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Compare Latvia (2005) - New Caledonia (2004)
Compare Latvia (2005) z New Caledonia (2004)
| Latvia (2005) | New Caledonia (2004) | |
 |  | |
| 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 | none (overseas territory of France); there are no first-order administrative divisions as defined by the US Government, but there are 3 provinces named Iles Loyaute, Nord, and Sud |
| 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: 29.4% (male 32,076; female 30,772)
15-64 years: 64.3% (male 69,150; female 68,310) 65 years and over: 6.3% (male 6,259; female 7,112) (2004 est.) |
| Agriculture - products | grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish | vegetables; beef, deer, other livestock products |
| Airports | 50 (2004 est.) | 25 (2003 est.) |
| 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: 11
over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 2 (2004 est.) |
| 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: 14
914 to 1,523 m: 8 under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.) |
| Area | total: 64,589 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km |
total: 19,060 sq km
land: 18,575 sq km water: 485 sq km |
| Area - comparative | slightly larger than West Virginia | slightly smaller than New Jersey |
| 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. | Settled by both Britain and France during the first half of the 19th century, the island was made a French possession in 1853. It served as a penal colony for four decades after 1864. Agitation for independence during the 1980s and early 1990s has dissipated. |
| Birth rate | 9.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 18.98 births/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Budget | revenues: $4.231 billion
expenditures: $4.504 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.) |
revenues: $861.3 million
expenditures: $735.3 million, including capital expenditures of $52 million (1996 est.) |
| Capital | Riga | Noumea |
| Climate | maritime; wet, moderate winters | tropical; modified by southeast trade winds; hot, humid |
| Coastline | 531 km | 2,254 km |
| Constitution | 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution | 28 September 1958 (French Constitution) |
| 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: Territory of New Caledonia and Dependencies
conventional short form: New Caledonia local long form: Territoire des Nouvelle-Caledonie et Dependances local short form: Nouvelle-Caledonie |
| Currency | - | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique franc (XPF); note - may adopt the euro in 2003 |
| Death rate | 13.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 5.64 deaths/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Debt - external | $7.368 billion (2004 est.) | $79 million (1998 est.) |
| Dependency status | - | overseas territory of France since 1956 |
| 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 |
none (overseas territory of France) |
| 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 |
none (overseas territory of France) |
| 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 | Matthew and Hunter Islands east of New Caledonia claimed by France and Vanuatu |
| Economic aid - recipient | $96.2 million (1995) | $880 million annual subsidy from France (1998) |
| 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. | New Caledonia has about 25% of the world's known nickel resources. Only a small amount of the land is suitable for cultivation, and food accounts for about 20% of imports. In addition to nickel, substantial financial support from France - equal to more than one-fourth of GDP - and tourism are keys to the health of the economy. Substantial new investment in the nickel industry, combined with the recovery of global nickel prices, brightens the economic outlook for the next several years. |
| Electricity - consumption | 5.829 billion kWh (2002) | 1.5 billion kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - exports | 1.1 billion kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - imports | 2.7 billion kWh (2002) | 0 kWh (2001) |
| Electricity - production | 4.547 billion kWh (2002) | 1.613 billion kWh (2001) |
| Elevation extremes | lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m |
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m
highest point: Mont Panie 1,628 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 | erosion caused by mining exploitation and forest fires |
| 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 | Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) | Melanesian 42.5%, European 37.1%, Wallisian 8.4%, Polynesian 3.8%, Indonesian 3.6%, Vietnamese 1.6%, other 3% |
