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Compare Isle of Man (2003) - Latvia (2006)

Compare Isle of Man (2003) z Latvia (2006)

 Isle of Man (2003)Latvia (2006)
 Isle of ManLatvia
Administrative divisions there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 24 local authorities each with its own elections 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: 17.5% (male 6,637; female 6,337)


15-64 years: 65.4% (male 24,373; female 24,165)


65 years and over: 17.1% (male 5,102; female 7,647) (2003 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 cereals, vegetables; cattle, sheep, pigs, poultry grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 1 (2002) 46 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
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: 572 sq km


land: 572 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 64,589 sq km


land: 63,589 sq km


water: 1,000 sq km
Area - comparative slightly more than three times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than West Virginia
Background Part of the Norwegian Kingdom of the Hebrides until the 13th century when it was ceded to Scotland, the isle came under the British crown in 1765. Current concerns include reviving the almost extinct Manx Celtic language. 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 11.38 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 9.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $485 million


expenditures: $463 million, including capital expenditures of $NA (FY00/01 est.)
revenues: $5.673 billion


expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital Douglas 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 temperate; cool summers and mild winters; overcast about one-third of the time maritime; wet, moderate winters
Coastline 160 km 531 km
Constitution unwritten; note - The Isle of Man Constitution Act, 1961, does not embody the Manx Constitution 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: Isle of Man
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 British pound (GBP); note - there is also a Manx pound -
Death rate 11.49 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 13.66 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $NA $10.8 billion (1 January 2006)
Dependency status British crown dependency -
Diplomatic representation from the US none (British crown dependency) 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 none (British crown dependency) 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 $NA $1.2 billion (2004-06)
Economy - overview Offshore banking, manufacturing, and tourism are key sectors of the economy. The government's policy of offering incentives to high-technology companies and financial institutions to locate on the island has paid off in expanding employment opportunities in high-income industries. As a result, agriculture and fishing, once the mainstays of the economy, have declined in their shares of GDP. Trade is mostly with the UK. The Isle of Man enjoys free access to EU markets. 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 - 5.839 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 38 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports - 2.7 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production - 3.97 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Irish Sea 0 m


highest point: Snaefell 621 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m
Environment - current issues waste disposal (both household and industrial); transboundary air pollution 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: 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 Manx (Norse-Celtic descent), Briton Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)
Exchange rates Manx pounds per US dollar - 0.6661 (2002), 0.6944 (2001), 0.6596 (2000), 0.6180 (1999), 0.6037 (1998); the Manx pound is at par with the British pound lati per US dollar - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001)
Executive branch chief of state: Lord of Mann Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Lieutenant Governor Ian MACFADYEN (since 26 October 2002)


head of government: Chief Minister Richard CORKILL (since 6 December 2001)


cabinet: Council of Ministers


elections: the monarch is hereditary; lieutenant governor appointed by the monarch for a five-year term; the Chief Minister is elected by the Tynwald; election last held 6 December 2001 (next to be held NA December 2006)


election results: Richard CORKILL elected chief minister by the Tynwald
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 $NA 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities tweeds, herring, processed shellfish, beef, lamb wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners UK (2000 est.) 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 red with the Three Legs of Man emblem (Trinacria), in the center; the three legs are joined at the thigh and bent at the knee; in order to have the toes pointing clockwise on both sides of the flag, a two-sided emblem is used three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon
GDP purchasing power parity - $1.6 billion (2001 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 1%


industry: 13%


services: 86% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 4%


industry: 26.1%


services: 69.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $21,000 (2001 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 13.5% 10.2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 54 15 N, 4 30 W 57 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note one small islet, the Calf of Man, lies to the southwest, and is a bird sanctuary most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east
Highways total: 800 km


paved: 800 km


unpaved: 0 km (1999)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 26.1% (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; 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 $NA 47,000 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities timber, fertilizers, fish machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Imports - partners UK (2000) 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 none (British crown dependency) 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate 3.2% (FY 96/97) 5.6% (2005 est.)
Industries financial services, light manufacturing, tourism 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: 6.17 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 7.24 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 5.05 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 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) 3.6% (March 2003 est.) 6.8% (2005 est.)
International organization participation none 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) NA -
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 (2003)
Judicial branch High Court of Justice (justices are appointed by the Lord Chancellor of England on the nomination of the lieutenant governor) Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament)
Labor force 36,610 (1998) 1.11 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture, forestry and fishing 3%, manufacturing 11%, construction 10%, transport and communication 8%, wholesale and retail distribution 11%, professional and scientific services 18%, public administration 6%, banking and finance 18%, tourism 2%, entertainment and catering 3%, miscellaneous services 10% 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: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (permanent pastures, forests, mountain, and heathland) (1998 est.)
arable land: 28.19%


permanent crops: 0.45%


other: 71.36% (2005)
Languages English, Manx Gaelic Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Legal system English common law and Manx statute based on civil law system
Legislative branch bicameral Tynwald consists of the Legislative Council (an 11-member body composed of the President of Tynwald, the Lord Bishop of Sodor and Man, a nonvoting attorney general, and 8 others named by the House of Keys) and the House of Keys (24 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)


elections: House of Keys - last held 22 November 2001 (next to be held NA November 2006)


election results: House of Keys - percent of vote by party - Man Labor Party 17.3%, Alliance for Progressive Government 14.6%; seats by party - Man Labor Party 2, Alliance for Progressive Government 3, independents 19
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: 77.98 years


male: 74.62 years


female: 81.53 years (2003 est.)
total population: 71.33 years


male: 66.08 years


female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)
Literacy definition: NA


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.8% (2003 est.)
Location Western Europe, island in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Map references Europe Europe
Maritime claims exclusive fishing zone: 12 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: 211 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 5,297,301 GRT/8,703,079 DWT


ships by type: bulk 26, cargo 32, chemical tanker 20, combination bulk 2, container 22, liquefied gas 38, petroleum tanker 49, roll on/roll off 16, specialized tanker 1, vehicle carrier 5


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Denmark 45, France 1, Germany 48, Greece 6, Hong Kong 10, Iceland 1, Italy 8, Monaco 7, Netherlands 3, Norway 5, Sweden 4, Switzerland 2, UK 70, US 1 (2002 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 - note defense is the responsibility of the UK -
Military branches - Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $87 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP - 1.2% (FY01)
National holiday Tynwald Day, 5 July 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: Manxman (men), Manxwoman (women)


adjective: Manx
noun: Latvian(s)


adjective: Latvian
Natural hazards NA NA
Natural resources none peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
Net migration rate 5.39 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 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 Man Labor Party [leader NA]; Alliance for Progressive Government [leader NA]; Man Nationalist Party [leader NA]


note: most members sit as independents
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 none Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV]
Population 74,261 (July 2003 est.) 2,274,735 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% Below $2.15 per day (PPP): 3%
Population growth rate 0.53% (2003 est.) -0.67% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Castletown, Douglas, Peel, Ramsey -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 1, shortwave 0 (1998) AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways total: 60 km (35 km electrified) (2002) 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 Anglican, Roman Catholic, Methodist, Baptist, Presbyterian, Society of Friends 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: 1.01 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 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: landline, telefax, mobile cellular telephone system


international: fiber-optic cable, microwave radio relay, satellite earth station, submarine cable
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 51,000 (1999) 731,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular NA 1.872 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 0 (receives broadcasts from the UK and satellite) (1999) 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain hills in north and south bisected by central valley low plain
Total fertility rate 1.65 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 0.7% (March 2003) 7.5% (2005 est.)
Waterways none 300 km (2005)
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