
Unpaved: 55,086 km (2018)
Rank: 69

Waterways: 300 km
Note: (navigable year-round) (2010)
Rank: 92

Merchant marine
Total: 68
By type: general cargo 18, oil tanker 8, other 42 (2018)
Rank: 102

Ports and terminals
Major seaport: Riga, Ventspils

Disputes international: Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; boundary demarcated with Latvia and Lithuania; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia

Refugees and internally displaced persons
Stateless persons: 224,844 (2018); note - individuals who were Latvian citizens prior to the 1940 Soviet occupation and their descendants were recognized as Latvian citizens when the countrys 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

Illicit drugs: 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