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Compare Latvia (2005) - Hungary (2007)

Compare Latvia (2005) z Hungary (2007)

 Latvia (2005)Hungary (2007)
 LatviaHungary
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, 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 19 counties (megyek, singular - megye), 23 urban counties (singular - megyei varos), and 1 capital city (fovaros)


counties: Bacs-Kiskun, Baranya, Bekes, Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen, Csongrad, Fejer, Gyor-Moson-Sopron, Hajdu-Bihar, Heves, Jasz-Nagykun-Szolnok, Komarom-Esztergom, Nograd, Pest, Somogy, Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, Tolna, Vas, Veszprem, Zala


urban counties: Bekescsaba, Debrecen, Dunaujvaros, Eger, Erd, Gyor, Hodmezovasarhely, Kaposvar, Kecskemet, Miskolc, Nagykanizsa, Nyiregyhaza, Pecs, Salgotarjan, Sopron, Szeged, Szekesfehervar, Szekszard, Szolnok, Szombathely, Tatabanya, Veszprem, Zalaegerszeg


capital city: Budapest
Age structure 0-14 years: 14.4% (male 169,284/female 161,648)


15-64 years: 69.4% (male 770,839/female 819,309)


65 years and over: 16.1% (male 120,306/female 248,851) (2005 est.)
0-14 years: 15.3% (male 785,643/female 741,907)


15-64 years: 69.3% (male 3,399,926/female 3,498,403)


65 years and over: 15.4% (male 554,356/female 975,873) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish wheat, corn, sunflower seed, potatoes, sugar beets; pigs, cattle, poultry, dairy products
Airports 50 (2004 est.) 46 (2007)
Airports - with paved runways total: 26


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 16 (2004 est.)
total: 20


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 8


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 4


under 914 m: 2 (2007)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 24


2,438 to 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 2


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 20 (2004 est.)
total: 26


2,438 to 3,047 m: 2


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 11


under 914 m: 10 (2007)
Area total: 64,589 sq km


land: 63,589 sq km


water: 1,000 sq km
total: 93,030 sq km


land: 92,340 sq km


water: 690 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia slightly smaller than Indiana
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 joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004. Hungary was part of the polyglot Austro-Hungarian Empire, which collapsed during World War I. The country fell under Communist rule following World War II. In 1956, a revolt and an announced withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact were met with a massive military intervention by Moscow. Under the leadership of Janos KADAR in 1968, Hungary began liberalizing its economy, introducing so-called "Goulash Communism." Hungary held its first multiparty elections in 1990 and initiated a free market economy. It joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004.
Birth rate 9.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) 9.66 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $4.231 billion


expenditures: $4.504 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
revenues: $50.51 billion


expenditures: $60.71 billion (2006 est.)
Capital Riga name: Budapest


geographic coordinates: 47 30 N, 19 05 E


time difference: UTC+1 (6 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)


daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October
Climate maritime; wet, moderate winters temperate; cold, cloudy, humid winters; warm summers
Coastline 531 km 0 km (landlocked)
Constitution 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution 18 August 1949, effective 20 August 1949; revised 19 April 1972; 18 October 1989 revision ensured legal rights for individuals and constitutional checks on the authority of the prime minister and also established the principle of parliamentary oversight; 1997 amendment streamlined the judicial system
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: Republic of Hungary


conventional short form: Hungary


local long form: Magyar Koztarsasag


local short form: Magyarorszag
Death rate 13.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) 13.05 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $7.368 billion (2004 est.) $82.02 billion (2006 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US 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
chief of mission: Ambassador April H. FOLEY


embassy: Szabadsag ter 12, H-1054 Budapest


mailing address: pouch: American Embassy Budapest, 5270 Budapest Place, US Department of State, Washington, DC 20521-5270


telephone: [36] (1) 475-4400


FAX: [36] (1) 475-4764
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS


chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011


telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214


FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785
chief of mission: Ambassador Ferenc SOMOGYI


chancery: 3910 Shoemaker Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 362-6730


