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Compare Latvia (2001) - Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2006)
Compare Latvia (2001) z Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2006)
| Latvia (2001) | Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) (2006) | |
 | -2006-bmala.jpg) | |
| Administrative divisions | 26 counties (singular - rajons) and 7 municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons, Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons, Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Leipaja*, Liepajas Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons, Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons, Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Age structure | 0-14 years:
16.55% (male 201,746; female 193,036) 15-64 years: 68.15% (male 776,509; female 848,908) 65 years and over: 15.3% (male 118,110; female 246,922) (2001 est.) |
0-14 years: NA
15-64 years: NA 65 years and over: NA (2006 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, milk, eggs; fish | fodder and vegetable crops; sheep, dairy products |
| Airports | 25 (2000 est.) | 5 (2006) |
| Airports - with paved runways | total:
13 2,438 to 3,047 m: 7 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 under 914 m: 4 (2000 est.) |
total: 2
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 1 (2006) |
| 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 (2000 est.) |
total: 3
under 914 m: 3 (2006) |
| Area | total:
64,589 sq km land: 64,589 sq km water: 0 sq km |
total: 12,173 sq km
land: 12,173 sq km water: 0 sq km note: includes the two main islands of East and West Falkland and about 200 small islands |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than West Virginia | slightly smaller than Connecticut |
| Background | 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. | Although first sighted by an English navigator in 1592, the first landing (English) did not occur until almost a century later in 1690, and the first settlement (French) was not established until 1764. The colony was turned over to Spain two years later and the islands have since been the subject of a territorial dispute, first between Britain and Spain, then between Britain and Argentina. The UK asserted its claim to the islands by establishing a naval garrison there in 1833. Argentina invaded the islands on 2 April 1982. The British responded with an expeditionary force that landed seven weeks later and after fierce fighting forced Argentine surrender on 14 June 1982. |
| Birth rate | 8.03 births/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA births/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Budget | revenues:
$1.33 billion expenditures: $1.27 billion, including capital expenditures of $NA (1998 est.) |
revenues: $66.2 million
expenditures: $67.9 million; including capital expenditures of $23.2 million (FY98/99 est.) |
| Capital | Riga | name: Stanley
geographic coordinates: 51 42 S, 57 41 W time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) daylight saving time: +1hr, begins first Sunday in September; ends third Sunday in April |
| Climate | maritime; wet, moderate winters | cold marine; strong westerly winds, cloudy, humid; rain occurs on more than half of days in year; average annual rainfall is 24 inches in Stanley; occasional snow all year, except in January and February, but does not accumulate |
| Coastline | 531 km | 1,288 km |
| Constitution | the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922 constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms | 3 October 1985; amended 1997 and 1998 |
| Country name | conventional long form:
Republic of Latvia conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic |
conventional long form: none
conventional short form: Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) |
| Currency | Latvian lat (LVL) | - |
| Death rate | 14.8 deaths/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA deaths/1,000 population |
| Debt - external | $800 million (2000 est.) | $NA |
| Dependency status | - | overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina |
| Diplomatic representation from the US | chief of mission:
Ambassador James H. HOLMES embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723 telephone: [371] 721-0005 FAX: [371] 782-0047 |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Diplomatic representation in the US | 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 |
none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Disputes - international | draft treaty delimiting the boundary with Russia has not been signed; has not ratified 1998 maritime boundary agreement with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration rights) | Argentina, which claims the islands in its constitution and briefly occupied them by force in 1982, agreed in 1995 to no longer seek settlement by force; UK continues to reject Argentine requests for sovereignty talks |
| Economic aid - recipient | $96.2 million (1995) | $0 (1997 est.) |
