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Compare Barbados (2001) - Latvia (2006)
Compare Barbados (2001) z Latvia (2006)
| Barbados (2001) | Latvia (2006) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | 11 parishes; Christ Church, Saint Andrew, Saint George, Saint James, Saint John, Saint Joseph, Saint Lucy, Saint Michael, Saint Peter, Saint Philip, Saint Thomas; note - the city of Bridgetown may be given parish status | 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:
21.68% (male 30,122; female 29,572) 15-64 years: 69.44% (male 93,283; female 97,915) 65 years and over: 8.88% (male 9,432; female 15,006) (2001 est.) |
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.) |
| Agriculture - products | sugarcane, vegetables, cotton | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish |
| Airports | 1 (2000 est.) | 46 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
1 over 3,047 m: 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 24
2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 3 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 13 (2006) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | total: 22
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 19 (2006) |
| Area | total:
430 sq km land: 430 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | 2.5 times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Background | The island was uninhabited when first settled by the British in 1627. Its economy remained heavily dependent on sugar, rum, and molasses production through most of the 20th century. In the 1990s, tourism and manufacturing surpassed the sugar industry in economic importance. | 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 joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. |
| Birth rate | 13.47 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 9.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$725.5 million expenditures: $750.6 million, including capital expenditures of $126.3 million (FY97/98 est.) |
revenues: $5.673 billion
expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.) |
| Capital | Bridgetown | 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 | tropical; rainy season (June to October) | maritime; wet, moderate winters |
| Coastline | 97 km | 531 km |
| Constitution | 30 November 1966 | 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution |
| Country name | conventional long form:
none conventional short form: Barbados |
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 | Barbadian dollar (BBD) | - |
| Death rate | 8.53 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | 13.66 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Debt - external | $425 million (2000 est.) | $10.8 billion (1 January 2006) |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador James A. DALEY embassy: Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce Building, Broad Street, Bridgetown mailing address: P. O. Box 302, Bridgetown; FPO AA 34055 telephone: [1] (246) 436-4950 FAX: [1] (246) 429-5246 |
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 KING chancery: 2144 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 939-9200 FAX: [1] (202) 332-7467 consulate(s) general: Miami and New York consulate(s): Los Angeles |
chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS
chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860 |
| Disputes - international | none | 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 |
| Economic aid - recipient | $9.1 million (1995) | $1.2 billion (2004-06) |
| Economy - overview | Historically, the Barbadian economy had been dependent on sugarcane cultivation and related activities, but production in recent years has diversified into manufacturing and tourism. The start of the Port Charles Marina project in Speightstown helped the tourism industry continue to expand in 1996-2000. Offshore finance and information services are important foreign exchange earners, and there is also a light manufacturing sector. The government continues its efforts to reduce unemployment, encourage direct foreign investment, and privatize remaining state-owned enterprises. Growth should remain steady in 2001, with new tourist facilities a plus factor. | 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 deficit - 11.5% of GDP in 2005 - remains a major concern. A growing perception that many of Latvia's banks facilitate illicit activity could damage the country's vibrant financial sector. |
| Electricity - consumption | 667.7 million kWh (1999) | 5.839 billion kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (1999) | 38 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (1999) | 2.7 billion kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 718 million kWh (1999) | 3.97 billion kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
100% hydro: 0% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Atlantic Ocean 0 m highest point: Mount Hillaby 336 m |
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
| Environment - current issues | pollution of coastal waters from waste disposal by ships; soil erosion; illegal solid waste disposal threatens contamination of aquifers | 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:
Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity |
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 | black 80%, white 4%, other 16% | Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) |
| Exchange rates | Barbadian dollars per US dollar - 2.0000 (fixed rate pegged to the US dollar) | lati per US dollar - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001) |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Sir Clifford Straughn HUSBANDS (since 1 June 1996) head of government: Prime Minister Owen Seymour ARTHUR (since 6 September 1994); Deputy Prime Minister Billie MILLER (since 6 September 1994) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch; prime minister appointed by the governor general |
chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
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 reelected by Parliament for a four-year term (no term limits); election last held 20 June 2003 (next to be held by June 2007); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA reelected president; parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 88 of 94 votes cast |
| Exports | $260 million (2000 est.) | 0 bbl/day (2004) |
| Exports - commodities | sugar and molasses, rum, other foods and beverages, chemicals, electrical components, clothing | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs |
| Exports - partners | UK 14.8%, US 11.6%, Trinidad and Tobago 7.6%, Venezuela 6.1%, Jamaica 5.8% (1998) | Lithuania 11%, Estonia 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, UK 10.2%, Russia 7.9%, Sweden 7.8%, Denmark 5.3%, Poland 5.3% (2005) |
| Fiscal year | 1 April - 31 March | calendar year |
| Flag description | three equal vertical bands of blue (hoist side), gold, and blue with the head of a black trident centered on the gold band; the trident head represents independence and a break with the past (the colonial coat of arms contained a complete trident) | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $4 billion (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
4% industry: 16% services: 80% (1998) |
agriculture: 4%
industry: 26.1% services: 69.9% (2005 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $14,500 (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 2.8% (2000 est.) | 10.2% (2005 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 13 10 N, 59 32 W | 57 00 N, 25 00 E |
| Geography - note | easternmost Caribbean island | most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east |
| Highways | total:
1,600 km paved: 1,578 km unpaved: 22 km (1998) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
NA% highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 2.8%
highest 10%: 26.1% (1998) |
| Illicit drugs | one of many Caribbean transshipment points for narcotics bound for Europe and the US | 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 |
| Imports | $800.3 million (2000 est.) | 47,000 bbl/day (2004) |