| Exchange rates | lati per US dollar - 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001), 0.6065 (2000) | Comptoirs Francais du Pacifique francs (XPF) per US dollar - 105.73 (2003), 126.72 (2002), 133.26 (2001), 129.44 (2000), 111.93 (1999) |
| 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: President of France Jacques CHIRAC (since 17 May 1995), represented by High Commissioner Daniel CONSTANTIN (since 3 July 2002)
head of government: President of the Government Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU (since 10 June 2004) cabinet: Consultative Committee elections: French president elected by popular vote for a five-year term; high commissioner appointed by the French president on the advice of the French Ministry of Interior; president of the government elected by the members of the Territorial Congress; note - last election held 29 June 2004 when Marie-Noelle THEMEREAU was elected on the third vote with 8 votes for and 3 abstentions |
| Exports | NA | NA (2001) |
| Exports - commodities | wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs | ferronickels, nickel ore, fish |
| Exports - partners | UK 12.8%, Germany 12%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 9.1%, Estonia 8%, Russia 6.4%, Denmark 5.4% (2004) | Japan 21.8%, France 19.2%, Taiwan 14%, Spain 11%, South Korea 8.5%, Australia 7.2%, Italy 5.1% (2003) |
| Fiscal year | calendar year | calendar year |
| Flag description | three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon | the flag of France is used |
| GDP | - | purchasing power parity - $3.158 billion (2003 est.) |
| GDP - composition by sector | agriculture: 4.4%
industry: 24.8% services: 70.8% (2004 est.) |
agriculture: 5%
industry: 30% services: 65% (1997 est.) |
| GDP - per capita | purchasing power parity - $11,500 (2004 est.) | purchasing power parity - $15,000 (2001 est.) |
| GDP - real growth rate | 7.6% (2004 est.) | NA |
| Geographic coordinates | 57 00 N, 25 00 E | 21 30 S, 165 30 E |
| Geography - note | most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east | consists of the main island of New Caledonia (one of the largest in the Pacific Ocean), the archipelago of Iles Loyaute, and numerous small, sparsely populated islands and atolls |
| Heliports | - | 6 (2003 est.) |
| Highways | total: 60,472 km
paved: 57,206 km unpaved: 3,265 km (2002) |
total: 4,825 km
paved: 2,287 km unpaved: 2,538 km (1999) |
| 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; 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 | - |
| Imports | NA | NA (2001) |
| Imports - commodities | machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles | machinery and equipment, fuels, chemicals, foodstuffs |
| 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) | France 46.1%, Australia 9.5%, Singapore 9.3%, New Zealand 4.3% (2003) |
| Independence | 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) | none (overseas territory of France); note - a referendum on independence was held in 1998 but did not pass; a new referendum is scheduled for 2014 |
| Industrial production growth rate | 8.5% (2004 est.) | -0.6% (1996) |
| 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 | nickel mining and smelting |
| 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: 7.89 deaths/1,000 live births
male: 8.59 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2004 est.) |
| Inflation rate (consumer prices) | 6% (2004 est.) | -0.6% (2000 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 | FZ, ICFTU, PIF (observer), UPU, WFTU, WMO |
| 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.) |
160 sq km (1991) |
| Judicial branch | Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) | Court of Appeal or Cour d'Appel; County Courts; Joint Commerce Tribunal Court; Children's Court |
| Labor force | 1.17 million (2004 est.) | 79,400 (including 15,018 unemployed, 1996) |
| Labor force - by occupation | agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.) | agriculture 7%, industry 23%, services 70% (1999 est.) |
| 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: 29.67%
permanent crops: 0.47% other: 69.86% (2001) |
arable land: 0.38%
permanent crops: 0.33% other: 99.29% (2001) |
| Languages | Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) | French (official), 33 Melanesian-Polynesian dialects |
| Legal system | based on civil law system | the 1988 Matignon Accords grant substantial autonomy to the islands; formerly under French law |
| 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 Territorial Congress or Congres Territorial (54 seats; members are members of the three Provincial Assemblies or Assemblees Provinciales elected by popular vote to serve five-year terms)