| Economy - overview | In 2000, Latvia's transitional economy recovered from the 1998 Russian financial crisis, largely due to the SKELE government's budget stringency and a gradual reorientation of exports toward EU countries, lessening Latvia's trade dependency on Russia. Latvia officially joined the World Trade Organization in February 1999 - the first Baltic state to join - and was invited at the Helsinki EU Summit in December 1999 to begin accession talks in early 2000. Unemployment fell to 7.8% in 2000, down from 9.6% in 1999, and 9.2% in 1998. Privatization of large state-owned utilities and the shipping industry faced more delays in 2000, and political instability will continue to delay completion of the privatization process over the next year. Latvia projects 6% GDP growth, 2.5%-3.0% inflation, and a 1.7% fiscal deficit in 2001. Preparing for EU membership over the next few years remains a top foreign policy goal. | The economy was formerly based on agriculture, mainly sheep farming, but today fishing contributes the bulk of economic activity. In 1987 the government began selling fishing licenses to foreign trawlers operating within the Falkland Islands' exclusive fishing zone. These license fees total more than $40 million per year, which goes to support the island's health, education, and welfare system. Squid accounts for 75% of the fish taken. Dairy farming supports domestic consumption; crops furnish winter fodder. Exports feature shipments of high-grade wool to the UK and the sale of postage stamps and coins. The islands are now self-financing except for defense. The British Geological Survey announced a 200-mile oil exploration zone around the islands in 1993, and early seismic surveys suggest substantial reserves capable of producing 500,000 barrels per day; to date, no exploitable site has been identified. An agreement between Argentina and the UK in 1995 seeks to defuse licensing and sovereignty conflicts that would dampen foreign interest in exploiting potential oil reserves. Tourism, especially eco-tourism, is increasing rapidly, with about 30,000 visitors in 2001. Another large source of income is interest paid on money the government has in the bank. The British military presence also provides a sizeable economic boost. |
| Electricity - consumption | 4.316 billion kWh (1999) | 20.68 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - exports | 400 million kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - imports | 1 billion kWh (1999) | 0 kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production | 3.996 billion kWh (1999) | 22.23 million kWh (2003) |
| Electricity - production by source | fossil fuel:
31.78% hydro: 68.22% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (1999) |
- |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point:
Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mount Usborne 705 m |
| Environment - current issues | air and water pollution because of a lack of waste conversion equipment; Gulf of Riga and Daugava River heavily polluted; contamination of soil and groundwater with chemicals and petroleum products at military bases | overfishing by unlicensed vessels is a problem; reindeer were introduced to the islands in 2001 for commercial reasons; this is the only commercial reindeer herd in the world unaffected by the Chornobyl disaster |
| 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 | Latvian 56.5%, Russian 30.4%, Byelorussian 4.3%, Ukrainian 2.8%, Polish 2.6%, other 3.4% | British |
| Exchange rates | lati per US dollar - 0.614 (January 2001), 0.607 (2000), 0.585 (1999), 0.590 (1998), 0.581 (1997), 0.551 (1996) | Falkland pounds per US dollar - 0.55 (2005), 0.5462 (2004), 0.6125 (2003), 0.6672 (2002), 0.6947 (2001)
note: the Falkland pound is at par with the British pound |
| Executive branch | chief of state:
President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (since 8 July 1999) head of government: Prime Minister Andris BERZINS (since 5 May 2000) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by the Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term; election last held 17 June 1999 (next to be held by NA June 2003); prime minister appointed by the president election results: Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA elected as a compromise candidate in second phase of balloting, second round (after five rounds in first phase failed); percent of parliamentary vote - Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA 53%, Valdis BIRKAVS 20%, Ingrida UDRE 9% |
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952)
head of government: Governor Alan HUCKLE (since 25 August 2006); Chief Executive Chris SIMPKINS (since March 2003); Financial Secretary Derek F. HOWATT (since NA) cabinet: Executive Council; three members elected by the Legislative Council, two ex officio members (chief executive and the financial secretary), and the governor elections: none; the monarchy is hereditary; governor appointed by the monarch |
| Exports | $2.1 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | NA bbl/day |
| Exports - commodities | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs | wool, hides, meat |