| Imports - commodities | consumer goods, machinery, foodstuffs, construction materials, chemicals, fuel, electrical components | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles |
| Imports - partners | US 30.7%, Trinidad and Tobago 10.2%, Japan 8.3%, UK 7.7%, Canada 2.2% (1998) | Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 13.6%, Russia 8.6%, Estonia 7.9%, Poland 6.4%, Finland 5.9%, Belarus 5.8%, Sweden 5.1% (2005) |
| Independence | 30 November 1966 (from UK) | 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 0.8% (1996) | 5.6% (2005 est.) |
| Industries | tourism, sugar, light manufacturing, component assembly for export | 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 | 12.04 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | 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.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2% (2000 est.) | 6.8% (2005 est.) |
| International organization participation | ACP, C, Caricom, CCC, CDB, ECLAC, FAO, G-77, IADB, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, ISO, ITU, LAES, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 19 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | NA sq km | 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 | Supreme Court of Judicature (judges are appointed by the Service Commissions for the Judicial and Legal Services) | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) |
| Labor force | 136,000 (1998 est.) | 1.11 million (2005 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | services 75%, industry 15%, agriculture 10% (1996 est.) | agriculture: 15%
industry: 25% services: 60% (2000 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:
37% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 5% forests and woodland: 12% other: 46% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 28.19%
permanent crops: 0.45% other: 71.36% (2005) |
| Languages | English | Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) |
| Legal system | English common law; no judicial review of legislative acts | based on civil law system |
| Legislative branch | bicameral Parliament consists of the Senate (21-member body appointed by the governor general) and the House of Assembly (28 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: House of Assembly - last held 20 January 1999 (next to be held by January 2004) election results: House of Assembly - percent of vote by party - NA%; seats by party - BLP 26, DLP 2 |
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held 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:
73.25 years male: 70.66 years female: 75.86 years (2001 est.) |
total population: 71.33 years
male: 66.08 years female: 76.85 years (2006 est.) |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over has ever attended school total population: 97.4% male: 98% female: 96.8% (1995 est.) |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2003 est.) |
| Location | Caribbean, island between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northeast of Venezuela | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania |
| Map references | Central America and the Caribbean | Europe |
| Maritime claims | 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:
47 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 671,545 GRT/1,125,635 DWT ships by type: bulk 10, cargo 28, combination bulk 1, container 2, petroleum tanker 4, refrigerated cargo 1, roll on/roll off 1 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Canada 2, Hong Kong 1 (2000 est.) |
total: 21 ships (1000 GRT or over) 250,559 GRT/336,136 DWT
by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 7, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 105 (Antigua and Barbuda 5, Bahamas 1, Belize 6, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 4, Dominica 1, Gibraltar 2, Liberia 14, Malta 40, Marshall Islands 7, Panama 3, Russia 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 18) (2006) |
| Military branches | Royal Barbados Defense Force (includes Ground Forces and Coast Guard), Royal Barbados Police Force | Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005) |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $87 million (FY01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA% | 1.2% (FY01) |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
78,069 (2001 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
53,576 (2001 est.) |
- |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 30 November (1966) | 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 |
| Nationality | noun:
Barbadian(s) or Bajan (colloquial) adjective: Barbadian or Bajan (colloquial) |
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
| Natural hazards | infrequent hurricanes; periodic landslides | NA |
| Natural resources | petroleum, fish, natural gas | peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land |
| Net migration rate | -0.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | -2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | gas 1,097 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2006) |
| Political parties and leaders | Barbados Labor Party or BLP [Owen ARTHUR]; Democratic Labor Party or DLP [David THOMPSON]; National Democratic Party or NDP [Richard HAYNES] | First Party of Latvia or LPP [Juris LUJANS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Tatjana ZDANOKA, Jakovs PLINERS]; For the Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [Janis STRAUME]; Harmony Center or SC [Sergejs DOLGOPOLOVS]; Latvian Green Party or ZZS [Indulis EMSIS, Viesturs SILENIEKS, Raimonds VEJONIS]; 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]; New Democrats or JD [Maris GULBIS]; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE]; People's Harmony Party or TSP [Aivars DATAVS]; People's Party or TP [Atis SLAKTERIS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Barbados Workers Union [Leroy TROTMAN]; Clement Payne Labor Union [David COMMISSIONG]; People's Progressive Movement [Eric SEALY]; Worker's Party of Barbados [Dr. George BELLE] | Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] |
| Population | 275,330 (July 2001 est.) | 2,274,735 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | Below $2.15 per day (PPP): 3% |
| Population growth rate | 0.46% (2001 est.) | -0.67% (2006 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Bridgetown, Speightstown (Port Charles Marina) | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 2, FM 3, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | 237,000 (1997) | - |
| Railways | 0 km | total: 2,303 km
broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified) narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2005) |
| Religions | Protestant 67% (Anglican 40%, Pentecostal 8%, Methodist 7%, other 12%), Roman Catholic 4%, none 17%, other 12% | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.01 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.02 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.63 male(s)/female total population: 0.93 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
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.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens |
| Telephone system | general assessment:
NA domestic: island-wide automatic telephone system international: satellite earth stations - 4 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean); tropospheric scatter to Trinidad and Saint Lucia |
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 |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 108,000 (1997) | 731,000 (2005) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 8,013 (1997) | 1.872 million (2005) |
| Television broadcast stations | 1 (plus two cable channels) (1997) | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) |
| Terrain | relatively flat; rises gently to central highland region | low plain |
| Total fertility rate | 1.64 children born/woman (2001 est.) | 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 11% (1999 est.) | 7.5% (2005 est.) |
| Waterways | none | 300 km (2005) |
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