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Compare Latvia (2006) - Dominican Republic (2006)

Compare Latvia (2006) z Dominican Republic (2006)

 Latvia (2006)Dominican Republic (2006)
 LatviaDominican Republic
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 31 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 district* (distrito); Azua, Baoruco, Barahona, Dajabon, Distrito Nacional*, Duarte, El Seibo, Elias Pina, Espaillat, Hato Mayor, Independencia, La Altagracia, La Romana, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Monsenor Nouel, Monte Cristi, Monte Plata, Pedernales, Peravia, Puerto Plata, Salcedo, Samana, San Cristobal, San Jose de Ocoa, San Juan, San Pedro de Macoris, Sanchez Ramirez, Santiago, Santiago Rodriguez, Santo Domingo, Valverde
Age structure 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.)
0-14 years: 32.6% (male 1,531,145/female 1,464,076)


15-64 years: 61.9% (male 2,902,098/female 2,782,608)


65 years and over: 5.5% (male 235,016/female 269,041) (2006 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish sugarcane, coffee, cotton, cocoa, tobacco, rice, beans, potatoes, corn, bananas; cattle, pigs, dairy products, beef, eggs
Airports 46 (2006) 33 (2006)
Airports - with paved runways 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)
total: 14


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 3


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 1 (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)
total: 19


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 5


under 914 m: 10 (2006)
Area total: 64,589 sq km


land: 63,589 sq km


water: 1,000 sq km
total: 48,730 sq km


land: 48,380 sq km


water: 350 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia slightly more than twice the size of New Hampshire
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. Explored and claimed by Christopher COLUMBUS on his first voyage in 1492, the island of Hispaniola became a springboard for Spanish conquest of the Caribbean and the American mainland. In 1697, Spain recognized French dominion over the western third of the island, which in 1804 became Haiti. The remainder of the island, by then known as Santo Domingo, sought to gain its own independence in 1821, but was conquered and ruled by the Haitians for 22 years; it finally attained independence as the Dominican Republic in 1844. In 1861, the Dominicans voluntarily returned to the Spanish Empire, but two years later they launched a war that restored independence in 1865. A legacy of unsettled, mostly non-representative rule followed, capped by the dictatorship of Rafael Leonidas TRUJILLO from 1930-1961. Juan BOSCH was elected president in 1962, but was deposed in a military coup in 1963. In 1965, the United States led an intervention in the midst of a civil war sparked by an uprising to restore BOSCH. In 1966, Joaquin BALAGUER defeated BOSCH in an election to become president. BALAGUER maintained a tight grip on power for most of the next 30 years when international reaction to flawed elections forced him to curtail his term in 1996. Since then, regular competitive elections have been held in which opposition candidates have won the presidency. Former President (1996-2000) Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna won election to a second term in 2004 following a constitutional amendment allowing presidents to serve more than one term.
Birth rate 9.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 23.22 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.673 billion


expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $5.322 billion


expenditures: $5.485 billion; including capital expenditures of $1.1 billion (2005)
Capital 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
name: Santo Domingo


geographic coordinates: 18 28 N, 69 54 W


time difference: UTC-4 (1 hour ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate maritime; wet, moderate winters tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation; seasonal variation in rainfall
Coastline 531 km 1,288 km
Constitution 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution 28 November 1966; amended 25 July 2002
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: Dominican Republic


conventional short form: The Dominican


local long form: Republica Dominicana


local short form: La Dominicana
Death rate 13.66 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 5.73 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $10.8 billion (1 January 2006) $7.687 billion (2005 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 Hans H. HERTELL


embassy: corner of Calle Cesar Nicolas Penson and Calle Leopoldo Navarro, Santo Domingo


mailing address: Unit 5500, APO AA 34041-5500


telephone: [1] (809) 221-2171


FAX: [1] (809) 686-7437
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS


chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860
chief of mission: Ambassador Flavio Dario ESPINAL Jacobo


chancery: 1715 22nd Street NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 332-6280


