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Compare Faroe Islands (2005) - Latvia (2002)
Compare Faroe Islands (2005) z Latvia (2002)
| Faroe Islands (2005) | Latvia (2002) | |
 |  | |
| Administrative divisions | none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 49 municipalities | 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: 21.3% (male 4,997/female 4,999)
15-64 years: 64.9% (male 16,120/female 14,360) 65 years and over: 13.8% (male 2,923/female 3,563) (2005 est.) |
0-14 years: 15.8% (male 191,116; female 182,692)
15-64 years: 68.6% (male 775,481; female 847,261) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 120,304; female 249,661) (2002 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | milk, potatoes, vegetables; sheep; salmon, other fish | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish |
| Airports | 1 (2004 est.) | 25 (2001) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2004 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 (2002) |
| Airports - with unpaved runways | - | 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 (2002) |
| Area | total: 1,399 sq km
land: 1,399 sq km water: 0 sq km (some lakes and streams) |
total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
| Area - comparative | eight times the size of Washington, DC | slightly larger than West Virginia |
| Background | The population of the Faroe Islands is largely descended from Viking settlers who arrived in the 9th century. The islands have been connected politically to Denmark since the 14th century. A high degree of self-government was attained in 1948. | 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 | 13.97 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 8.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $488 million
expenditures: $484 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1999) |
revenues: $2.4 billion
expenditures: $2.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (2002 est.) |
| Capital | Torshavn | Riga |
| Climate | mild winters, cool summers; usually overcast; foggy, windy | maritime; wet, moderate winters |
| Coastline | 1,117 km | 531 km |
| Constitution | 5 June 1953 (Danish constitution) | the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms |
| Country name | conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Faroe Islands local long form: none local short form: Foroyar |
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 | - | Latvian lat (LVL) |
| Death rate | 8.69 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 14.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Debt - external | $64 million (1999) | $3.4 billion (2000 est.) |
| Dependency status | part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark since 1948 | - |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | chief of mission: Ambassador Brian E. CARLSON
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] 781-4088 |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | none (self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | 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 | because anticipated offshore hydrocarbon resources have not been realized, earlier Faroese proposals for full independence have been deferred; Iceland disputes the Faroe Islands' fisheries median line boundary; Iceland, the UK, and Ireland dispute Denmark's claim that the Faroe Islands' continental shelf extends beyond 200 nm | the Russian Duma refuses to ratify boundary delimitation treaty with Latvia; the Latvian Parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights |
| Economic aid - recipient | $135 million (annual subsidy from Denmark) (1998) | $96.2 million (1995) |
| Economy - overview | The Faroese economy has had a strong performance since 1994, mostly as a result of increasing fish landings and high and stable export prices. Unemployment is minimal and there are signs of labor shortages in several sectors. The positive economic development has helped the Faroese Home Rule Government produce increasing budget surpluses, which in turn has helped to reduce the large public debt, most of it owed to Denmark. However, the total dependence on fishing makes the Faroese economy extremely vulnerable, and the present fishing efforts appear in excess of what is a sustainable level of fishing in the long term. Oil finds close to the Faroese area give hope for deposits in the immediate Faroese area, which may eventually lay the basis for a more diversified economy and thus lessen dependence on Danish economic assistance. Aided by a substantial annual subsidy (15% of GDP) from Denmark, the Faroese have a standard of living not far below the Danes and other Scandinavians. | 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. The majority of companies, banks, and real estate have been privatized. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999. Preparing for EU membership over the next few years continues as a top foreign policy goal. The high current account and internal government deficits remain major concerns. |
| Electricity - consumption | 204.6 million kWh (2002) | 5.16 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - exports | 0 kWh (2002) | 500 million kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - imports | 0 kWh (2002) | 2.59 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production | 220 million kWh (2002) | 3.301 billion kWh (2000) |
| Electricity - production by source | - | fossil fuel: 33%
hydro: 67% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2000) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Slaettaratindur 882 m |
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
| Environment - current issues | NA | 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, and 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: 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 | Scandinavian | Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% |
| Exchange rates | Danish kroner per US dollar - 5.9911 (2004), 6.5877 (2003), 7.8947 (2002), 8.3228 (2001), 8.0831 (2000) | lati per US dollar - 0.6384 (January 2002), 0.628 (2001), 0.607 (2000), 0.585 (1999), 0.590 (1998), 0.581 (1997) |