elections: last held 9 May 2004 (next to be held NA 2009) election results: percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - RPCR-UMP 16, AE 16, UNI-FLNKS 8, UE 7, FN 4, others 3 note: New Caledonia currently holds 1 seat in the French Senate; elections last held 24 September 2001 (next to be held not later than September 2007; between now and 2010 New Caledonia will gain a second seat in the French Senate); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - NA; New Caledonia also elects 2 seats to the French National Assembly; elections last held 9 and 16 June 2002 (next to be held by June 2007); results - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - UMP 2 |
| Life expectancy at birth | total population: 71.05 years
male: 65.78 years female: 76.6 years (2005 est.) |
total population: 73.78 years
male: 70.82 years female: 76.89 years (2004 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: 91% male: 92% female: 90% (1976 est.) |
| Location | Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania | Oceania, islands in the South Pacific Ocean, east of Australia |
| Map references | Europe | Oceania |
| Maritime claims | territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation |
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm |
| 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) |
total: 1 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 1,261 GRT/1,600 DWT
by type: cargo 1 foreign-owned: Malaysia 1 registered in other countries: 1 (2004 est.) |
| Military - note | - | defense is the responsibility of France |
| Military branches | Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) | no regular indigenous military forces; French Armed Forces (including Army, Navy, Air Force, Gendarmerie); Police Force |
| Military expenditures - dollar figure | $87 million (FY01) | NA |
| Military expenditures - percent of GDP | 1.2% (FY01) | NA |
| 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 | Bastille Day, 14 July (1789) |
| Nationality | noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian |
noun: New Caledonian(s)
adjective: New Caledonian |
| Natural hazards | NA | cyclones, most frequent from November to March |
| Natural resources | peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land | nickel, chrome, iron, cobalt, manganese, silver, gold, lead, copper |
| Net migration rate | -2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.) | 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2004 est.) |
| Pipelines | gas 1,097 km; oil 409 km; refined products 415 km (2004) | - |
| 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 pour la Caledonie or APLC [Didier LE ROUX]; Caleonian Union or UC [leader NA]; Federation des Comites de Coordination des Independantistes or FCCI [Francois BURCK]; Front National or FN [Guy GEORGE]; Front Uni de Liberation Kanak or FULK [Ernest UNE]; Kanak Socialist Front for National Liberation or FLNKS [leader NA] (includes PALIKA, UNI, UC, and UPM); Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA [Paul NEAOUTYINE and Elie POIGOUNE]; Rally for Caledonia in the Republic (anti independent) or RPCR-UMP [Jacques LAFLEUR]; The Future Together or AE [Harold MARTIN]; Union Nationale pour l'Independance or UNI [Paul NEAOUTYINE]; note - may no longer exist, but Paul NEAOUTYINE has since become a president of Parti de Liberation Kanak or PALIKA; Union Progressiste Melanesienne or UPM [Victor TUTUGORO] |
| Political pressure groups and leaders | Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] | NA |
| Population | 2,290,237 (July 2005 est.) | 213,679 (July 2004 est.) |
| Population below poverty line | NA | NA |
| Population growth rate | -0.69% (2005 est.) | 1.33% (2004 est.) |
| Ports and harbors | Riga, Ventspils | Mueo, Noumea, Thio |
| Radio broadcast stations | AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) | AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 0 (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) |
- |
| Religions | Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox | Roman Catholic 60%, Protestant 30%, other 10% |
| 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: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 1.01 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 0.88 male(s)/female total population: 1.01 male(s)/female (2004 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: NA
domestic: NA international: country code - 687; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean) |
| Telephones - main lines in use | 653,900 (2003) | 52,000 (2002) |
| Telephones - mobile cellular | 1,219,600 (2003) | 80,000 (2002) |
| Television broadcast stations | 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) | 6 (plus 25 low-power repeaters) (1997) |
| Terrain | low plain | coastal plains with interior mountains |
| Total fertility rate | 1.26 children born/woman (2005 est.) | 2.35 children born/woman (2004 est.) |
| Unemployment rate | 8.8% (2004 est.) | 19% (1996) |
| Waterways | 300 km (2004) | - |
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