FAX: [1] (202) 966-8135


consulate(s) general: Los Angeles, New York
Disputes - international the Latvian-Russian boundary treaty of 1997 remains unsigned and unratified with Russia linking it to better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians and Latvian politicians demanding Russian agreement to a declaration that admits Soviet aggression during the Second World War and other issues; 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 bilateral government, legal, technical and economic working group negotiations continue in 2006 with Slovakia over Hungary's failure to complete its portion of the Gabcikovo-Nagymaros hydroelectric dam project along the Danube; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Hungary must implement the strict Schengen border rules
Economic aid - recipient $96.2 million (1995) $302.6 million in available EU structural adjustment and cohesion funds (2004)
Economy - overview 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 and internal government deficits remain major concerns, but the government's efforts to increase efficiency in revenue collection may lessen the budget deficit. A growing perception that many of Latvia's banks facilitate illicit activity could damage the country's vibrant financial sector. Hungary has made the transition from a centrally planned to a market economy, with a per capita income nearly two-thirds that of the EU-25 average. Hungary continues to demonstrate strong economic growth and acceded to the EU in May 2004. The private sector accounts for over 80% of GDP. Foreign ownership of and investment in Hungarian firms are widespread, with cumulative foreign direct investment totaling more than $60 billion since 1989. Hungary issues investment-grade sovereign debt. International observers, however, have expressed concerns over Hungary's fiscal and current account deficits. Inflation has declined from 14% in 1998 to 3.7% in 2006. Unemployment has persisted above 6%. Hungary's labor force participation rate of 57% is one of the lowest in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Germany is by far Hungary's largest economic partner. Policy challenges include cutting the public sector deficit to 3% of GDP by 2008, from about 6.5% in 2006, and tackling a persistent trade deficit. The current government has announced and begun to implement an austerity program designed to address these issues, leading to eventual adoption of the euro.
Electricity - consumption 5.829 billion kWh (2002) 35.98 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 1.1 billion kWh (2002) 9.41 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 2.7 billion kWh (2002) 15.64 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 4.547 billion kWh (2002) 33.69 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m
lowest point: Tisza River 78 m


highest point: Kekes 1,014 m
Environment - current issues 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 the upgrading of Hungary's standards in waste management, energy efficiency, and air, soil, and water pollution to meet EU requirements will require large investments
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
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulfur 85, Air Pollution-Sulfur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling


signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Ethnic groups Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) Hungarian 92.3%, Roma 1.9%, other or unknown 5.8% (2001 census)
Exchange rates lati per US dollar - 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001), 0.6065 (2000) forints per US dollar - 210.39 (2006), 199.58 (2005), 202.75 (2004), 224.31 (2003), 257.89 (2002)
Executive branch 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; 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
chief of state: Laszlo SOLYOM (since 5 August 2005)


head of government: Prime Minister Ferenc GYURCSANY (since 29 September 2004)


cabinet: Council of Ministers prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; other ministers proposed by the prime minister and appointed and relieved of their duties by the president


elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a five-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 6-7 June 2005 (next to be held by June 2010); prime minister elected by the National Assembly on the recommendation of the president; election last held 29 September 2004


election results: Laszlo SOLYOM elected president by a simple majority in the third round of voting, 185 to 182; Ferenc GYURCSANY elected prime minister; result of legislative vote - 197 to 12


note: to be elected, the president must win two-thirds of legislative vote in the first two rounds or a simple majority in the third round
Exports NA 58,380 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs machinery and equipment 61.1%, other manufactures 28.7%, food products 6.5%, raw materials 2%, fuels and electricity 1.6% (2003)
Exports - partners UK 12.8%, Germany 12%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 9.1%, Estonia 8%, Russia 6.4%, Denmark 5.4% (2004) Germany 29.5%, Italy 5.6%, France 5%, Austria 5%, UK 4.5%, Romania 4.2%, Poland 4.1% (2006)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon three equal horizontal bands of red (top), white, and green
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4.4%