| Executive branch | chief of state: Queen MARGRETHE II of Denmark (since 14 January 1972), represented by High Commissioner Birgit KLEIS, chief administrative officer (since 1 November 2001)
head of government: Prime Minister Joannes EIDESGAARD (since 3 February 2004) cabinet: Landsstyri appointed by the prime minister elections: the monarch is hereditary; high commissioner appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or the leader of the majority coalition is usually elected prime minister by the Faroese Parliament; election last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) election results: Joannes EIDESGAARD elected prime minister; percent of parliamentary vote - NA% note: coalition of Social Democrats, Union Party, and People's Party |
chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999)
head of government: Prime Minister Einars REPSE (since 7 November 2002) 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 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 to produce a clear winner); percent of parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 53%, Valdis BIRKAVS 20%, Ingrida UDRE 9% |
| Exports | NA | $2.3 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Exports - commodities | fish and fish products 94%, stamps, ships (1999) | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs |
| Exports - partners | Denmark 33.5%, UK 29.7%, Norway 8.4%, Nigeria 7.2% (2004) | Germany 17%, UK 16%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 8%, Russia 6% (2001 est.) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | white with a red cross outlined in blue extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted toward the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag) | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $20 billion (2002 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 27%
industry: 11% services: 62% (1999) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 26% services: 70% (2001) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $22,000 (2001 est.) | purchasing power parity - $8,300 (2002 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 10% (2001 est.) | 4.5% (2002 est.) |
| Geographic coordinates | 62 00 N, 7 00 W | 57 00 N, 25 00 E |
| Geography - note | archipelago of 17 inhabited islands and one uninhabited island, and a few uninhabited islets; strategically located along important sea lanes in northeastern Atlantic; precipitous terrain limits habitation to small coastal lowlands | most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east |
| Highways | total: 463 km
paved: 454 km unpaved: 9 km (1999) |
total: 59,178 km
paved: 22,843 km unpaved: 36,335 km (1998 est.) |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
lowest 10%: 3%
highest 10%: 26% (1998) (1998) |
| Illicit drugs | - | 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; money laundering remains a concern |
| Imports | NA | $3.9 billion f.o.b. (2002) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and transport equipment 29%, consumer goods 36%, raw materials and semi-manufactures 32%, fuels, fish and salt (1999) | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles |
| Imports - partners | Denmark 52.8%, Norway 18.3%, Iceland 4.4%, Sweden 4.2% (2004) | Germany 17%, Russia 9%, Lithuania 8%, Finland 8%, Sweden 7% (2001 est.) |
| Independence | none (part of the Kingdom of Denmark; self-governing overseas administrative division of Denmark) | 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8% (1999 est.) | 5.7% (2002 est.) |
| Industries | fishing, fish processing, small ship repair and refurbishment, handicrafts | 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 | total: 6.24 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 7.54 deaths/1,000 live births female: 4.93 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.) |
14.96 deaths/1,000 live births (2002 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 5.1% (1999) | 2% (2002 est.) |
| International organization participation | IMO (associate), NC, NIB, UPU | BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | - | 41 (2001) |
| Irrigated land | 0 sq km (1998 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 (1998 est.) |
| Judicial branch | none | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) |
| Labor force | 24,250 (October 2000) | 1.1 million (2001 est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | fishing, fish processing, and manufacturing 33%, construction and private services 33%, public services 34% | agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (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: 2.14%
permanent crops: 0% other: 97.86% (2001) |
arable land: 29.01%
permanent crops: 0.48% other: 70.51% (1998 est.) |
| Languages | Faroese (derived from Old Norse), Danish | Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other |
| Legal system | Danish | based on civil law system |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Faroese Parliament or Logting (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote on a proportional basis from the seven constituencies to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 20 January 2004 (next to be held no later than January 2008) election results: percent of vote by party - Union Party 23.7%, Social Democrats 21.8%, Republican Party 21.7%, People's Party 20.6%, Center Party 5.2%, Independence Party 4.6%; seats by party - Union Party 7, Social Democrats 7, Republican Party 8, People's Party 7, Center Party 2, Independence Party 1 note: election of 2 seats to the Danish Parliament was last held on 8 February 2005 (next to be held February 2009); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - Republican Party 1, People's Party 1 |
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 NA October 2006) election results: percent of vote by party - New Era 23.9%, PCTVL 18.9%, People's Party 16.7%, ZZS 9.5%, First Party 7.6%, LNNK 5.4%; seats by party - New Era 26, PCTVL 24, People's Party 21, ZZS 12, First Party 10, LNNK 7 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 79.21 years
male: 75.77 years female: 82.67 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 69 years
