##ciekawa_strona##
Compare Australia (2001) - Latvia (2001)
Compare Australia (2001) z Latvia (2001)
| Australia (2001) | Latvia (2001) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia | 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, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
20.64% (male 2,045,892; female 1,948,949) 15-64 years: 66.86% (male 6,538,096; female 6,405,014) 65 years and over: 12.5% (male 1,059,107; female 1,360,536) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years:
16.55% (male 201,746; female 193,036) 15-64 years: 68.15% (male 776,509; female 848,908) 65 years and over: 15.3% (male 118,110; female 246,922) (2001 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish |
| Airports | 411 (2000 est.) | 25 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
271 over 3,047 m: 10 2,438 to 3,047 m: 12 1,524 to 2,437 m: 118 914 to 1,523 m: 122 under 914 m: 9 (2000 est.) |
total:
13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | total:
140 1,524 to 2,437 m: 17 914 to 1,523 m: 112 under 914 m: 11 (2000 est.) |
total:
12 2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 2 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 7 (2000 est.) |
| Area | total:
7,686,850 sq km land: 7,617,930 sq km water: 68,920 sq km note: includes Lord Howe Island and Macquarie Island |
total:
64,589 sq km land: 64,589 sq km water: 0 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly smaller than the contiguous 48 states of the US | slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Background | Australia became a commonwealth of the British Empire in 1901. It was able to take advantage of its natural resources to rapidly develop its agricultural and manufacturing industries and to make a major contribution to the British effort in World Wars I and II. Long-term concerns include pollution, particularly depletion of the ozone layer, and management and conservation of coastal areas, especially the Great Barrier Reef. A referendum to change Australia's status, from a commonwealth headed by the British monarch to an independent republic, was defeated in 1999. | 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. |
| Birth rate | 12.86 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 8.03 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$94 billion expenditures: $103 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.) |
revenues:
$1.33 billion expenditures: $1.27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
| Capital | Canberra | Riga |
| Climate | generally arid to semiarid; temperate in south and east; tropical in north | maritime; wet, moderate winters |
| Coastline | 25,760 km | 531 km |
| Constitution | 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 | the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms |
| Country name | conventional long form:
Commonwealth of Australia conventional short form: Australia |
conventional long form:
Republic of Latvia conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
| Currency | Australian dollar (AUD) | Latvian lat (LVL) |
| Death rate | 7.18 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 14.8 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Debt - external | $220.6 billion (2000) | $800 million (2000 est.) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Edward W. GNEHM, Jr. embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: APO AP 96549 telephone: [61] (02) 6214-5600 FAX: [61] (02) 6214-5970 consulate(s) general: Sydney consulate(s): Melbourne and Perth |
chief of mission:
Ambassador James H. HOLMES embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723 telephone: [371] 721-0005 FAX: [371] 782-0047 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador Michael THAWLEY chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036 telephone: [1] (202) 797-3000 FAX: [1] (202) 797-3168 consulate(s) general: Atlanta, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York, and San Francisco |
chief of mission:
Ambassador Aivis RONIS chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011 telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214 FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785 |
| Disputes - international | territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory) | draft treaty delimiting the boundary with Russia has not been signed; has not ratified 1998 maritime boundary agreement with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights) |
| Economic aid - donor | ODA, $1.43 billion (FY97/98) | - |
| Economic aid - recipient | - | $96.2 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | Australia has a prosperous Western-style capitalist economy, with a per capita GDP at the level of the four dominant West European economies. Rich in natural resources, Australia is a major exporter of agricultural products, minerals, metals, and fossil fuels. Commodities account for 57% of the value of total exports, so that a downturn in world commodity prices can have a big impact on the economy. The government is pushing for increased exports of manufactured goods, but competition in international markets continues to be severe. While Australia has suffered from the low growth and high unemployment characterizing the OECD countries in the early 1990s and during the recent financial problems in East Asia, the economy has expanded at a solid 4% annual growth pace in the last five years. Canberra's emphasis on reforms is a key factor behind the economy's resilience to the regional crisis and its stronger than expected growth rate. Growth in 2001 will depend on key international commodity prices, the extent of recovery in nearby Asian economies, and the strength of US and European markets. | In 2000, Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the SKELE government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999 - the first Baltic state to join - and was invited at the Helsinki EU Summit in December 1999 to begin accession talks in early 2000. Unemployment fell to 7.8% in 2000, down from 9.6% in 1999, and 9.2% in 1998. Privatization of large state-owned utilities and the shipping industry faced more delays in 2000, and political instability will continue to delay completion of the privatization process over the next year. Latvia projects 6% GDP growth, 2.5%-3.0% inflation, and a 1.7% fiscal deficit in 2001. Preparing for EU membership over the next few years remains a top foreign policy goal. |
| Electricity - consumption | 178.306 billion kWh (1999) | 4.316 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 400 million kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 1 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production | 191.727 billion kWh (1999) | 3.996 billion kWh (1999) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
89.93% hydro: 8.36% nuclear: 0% other: 1.71% (1999) |
fossil fuel:
31.78% hydro: 68.22% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Lake Eyre -15 m highest point: Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m |
lowest point:
Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
| Environment - current issues | soil erosion from overgrazing, industrial development, urbanization, and poor farming practices; soil salinity rising due to the use of poor quality water; desertification; clearing for agricultural purposes threatens the natural habitat of many unique animal and plant species; the Great Barrier Reef off the northeast coast, the largest coral reef in the world, is threatened by increased shipping and its popularity as a tourist site; limited natural fresh water resources | 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:
Antarctic-Environmental Protocol, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Seals, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 83, Tropical Timber 94, Wetlands, Whaling signed, but not ratified: Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol |
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 |
| Ethnic groups | Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% | Latvian 56.5%, Russian 30.4%, Byelorussian 4.3%, Ukrainian 2.8%, Polish 2.6%, other 3.4% |
| Exchange rates | Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.7995 (January 2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998), 1.3439 (1997), 1.2773 (1996) | lati per US dollar - 0.614 (January 2001), 0.607 (2000), 0.585 (1999), 0.590 (1998), 0.581 (1997), 0.551 (1996) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Rev. Peter HOLLINGSWORTH (since 29 June 2001) head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister John ANDERSON (since NA) cabinet: Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term note: government coalition - Liberal Party and National Party |
chief of state:
President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Andris BERZINS (since 5 May 2000) 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 17 June 1999 (next to be held by NA June 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA elected as a compromise candidate in second phase of balloting, second round (after five rounds in first phase failed); percent of parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 53%, Valdis BIRKAVS 20%, Ingrida UDRE 9% |
| Exports | $69 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Exports - commodities | coal, gold, meat, wool, alumina, iron ore, wheat, machinery and transport equipment | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs |
| Exports - partners | Japan 19%, EU 14%, ASEAN 12%, US 9%, South Korea, NZ, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China (1999) | Germany 16%, UK 11%, Sweden 11%, Russia 7% (1999) |
| Fiscal year | 1 July - 30 June | calendar year |
| Flag description | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant; the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed stars | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $445.8 billion (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $17.3 billion (2000 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
3% industry: 26% services: 71% (1999 est.) |
agriculture:
5% industry: 33% services: 62% (1999) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2000 est.) | purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2000 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 4.7% (2000 est.) | 5.5% (2000 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 27 00 S, 133 00 E | 57 00 N, 25 00 E |
| Geography - note | world's smallest continent but sixth-largest country; population concentrated along the eastern and southeastern coasts; regular, tropical, invigorating, sea breeze known as "the Doctor" occurs along the west coast in the summer | - |
| Highways | total:
913,000 km paved: 353,331 km (including 1,363 km of expressways) unpaved: 559,669 km (1996) |
total:
59,178 km paved: 22,843 km unpaved: 36,335 km (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
2% highest 10%: 25.4% (1994) |
lowest 10%:
2.9% highest 10%: 25.9% (1998) |
| Illicit drugs | Tasmania is one of the world's major suppliers of licit opiate products; government maintains strict controls over areas of opium poppy cultivation and output of poppy straw concentrate | 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; limited production of illicit amphetamine, ephedrine, and ecstasy for export |
| Imports | $77 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) | $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels |
| Imports - partners | EU 24%, US 22%, Japan 14%, ASEAN 13% (1999) | Russia 15%, Germany 10%, Finland 9%, Sweden 7% (1999) |
| Independence | 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) | 18 November 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 1.5% (1999 est.) | 6.3% (2000 est.) |
| Industries | mining, industrial and transportation equipment, food processing, chemicals, steel | 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, raw materials, and intermediate products |
| Infant mortality rate | 4.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 15.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 1.4% (2000 est.) | 2.7% (2000) |
| International organization participation | ANZUS, APEC, ARF (dialogue partner), AsDB, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMEE, UNTAET, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC | BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 264 (2000) | 42 (2000) |
| Irrigated land | 21,070 sq km (1993 est.) | 160 sq km (1993 est.) |
| Judicial branch | High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general) | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) |
| Labor force | 9.5 million (December 1999) | 1.4 million (2000 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture 5% (1997 est.) | agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (2000 est.) |
| Land boundaries | 0 km | total:
1,150 km border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km |
| Land use | arable land:
6% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 54% forests and woodland: 19% other: 21% (1993 est.) |
arable land:
27% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 46% other: 14% (1993 est.) |
| Languages | English, native languages | Latvian or Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other |
| Legal system | based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations | based on civil law system |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and two from each of the two territories; one-half of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives)