| Exports - partners | Germany 16%, UK 11%, Sweden 11%, Russia 7% (1999) | Spain 81.9%, US 6%, UK 4.5% (2005) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | 1 April - 31 March |
| Flag description | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon | blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and the Falkland Island coat of arms centered on the outer half of the flag; the coat of arms contains a white ram (sheep raising was once the major economic activity) above the sailing ship Desire (whose crew discovered the islands) with a scroll at the bottom bearing the motto DESIRE THE RIGHT |
| GDP | purchasing power parity - $17.3 billion (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture:
5% industry: 33% services: 62% (1999) |
agriculture: 95%
industry: NA% services: NA% |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $7,200 (2000 est.) | - |
| GDP - real growth rate | 5.5% (2000 est.) | NA% |
| Geographic coordinates | 57 00 N, 25 00 E | 51 45 S, 59 00 W |
| Geography - note | - | deeply indented coast provides good natural harbors; short growing season |
| Highways | total:
59,178 km paved: 22,843 km unpaved: 36,335 km (1998 est.) |
- |
| Household income or consumption by percentage share | lowest 10%:
2.9% highest 10%: 25.9% (1998) |
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA% |
| 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; limited production of illicit amphetamine, ephedrine, and ecstasy for export | - |
| Imports | $3.2 billion (f.o.b., 2000) | NA bbl/day |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels | fuel, food and drink, building materials, clothing |
| Imports - partners | Russia 15%, Germany 10%, Finland 9%, Sweden 7% (1999) | UK 72.5%, US 15.1%, Netherlands 8.5% (2005) |
| Independence | 18 November 1991 (from Soviet Union) | none (overseas territory of the UK; also claimed by Argentina) |
| Industrial production growth rate | 6.3% (2000 est.) | NA% |
| Industries | buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products | fish and wool processing; tourism |
| Infant mortality rate | 15.34 deaths/1,000 live births (2001 est.) | total: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 2.7% (2000) | 3.6% (1998) |
| International organization participation | BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO | ICFTU, UPU |
| Internet Service Providers (ISPs) | 42 (2000) | - |
| Irrigated land | 160 sq km (1993 est.) | NA |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) | Supreme Court (chief justice is a nonresident); Magistrates Court (senior magistrate presides over civil and criminal divisions); Court of Summary Jurisdiction |
| Labor force | 1.4 million (2000 est.) | 1,724 (est.) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 10%, industry 25%, services 65% (2000 est.) | agriculture: 95% (mostly sheepherding and fishing)
industry and services: 5% |
| Land boundaries | total:
1,150 km border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km |
0 km |
| Land use | arable land:
27% permanent crops: 0% permanent pastures: 13% forests and woodland: 46% other: 14% (1993 est.) |
arable land: 0%
permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (99% permanent pastures, 1% other) (2005) |
| Languages | Latvian or Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other | English |
| Legal system | based on civil law system | English common law |
| Legislative branch | unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by direct popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held NA October 2002) election results: percent of vote by party - People's Party 21%, LC 18%, TSP 14%, TB/LNNK 14%, Social Democrats 13%, New Party 7%; seats by party - People's Party 24, LC 21, TB/LNNK 17, TSP 16, Social Democrats 14, New Party 8 |
unicameral Legislative Council (10 seats - two ex officio, eight elected by popular vote, members serve four-year terms); presided over by the governor
elections: last held 17 November 2005 (next to be held November 2009) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - independents 8 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population:
68.7 years male: 62.8 years female: 74.9 years (2001 est.) |
total population: NA
male: NA female: NA |
| Literacy | definition:
age 15 and over can read and write total population: 100% male: 100% female: 99% (1989 est.) |
NA |
| Location | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania | Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of southern Argentina |
| Map references | Europe | South America |
| Maritime claims | continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation exclusive economic zone: 200 NM territorial sea: 12 NM |
territorial sea: 12 nm
continental shelf: 200 nm exclusive fishing zone: 200 nm |
| Merchant marine | total:
8 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 27,984 GRT/29,978 DWT ships by type: cargo 2, petroleum tanker 3, refrigerated cargo 3 (2000 est.) |
- |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of the UK |