industry: 24.8%


services: 70.8% (2004 est.)
agriculture: 3.4%


industry: 31.5%


services: 65.1% (2006 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $11,500 (2004 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 7.6% (2004 est.) 3.9% (2006 est.)
Geographic coordinates 57 00 N, 25 00 E 47 00 N, 20 00 E
Geography - note most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east landlocked; strategic location astride main land routes between Western Europe and Balkan Peninsula as well as between Ukraine and Mediterranean basin; the north-south flowing Duna (Danube) and Tisza Rivers divide the country into three large regions
Heliports - 5 (2007)
Highways total: 60,472 km


paved: 57,206 km


unpaved: 3,265 km (2002)
-
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.9%


highest 10%: 25.9% (1998)
lowest 10%: 4%


highest 10%: 22.2% (2002)
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; vulnerable to money laundering despite improved legislation due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds transshipment point for Southwest Asian heroin and cannabis and for South American cocaine destined for Western Europe; limited producer of precursor chemicals, particularly for amphetamine and methamphetamine; efforts to counter money laundering, related to organized crime and drug trafficking, are improving, but remain vulnerable; significant consumer of ecstasy
Imports NA 150,000 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles machinery and equipment 51.6%, other manufactures 35.7%, fuels and electricity 7.7%, food products 3.1%, raw materials 2.0% (2003)
Imports - partners Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 12.2%, Russia 8.7%, Estonia 7%, Finland 6.3%, Sweden 6.1%, Poland 5.4%, Belarus 4.8% (2004) Germany 27.1%, Russia 8.2%, China 6.9%, Austria 6.2%, France 4.7%, Italy 4.6%, Netherlands 4.3%, Poland 4.3% (2006)
Independence 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) 1001 (unification by King STEPHEN I)
Industrial production growth rate 8.5% (2004 est.) 9.5% (2006 est.)
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 and raw materials mining, metallurgy, construction materials, processed foods, textiles, chemicals (especially pharmaceuticals), motor vehicles
Infant mortality rate total: 9.55 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 11.55 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.45 deaths/1,000 live births (2005 est.)
total: 8.21 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 8.91 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.46 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6% (2004 est.) 4.1% (2006 est.)
International organization participation Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU (new member), FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WCO, WEU (member affiliate), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACCT (observer), Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, ESA (cooperating state), EU, FAO, G- 9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, MINURSO, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOMIG, UNWTO, UPU, WCL, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC
Irrigated land 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.)
2,300 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) Constitutional Court (judges are elected by the National Assembly for nine-year terms)
Labor force 1.17 million (2004 est.) 4.21 million (2006 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.) agriculture: 5.5%


industry: 33.3%


services: 61.2% (2003)
Land boundaries total: 1,150 km


border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
total: 2,171 km


border countries: Austria 366 km, Croatia 329 km, Romania 443 km, Serbia 151 km, Slovakia 677 km, Slovenia 102 km, Ukraine 103 km
Land use arable land: 29.67%


permanent crops: 0.47%


other: 69.86% (2001)
arable land: 49.58%


permanent crops: 2.06%


other: 48.36% (2005)
Languages Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) Hungarian 93.6%, other or unspecified 6.4% (2001 census)
Legal system based on civil law system based German-Austrian legal system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations
Legislative branch 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 - JL 23.9%, PCTVL 18.9%, TP 16.7%, ZZS 9.5%, First Party 7.6%, LNNK 5.4%; seats by party - JL 26, PCTVL 24, TP 21, ZZS 12, First Party 10, LNNK 7
unicameral National Assembly or Orszaggyules (386 seats; members are elected by popular vote under a system of proportional and direct representation to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 9 and 23 April 2006 (next to be held in April 2010)