elections: Senate - last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by October 2001); House of Representatives - last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by October 2001) election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 35, Australian Labor Party 29, Australian Democratic Party 9, Green Party 1, One Nation Party 1, independent 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - Liberal Party-National Party coalition 80, Australian Labor Party 67, independent 1 |
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - People's Party 21%, LC 18%, TSP 14%, TB/LNNK 14%, Social Democrats 13%, New Party 7%; seats by party - People's Party 24, LC 21, TB/LNNK 17, TSP 16, Social Democrats 14, New Party 8 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
79.87 years male: 77.02 years female: 82.87 years (2001 est.) |
total population:
68.7 years male: 62.8 years female: 74.9 years (2001 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 100% (1980 est.) |
definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 99% (1989 est.) |
| Location | Oceania, continent between the Indian Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania |
| Map references | Oceania | Europe |
| Maritime claims | contiguous zone:
24 NM continental shelf: 200 NM or to the edge of the continental margin exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total:
54 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,558,371 GRT/2,038,776 DWT ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 3, chemical tanker 5, container 1, liquefied gas 4, passenger 2, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 6 (2000 est.) |
total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,984 GRT/29,978 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 3 (2000 est.) |
| Military branches | Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force | Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security Forces, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $6.9 billion (FY98/99) | $60 million (FY99) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.9% (FY98/99) | 0.9% (FY99) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
4,990,107 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
590,784 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
4,303,966 (2001 est.) |
males age 15-49:
463,944 (2001 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | 17 years of age | 18 years of age |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
138,971 (2001 est.) |
males:
19,114 (2001 est.) |
| National holiday | Australia Day, 26 January (1788) | Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 18 November 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
| Nationality | noun:
Australian(s) adjective: Australian |
noun:
Latvian(s) adjective: Latvian |
| Natural hazards | cyclones along the coast; severe droughts | NA |
| Natural resources | bauxite, coal, iron ore, copper, tin, silver, uranium, nickel, tungsten, mineral sands, lead, zinc, diamonds, natural gas, petroleum | minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, arable land |
| Net migration rate | 4.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) |
| Pipelines | crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km | crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992) |
| Political parties and leaders | Australian Democratic Party [Meg LEES]; Australian Labor Party [Kim BEAZLEY]; Green Party [Bob BROWN]; Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD]; National Party [John ANDERSON]; One Nation Party [Pauline HANSON] | Anticommunist Union or PA [P. MUCENIEKS]; Christian Democrat Union or LKDS [Talavs JUNDZIS]; Christian People's Party or KTP [Uldis AUGSTKALNS]; Democratic Party "Saimnieks" or DPS [Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman]; For Fatherland and Freedom or TB [Maris GRINBLATS], merged with LNNK; For Human Rights in a United Latvia [Janis JURKANS], a coalition of the People's Harmony Party or TSP, the Latvian Socialist Party or LSP, and the Equal Rights Movement; Green Party or LZP [Olegs BATAREVSKI]; Latvian Liberal Party or LLP [J. DANOSS]; Latvian National Conservative Party or LNNK [Andrejs KRASTINS]; Latvian National Democratic Party or LNDP [A. MALINS]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDWU [Juris BOJARS and Janis ADAMSONS, leaders]; Latvian Unity Party or LVP [Alberis KAULS]; Latvia's Way or LC [Andrei PANTELEJEVS]; New Christian Party [Ainars SLESERS]; New Faction [Ingrida UDRE]; "Our Land" or MZ [M. DAMBEKALNE]; Party of Russian Citizens or LKPP [V. SOROCHIN, V. IVANOV]; People's Party [Andris SKELE]; Political Union of Economists or TPA [Edvins KIDE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Australian Democratic Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group) | NA |
| Population | 19,357,594 (July 2001 est.) | 2,385,231 (July 2001 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.99% (2001 est.) | -0.81% (2001 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville | Daugavpils, Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | 25.5 million (1997) | 1.76 million (1997) |
| Railways | total:
33,819 km (2,540 km electrified) broad gauge: 3,719 km 1.600-m gauge standard gauge: 15,422 km 1.435-m gauge narrow gauge: 14,506 km 1.067-m gauge dual gauge: 172 km NA gauges (1999) |
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) |
| Religions | Anglican 26.1%, Roman Catholic 26%, other Christian 24.3%, non-Christian 11% | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.78 male(s)/female total population: 0.99 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 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 (2001 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal and compulsory | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
excellent domestic and international service domestic: domestic satellite system; much use of radiotelephone in areas of low population density; rapid growth of mobile cellular telephones international: submarine cables to New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Indonesia; satellite earth stations - 10 Intelsat (4 Indian Ocean and 6 Pacific Ocean), 2 Inmarsat (Indian and Pacific Ocean regions) (1998) |
general assessment:
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) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 9.58 million (1998) | 748,000 (1997) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 6.4 million (1998) | 77,100 (1997) |
| Television broadcast stations | 104 (1997) | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) |
| Terrain | mostly low plateau with deserts; fertile plain in southeast | low plain |
| Total fertility rate | 1.77 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.15 children born/woman (2001 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 6.4% (2000) | 7.8% (2000 est.) |
| Waterways | 8,368 km (mainly used by small, shallow-draft craft) | 300 km (perennially navigable) |
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