male: 63.13 years female: 75.17 years (2002 est.) |
| Literacy | definition: NA
total population: NA% male: NA% female: NA% note: probably the same as Denmark proper |
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.8% male: NA% female: NA% |
| Location | Northern Europe, island group between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, about one-half of the way from Iceland to Norway | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania |
| Map references | Europe | Europe |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 3 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm or agreed boundaries or median line |
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
| Merchant marine | total: 14 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 24,051 GRT/11,998 DWT
by type: cargo 6, container 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2 foreign-owned: 8 (Denmark 2, Germany 1, Iceland 2, Norway 2, United Kingdom 1) (2005) |
total: 6 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 30,119 GRT/30,572 DWT
ships by type: cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1, refrigerated cargo 4 note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Greece 3 (2002 est.) |
| Military - note | defense is the responsibility of Denmark | - |
| Military branches | no regular military forces | Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Border Guard, National Guard |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $NA | $87 million (FY01) |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | NA | 1.2% (FY01) |
| Military manpower - availability | - | males age 15-49: 591,592 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | - | males age 15-49: 464,843 (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - military age | - | 18 years of age (2002 est.) |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | - | males: 19,114 (2002 est.) |
| National holiday | Olaifest (Olavasoka), 29 July | Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 21 August 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union |
| Nationality | noun: Faroese (singular and plural)
adjective: Faroese |
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
| Natural hazards | NA | NA |
| Natural resources | fish, whales, hydropower, possible oil and gas | peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, wood, arable land, minimal; amber |
| Net migration rate | 0.94 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | -1.23 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2002 est.) |
| Pipelines | - | crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992) |
| Political parties and leaders | Center Party [Jenis A. RANA]; Independence Party [Kari P. HOJGAARD]; People's Party [Anfinn KALLSBERG]; Republican Party [Hogni HOYDAL]; Social Democratic Party [Joannes EIDESGAARD]; Union Party [Kaj Oeo JOHANNESEN] | Alliance of the Greens and Farmers Union or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS (Farmer's Union); Indulis EMSIS (Green Party)]; CENTER Political Alliance [Juris CELMINS]; First Party of Latvia [Eriks JEKABSONS]; For Fatherland and Freedom or LNNK [Maris GRINBLATS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Janis JURKANS], a coalition of the People's Harmony Party or TSP, the Latvian Socialist Party or LSP, and the Equal Rights Movement; Freedom Party [Ziedonis CEVERS]; Land of Mara [Irena SAPROVSKA]; Latvian Rebirth Party [Andris RUBINS]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris BOJARS]; Latvia's Way Union or LC [Andris BERZINS]; Light of Latgale or LG [Rihards EIGIMS]; New Era Party [Einars REPSE]; Our Land Party [Ilmars ANCANS]; Party of Latvians [Aivars GARDA]; People's Party [Andris SKELE]; Progressive Center Party [Inta STAMGUTE]; Russian Party [Mihails GAVRILOVS]; Social Democratic Union or SDS [Egils BALDZENS]; Social Democratic Welfare Party or SLP [Juris ZURAVLOVS]; United Republican Party of Latvia or LARP [Eriks Andrejs SAULUNS, Janis PUKIS, Sarmite JEGERE] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | NA |
| Population | 46,962 (July 2005 est.) | 2,366,515 (July 2002 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | 0.62% (2005 est.) | -0.77% (2002 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Torshavn | Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 1, FM 13, shortwave 0 (1998) | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) |
| Radios | - | 1.76 million (1997) |
| Railways | - | total: 2,412 km
broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2001) |
| Religions | Evangelical Lutheran | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox |
| Sex ratio | at birth: 1 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.12 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female total population: 1.05 male(s)/female (2005 est.) |
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2002 est.) |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens |
| Telephone system | general assessment: good international communications; good domestic facilities
domestic: digitalization was completed in 1998; both NMT (analog) and GSM (digital) mobile telephone systems are installed international: country code - 298; satellite earth stations - 1 Orion; 1 fiber-optic submarine cable to the Shetland Islands, linking the Faroe Islands with Denmark and Iceland; fiber-optic submarine cable connection to Canada-Europe cable |
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 | 23,000 (2002) | 734,693 (2000) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 30,700 (2002) | 401,263 (2000) |
| Television broadcast stations | 3 (plus 43 low-power repeaters) (September 1995) | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) |
| Terrain | rugged, rocky, some low peaks; cliffs along most of coast | low plain |
| Total fertility rate | 2.2 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 1.18 children born/woman (2002 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 1% (October 2000) | 7.6% (2001 est.) |
| Waterways | - | 300 km (perennially navigable) |
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