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Compare Australia (2001) - Latvia (2007)

Compare Australia (2001) z Latvia (2007)

 Australia (2001)Latvia (2007)
 AustraliaLatvia
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, 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
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: 13.6% (male 157,451/female 150,184)


15-64 years: 69.6% (male 764,910/female 808,848)


65 years and over: 16.7% (male 123,952/female 254,465) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products wheat, barley, sugarcane, fruits; cattle, sheep, poultry grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 411 (2000 est.) 42 (2007)
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: 21


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 9 (2007)
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: 21


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 20 (2007)
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: 63,589 sq km


water: 1,000 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. 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.). 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 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
Birth rate 12.86 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) 9.43 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues:
$94 billion

expenditures:
$103 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1999 est.)
revenues: $7.198 billion


expenditures: $7.255 billion (2006 est.)
Capital Canberra 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
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 15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council on 21 August 1991; multiple amendments since
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) -
Death rate 7.18 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) 13.64 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $220.6 billion (2000) $22.94 billion (2006 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 Catherine Todd BAILEY


embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510


mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723


telephone: [371] 703-6200


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 Andrejs PILDEGOVICS


chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860
Disputes - international territorial claim in Antarctica (Australian Antarctic Territory) 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; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documentation in preparation; 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 with Russia
Economic aid - donor ODA, $1.43 billion (FY97/98) -
Economic aid - recipient - $162 million (2004)
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. Latvia's economy experienced average GDP growth of more than 7.0% over the past several years. In 2006 it reached 10.2% real GDP growth. 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 deficit - more than 15% of GDP in 2006 - and inflation remain major concerns.
Electricity - consumption 178.306 billion kWh (1999) 6.09 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 0 kWh (1999) 707 million kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 0 kWh (1999) 2.855 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 191.727 billion kWh (1999) 4.778 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel:
89.93%

hydro:
8.36%

nuclear:
0%

other:
1.71% (1999)
-
Elevation extremes lowest point:
Lake Eyre -15 m

highest point:
Mount Kosciuszko 2,229 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Galzina Kalns 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 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
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, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Caucasian 92%, Asian 7%, aboriginal and other 1% Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)
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 - 0.5597 (2006), - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002)
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 Valdis ZATLERS (since 8 July 2007)


head of government: Prime Minister Aigars KALVITIS (since 2 December 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament


elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 31 May 2007 (next to be held 2011); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Valdis ZATLERS elected president; parliamentary vote - Valdis ZATLERS 58, Aivars ENDZINS 39
Exports $69 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) 6,765 bbl/day (2004)
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) Lithuania 14.2%, Estonia 12.3%, Russia 11.5%, Germany 9.8%, UK 7.6%, Sweden 6.3%, Denmark 4.8% (2006)
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.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture:
3%

industry:
26%

services:
71% (1999 est.)
agriculture: 3.7%


industry: 21.5%


services: 74.8% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $23,200 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 4.7% (2000 est.) 11.9% (2006 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 most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east
Highways total:
913,000 km

paved:
353,331 km (including 1,363 km of expressways)

unpaved:
559,669 km (1996)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%:
2%

highest 10%:
25.4% (1994)
lowest 10%: 2.5%


highest 10%: 29.1% (2003)
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 and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan 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
Imports $77 billion (f.o.b., 2000 est.) 39,190 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and transport equipment, computers and office machines, telecommunication equipment and parts; crude oil and petroleum products machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Imports - partners EU 24%, US 22%, Japan 14%, ASEAN 13% (1999) Germany 15.5%, Lithuania 12.9%, Russia 8%, Estonia 7.7%, Poland 7.2%, Finland 5.7%, Sweden 5%, Belarus 4.7% (2006)
Independence 1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) 18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia)
Industrial production growth rate 1.5% (1999 est.) 8.5% (2006 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 and raw materials
Infant mortality rate 4.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) total: 9.16 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 11.08 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 1.4% (2000 est.) 6.5% (2006 est.)
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 Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 264 (2000) -
Irrigated land 21,070 sq km (1993 est.) 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)
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); Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament)
Labor force 9.5 million (December 1999) 1.136 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation services 73%, industry 22%, agriculture 5% (1997 est.) agriculture: 13%