election results: percent of vote by party (5% or more of the vote required for parliamentary representation in the first round) - MSzP 43.2%, Fidesz-KDNP 42%, SzDSz 6.5%, MDF 5%, other 3.3%; seats by party - MSzP 190, Fidesz 141, KDNP 23, SzDSz 20, MDF 11, independent 1
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.05 years


male: 65.78 years


female: 76.6 years (2005 est.)
total population: 72.92 years


male: 68.73 years


female: 77.38 years (2007 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.8%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.8% (2003 est.)
definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.4%


male: 99.5%


female: 99.3% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania Central Europe, northwest of Romania
Map references Europe Europe
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
none (landlocked)
Merchant marine total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 53,153 GRT/37,414 DWT


by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 1


registered in other countries: 86 (2005)
-
Military branches Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) Ground Forces, Hungarian Air Force (Magyar Legiero, ML) (2006)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $87 million (FY01) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (FY01) 1.75% (2005 est.)
National holiday 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 Saint Stephen's Day, 20 August
Nationality noun: Latvian(s)


adjective: Latvian
noun: Hungarian(s)


adjective: Hungarian
Natural hazards NA -
Natural resources peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land bauxite, coal, natural gas, fertile soils, arable land
Net migration rate -2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) 0.86 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 1,097 km; oil 409 km; refined products 415 km (2004) gas 4,397 km; oil 990 km; refined products 335 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders 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 LZP [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] Alliance of Free Democrats or SzDSz [Janos KOKA]; Christian Democratic People's Party or KDNP [Zsolt SEMJEN]; Hungarian Civic Alliance or Fidesz [Viktor ORBAN, chairman]; Hungarian Democratic Forum or MDF [Ibolya DAVID]; Hungarian Socialist Party or MSzP [Ferenc GYURCSANY]
Political pressure groups and leaders Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] NA
Population 2,290,237 (July 2005 est.) 9,956,108 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line NA 8.6% (1993 est.)
Population growth rate -0.69% (2005 est.) -0.253% (2007 est.)
Ports and harbors Riga, Ventspils -
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 17, FM 57, shortwave 3 (1998)
Railways total: 2,303 km


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


narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2004)
total: 8,057 km


broad gauge: 36 km 1.524-m gauge


standard gauge: 7,802 km 1.435-m gauge (2,628 km electrified)


narrow gauge: 219 km 0.760-m gauge (2006)
Religions Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox Roman Catholic 51.9%, Calvinist 15.9%, Lutheran 3%, Greek Catholic 2.6%, other Christian 1%, other or unspecified 11.1%, unaffiliated 14.5% (2001 census)
Sex ratio 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 (2005 est.)
at birth: 1.06 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.059 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.972 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.568 male(s)/female


total population: 0.909 male(s)/female (2007 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: country code - 371; international connections are now available via cable and a satellite earth station at Riga, enabling direct connections for most calls (1998)
general assessment: the telephone system has been modernized and is capable of satisfying all requests for telecommunication service


domestic: the system is digitalized and highly automated; trunk services are carried by fiber-optic cable and digital microwave radio relay; a program for fiber-optic subscriber connections was initiated in 1996; competition among mobile-cellular service providers has led to a sharp increase in the use of mobile cellular phones since 2000 and a decrease in the number of fixed-line connections


international: country code - 36; Hungary has fiber-optic cable connections with all neighboring countries; the international switch is in Budapest; satellite earth stations - 2 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean regions), 1 Inmarsat, 1 very small aperture terminal (VSAT) system of ground terminals
Telephones - main lines in use 653,900 (2003) 3.35 million (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1,219,600 (2003) 9.965 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) 35 (plus 161 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain low plain mostly flat to rolling plains; hills and low mountains on the Slovakian border
Total fertility rate 1.26 children born/woman (2005 est.) 1.33 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 8.8% (2004 est.) 7.4% (2006 est.)
Waterways 300 km (2004) 1,622 km (most on Danube River) (2007)
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