| Military branches | Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security Forces, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) | no regular military forces |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $60 million (FY99) | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 0.9% (FY99) | NA |
| Military manpower - availability | males age 15-49:
590,784 (2001 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - fit for military service | males age 15-49:
463,944 (2001 est.) |
- |
| Military manpower - military age | 18 years of age | - |
| Military manpower - reaching military age annually | males:
19,114 (2001 est.) |
- |
| National holiday | Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 is the date of independence from Soviet Russia, 18 November 1991 is the date of independence from the Soviet Union | Liberation Day, 14 June (1982) |
| Nationality | noun:
Latvian(s) adjective: Latvian |
noun: Falkland Islander(s)
adjective: Falkland Island |
| Natural hazards | NA | strong winds persist throughout the year |
| Natural resources | minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, arable land | fish, squid, wildlife, calcified seaweed, sphagnum moss |
| Net migration rate | -1.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2001 est.) | NA migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) |
| Pipelines | crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560 km (1992) | - |
| Political parties and leaders | Anticommunist Union or PA [P. MUCENIEKS]; Christian Democrat Union or LKDS [Talavs JUNDZIS]; Christian People's Party or KTP [Uldis AUGSTKALNS]; Democratic Party "Saimnieks" or DPS [Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman]; For Fatherland and Freedom or TB [Maris GRINBLATS], merged with LNNK; For Human Rights in a United Latvia [Janis JURKANS], a coalition of the People's Harmony Party or TSP, the Latvian Socialist Party or LSP, and the Equal Rights Movement; Green Party or LZP [Olegs BATAREVSKI]; Latvian Liberal Party or LLP [J. DANOSS]; Latvian National Conservative Party or LNNK [Andrejs KRASTINS]; Latvian National Democratic Party or LNDP [A. MALINS]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDWU [Juris BOJARS and Janis ADAMSONS, leaders]; Latvian Unity Party or LVP [Alberis KAULS]; Latvia's Way or LC [Andrei PANTELEJEVS]; New Christian Party [Ainars SLESERS]; New Faction [Ingrida UDRE]; "Our Land" or MZ [M. DAMBEKALNE]; Party of Russian Citizens or LKPP [V. SOROCHIN, V. IVANOV]; People's Party [Andris SKELE]; Political Union of Economists or TPA [Edvins KIDE] | none; all independents |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | NA | none |
| Population | 2,385,231 (July 2001 est.) | 2,967 (July 2006 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA% | NA% |
| Population growth rate | -0.81% (2001 est.) | 2.44% (2006 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Daugavpils, Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils | - |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 7, shortwave 0
note: British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides Radio 1 (FM) and Radio 2 (AM) service (2006) |
| Radios | 1.76 million (1997) | - |
| Railways | total:
2,412 km broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) (1992) narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (1994) |
- |
| Religions | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox | primarily Anglican, Roman Catholic, United Free Church, Evangelist Church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Lutheran, Seventh-Day Adventist |
| Sex ratio | at birth:
1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.91 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female total population: 0.85 male(s)/female (2001 est.) |
- |
| Suffrage | 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens | 18 years of age; universal |
| Telephone system | 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) |
general assessment: NA
domestic: government-operated radiotelephone and private VHF/CB radiotelephone networks provide effective service to almost all points on both islands international: country code - 500; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) with links through London to other countries |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 748,000 (1997) | 2,400 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 77,100 (1997) | 0 (2001) |
| Television broadcast stations | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) | 2 (British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) provides multi-channel satellite service to members of UK Forces as well as islanders)
note: cable television is available in Stanley (2006) |
| Terrain | low plain | rocky, hilly, mountainous with some boggy, undulating plains |
| Total fertility rate | 1.15 children born/woman (2001 est.) | NA children born/woman |
| Unemployment rate | 7.8% (2000 est.) | full employment; labor shortage (2001) |
| Waterways | 300 km (perennially navigable) | - |
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