industry: 19%


services: 68% (2005 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,368 km


border countries: Belarus 167 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 282 km
Land use arable land:
6%

permanent crops:
0%

permanent pastures:
54%

forests and woodland:
19%

other:
21% (1993 est.)
arable land: 28.19%


permanent crops: 0.45%


other: 71.36% (2005)
Languages English, native languages Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Legal system based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations based on civil law system with traces of Socialist legal traditions and practices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
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 proportional representation from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held in October 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party - TP 19.5%, ZZS 16.7%, JL 16.4%, SC 14.4%; LPP/LC 8.6%; TB/LNNK 7%; PCTVL 6%; seats by party - TP 23, ZZS 18, JL 18, SC 17, LPP/LC 10, TB/LNNK 8, PCTVL 6
Life expectancy at birth total population:
79.87 years

male:
77.02 years

female:
82.87 years (2001 est.)
total population: 71.6 years


male: 66.39 years


female: 77.1 years (2007 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: 99.7%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.7% (2000 census)
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
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 201,684 GRT/221,186 DWT


by type: cargo 9, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 1 (Estonia 1)


registered in other countries: 122 (Antigua and Barbuda 9, Belize 14, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 1, Dominica 2, Jamaica 2, Liberia 15, Malta 36, Marshall Islands 10, Panama 5, Russia 2, St Kitts and Nevis 4, St Vincent and The Grenadines 20) (2007)
Military branches Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy, Royal Australian Air Force Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Spelki), Border Guard, Latvian Home Guard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $6.9 billion (FY98/99) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.9% (FY98/99) 1.2% (2005 est.)
Military manpower - availability males age 15-49:
4,990,107 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - fit for military service males age 15-49:
4,303,966 (2001 est.)
-
Military manpower - military age 17 years of age -
Military manpower - reaching military age annually males:
138,971 (2001 est.)
-
National holiday Australia Day, 26 January (1788) Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991 was the date of de facto 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 peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
Net migration rate 4.19 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) -2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines crude oil 2,500 km; petroleum products 500 km; natural gas 5,600 km gas 1,097 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2006)
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] First Party of Latvia or LPP [Ainars SLESERS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS]; For the Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [Roberts ZILE, Maris GRINBLATS]; Harmony Center or SC [Janis URBANOVICS, Nils USAKOVS]; Latvian Farmer's Union or LZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS]; Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris BOJARS]; Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [Alfreds RUBIKS]; Latvia's Way or LC [Ivars GODMANIS, Ainars BERZINS]; New Democrats or JD [Maris GULBIS]; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE, Krisjanis KARINS]; People's Party or TP [Aigars KALVITIS]; The Union of Latvian Greens and Farmers Party or ZZS [Indulis EMSIS]
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) Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV]
Population 19,357,594 (July 2001 est.) 2,259,810 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate 0.99% (2001 est.) -0.648% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Adelaide, Brisbane, Cairns, Darwin, Devonport (Tasmania), Fremantle, Geelong, Hobart (Tasmania), Launceston (Tasmania), Mackay, Melbourne, Sydney, Townsville -
Radio broadcast stations AM 262, FM 345, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)
Radios 25.5 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: 2,303 km


broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2006)
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: 1.048 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.946 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.487 male(s)/female


total population: 0.862 male(s)/female (2007 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: recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephony expands


domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 125 per 100 persons


international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden
Telephones - main lines in use 9.58 million (1998) 657,400 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 6.4 million (1998) 2.184 million (2006)
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.) 1.28 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.4% (2000) 6.5% (2006 est.)
Waterways 8,368 km (mainly used by small, shallow-draft craft) 300 km (2006)
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