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Latvia
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Background:
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After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars,
Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It re-established 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 joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
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Location:
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Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and
Lithuania |
Geographic coordinates:
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57 00 N, 25 00 E
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Area:
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total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km
water: 1,000 sq km |
Land boundaries:
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total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania
453 km, Russia 217 km |
Coastline:
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531 km |
Maritime claims:
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territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of
exploitation |
Climate:
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maritime; wet, moderate winters
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Terrain:
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low plain |
Elevation extremes:
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lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
Natural resources:
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peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
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Land use:
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arable land: 28.19%
permanent crops: 0.45%
other: 71.36% (2005)
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Irrigated land:
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200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of
drainage, not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of
agricultural land has been improved by drainage (2003) |
Environment - current issues:
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Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service
industries after the country regained independence; the main
environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality
and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as
well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU
accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full
enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010 |
Geography - note:
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most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with
some hills in the east
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Population:
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2,274,735 (July 2006 est.)
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Age structure:
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0-14 years: 14% (male 162,562/female 155,091)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 769,004/female 815,042)
65 years and over: 16.4% (male 121,646/female 251,390) (2006
est.) |
Median age:
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total: 39.4 years
male: 36.3 years
female: 42.4 years (2006 est.)
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Population growth rate:
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-0.67% (2006 est.)
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Birth rate:
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9.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Death rate:
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13.66 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Net migration rate:
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-2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
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Sex ratio:
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at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.94 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2006 est.) |
Infant mortality rate:
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total: 9.35 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 11.31 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 7.29 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.) |
Life expectancy at birth:
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total population: 71.33 years
male: 66.08 years
female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)
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Total fertility rate:
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1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
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0.6% (2001 est.)
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people living with HIV/AIDS:
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7,600 (2001 est.)
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HIV/AIDS - deaths:
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less than 500 (2003 est.)
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Nationality:
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noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
Ethnic groups:
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Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%,
Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) |
Religions:
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Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
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Languages:
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Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3%
(2000 census) |
Literacy:
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definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.8% (2003 est.)
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Country name:
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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:
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parliamentary democracy
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Capital:
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Riga |
Administrative divisions:
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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, Liepaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons,
Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons,
Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu
Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*,
Ventspils Rajons |
Independence:
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21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
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National holiday:
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Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the
date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May
1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991
is the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union |
Constitution:
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15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human
Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented
the constitution |
Legal system:
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based on civil law system
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Suffrage:
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18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
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Legislative branch:
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unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by
direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 5 October 2002 (next to be held 7
October 2006)
election results: percent of vote by party - JL 23.9%, PCTVL
19%, TP 16.6%, ZZS 9.4%, First Party 9.5%, TB/LNNK 5.4%; seats by
party - JL 24, TP 20, LPP 14, ZZS 12, TSP 8, TB/LNNK 7, PCTVL 6, LSP
5, independents 4 |
Judicial branch:
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Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament)
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Economy - overview:
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Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian
financial crisis, largely due to the government's budget stringency
and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries,
lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. The majority of
companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized, although the
state still holds sizable stakes in a few large enterprises. Latvia
officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. EU
membership, a top foreign policy goal, came in May 2004. The current
account and internal government deficits remain major concerns, but
the government's efforts to increase efficiency in revenue
collection may lessen the budget deficit. A growing perception that
many of Latvia's banks facilitate illicit activity could damage the
country's vibrant financial sector. |
GDP (purchasing power parity):
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$29.7 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP (official exchange rate):
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$14.64 billion (2005 est.)
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GDP - real growth rate:
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8.3% (2005 est.)
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GDP - per capita (PPP):
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$13,000 (2005 est.)
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GDP - composition by sector:
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agriculture: 4.1%
industry: 26%
services: 69.9% (2005 est.) |
Labor force:
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1.11 million (2005 est.)
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Labor force - by occupation:
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agriculture: 15%
industry: 25%
services: 60% (2000 est.) |
Unemployment rate:
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8.8% (2005 est.)
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Household income or consumption by percentage share:
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lowest 10%: 2.9%
highest 10%: 25.9% (1998) |
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
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32 (1999) |
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
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5.9% (2005 est.)
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Investment (gross fixed):
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29.9% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Budget:
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revenues: $5.646 billion
expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures
of $NA (2005 est.) |
Public debt:
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12% of GDP (2005 est.)
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Agriculture - products:
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grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs;
fish |
Industries:
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buses, vans, street and railroad cars; synthetic fibers,
agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note -
dependent on imports for energy and raw materials |
Industrial production growth rate:
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8.5% (2005 est.)
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Electricity - production:
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3.573 billion kWh (2003)
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Electricity - consumption:
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5.839 billion kWh (2003)
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Electricity - exports:
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300 million kWh (2003)
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Electricity - imports:
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2.816 billion kWh (2003)
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Oil - consumption:
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29,000 bbl/day (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - consumption:
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1.8 billion cu m (2003 est.)
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Natural gas - imports:
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1.7 billion cu m (2001 est.)
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Current account balance:
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-$1.392 billion (2005 est.)
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Exports:
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$5.749 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
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Exports - commodities:
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wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles,
foodstuffs |
Exports - partners:
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UK 12.8%, Germany 12%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 9.1%, Estonia 8%,
Russia 6.4%, Denmark 5.4% (2004)
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Imports:
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$8.559 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
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Imports - commodities:
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machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
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Imports - partners:
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Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 12.2%, Russia 8.7%, Estonia 7%, Finland
6.3%, Sweden 6.1%, Poland 5.4%, Belarus 4.8% (2004) |
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
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$2.2 billion (2005 est.)
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Debt - external:
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$13.2 billion (30 June 2005 est.)
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Economic aid - recipient:
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$96.2 million (1995)
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Currency (code):
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Latvian lat (LVL)
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Fiscal year:
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calendar year
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Telephones - main lines in use:
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650,500 (2004)
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Telephones - mobile cellular:
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1,536,700 (2004)
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Telephone system:
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general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing
competition to the telecommunications sector, beginning in 2003; the
number of fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephony expands
domestic: two wireless service providers in addition to
Lattelekom, the incumbent monopoly
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now
connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden
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Radio broadcast stations:
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AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)
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Television broadcast stations:
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44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)
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Internet country code:
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.lv |
Internet hosts:
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53,251 (2005) |
Internet users:
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810,000 (2005)
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Airports:
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47 (2005) |
Airports - with paved runways:
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total: 23
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 13 (2005) |
Airports - with unpaved runways:
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total: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 19 (2005) |
Pipelines:
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gas 1,097 km; oil 409 km; refined products 415 km (2004)
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Railways:
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total: 2,303 km
broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2004) |
Roadways:
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total: 69,919 km
paved: 69,919 km (2003) |
Waterways:
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300 km (2005) |
Merchant marine:
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total: 20 ships (1000 GRT or over) 247,743 GRT/332,058 DWT
by type: cargo 6, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2,
passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 1 (Russia 1)
registered in other countries: 102 (Antigua and Barbuda 5,
The Bahamas 1, Belize 4, Cambodia 1, Cyprus 5, Dominica 2, Gibraltar
2, Liberia 17, Malta 36, Marshall Islands 6, Panama 4, Russia 2,
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17) (2005) |
Ports and terminals:
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Riga, Ventspils
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Military branches:
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Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force,
Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005) |
Disputes - international:
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Russia refuses to sign the 1997 boundary treaty due to Latvian
insistence on a unilateral clarificatory declaration referencing
Soviet occupation of Latvia and territorial losses; Russia demands
better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; 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
must implement the strict Schengen border rules |
Illicit drugs:
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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; 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 |
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