FAX: [1] (202) 265-8057


consulate(s) general: Anchorage, Boston, Chicago, Mayaguez (Puerto Rico), Miami, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Juan (Puerto Rico)
Disputes - international 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 increasing numbers of illegal migrants from the Dominican Republic cross the Mona Passage each year to Puerto Rico to find work
Economic aid - recipient $1.2 billion (2004-06) $571.6 million (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 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. The Dominican Republic is a Caribbean representative democracy that enjoyed strong GDP growth until 2003. Although the country has long been viewed primarily as an exporter of sugar, coffee, and tobacco, in recent years the service sector has overtaken agriculture as the economy's largest employer due to growth in tourism and free trade zones. Growth turned negative in 2003 with reduced tourism, a major bank fraud, and limited growth in the US economy (the source of about 80% of export revenues), but recovered in 2004 and 2005. With the help of strict fiscal targets agreed in the 2004 renegotiation of an IMF standby loan, President FERNANDEZ has stabilized the country's financial situation. Although the economy continues to grow at a respectable rate, unemployment remains an important challenge. The country suffers from marked income inequality; the poorest half of the population receives less than one-fifth of GNP, while the richest 10% enjoys nearly 40% of national income. The Dominican Republic's development prospects improved with the ratification of the Central America-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA-DR) in September 2005.
Electricity - consumption 5.839 billion kWh (2003) 11.71 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports 38 million kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports 2.7 billion kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2003)
Electricity - production 3.97 billion kWh (2003) 12.6 billion kWh (2003)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m
lowest point: Lago Enriquillo -46 m


highest point: Pico Duarte 3,175 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 water shortages; soil eroding into the sea damages coral reefs; deforestation
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: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Marine Dumping, Marine Life Conservation, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: Law of the Sea
Ethnic groups Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002) mixed 73%, white 16%, black 11%
Exchange rates lati per US dollar - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001) Dominican pesos per US dollar - 30.409 (2005), 42.12 (2004), 30.831 (2003), 18.61 (2002), 16.952 (2001)
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 (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
chief of state: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna (since 16 August 2004); Vice President Rafael ALBURQUERQUE de Castro (since 16 August 2004)


cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the president


elections: president and vice president elected on the same ticket by popular vote for four-year terms (eligible for a second term); election last held 16 May 2004 (next to be held in May 2008)


election results: Leonel FERNANDEZ elected president; percent of vote - Leonel FERNANDEZ (PLD) 57.1%, Rafael Hipolito MEJIA Dominguez (PRD) 33.7%, Eduardo ESTRELLA (PRSC) 8.7%
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) NA bbl/day
Exports - commodities wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs ferronickel, sugar, gold, silver, coffee, cocoa, tobacco, meats, consumer goods
Exports - partners Lithuania 11%, Estonia 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, UK 10.2%, Russia 7.9%, Sweden 7.8%, Denmark 5.3%, Poland 5.3% (2005) US 79%, Netherlands 2.4%, Mexico 1.9% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon a centered white cross that extends to the edges divides the flag into four rectangles - the top ones are blue (hoist side) and red, and the bottom ones are red (hoist side) and blue; a small coat of arms featuring a shield supported by an olive branch (left) and a palm branch (right) is at the center of the cross; above the shield a blue ribbon displays the motto, DIOS, PATRIA, LIBERTAD (God, Fatherland, Liberty), and below the shield, REPUBLICA DOMINICANA appears on a red ribbon
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4%


industry: 26.1%


services: 69.9% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 11.2%


industry: 30.6%


services: 58.2% (2003)
GDP - real growth rate 10.2% (2005 est.) 9.3% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 57 00 N, 25 00 E 19 00 N, 70 40 W
Geography - note most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east shares island of Hispaniola with Haiti
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 26.1% (1998)
lowest 10%: 2.1%


highest 10%: 37.9% (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 transshipment point for South American drugs destined for the US and Europe; has become a transshipment point for ecstasy from the Netherlands and Belgium destined for US and Canada; substantial money-laundering activity; Colombian narcotics traffickers favor the Dominican Republic for illicit financial transactions
Imports 47,000 bbl/day (2004) 129,900 bbl/day (2003)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles foodstuffs, petroleum, cotton and fabrics, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
Imports - partners 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) US 50.2%, Colombia 6.2%, Mexico 5.8% (2005)
Independence 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) 27 February 1844 (from Haiti)
Industrial production growth rate 5.6% (2005 est.) 2% (2001 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 tourism, sugar processing, ferronickel and gold mining, textiles, cement, tobacco
Infant mortality rate 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.)
total: 28.25 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 30.58 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 25.8 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.8% (2005 est.) 4.2% (2005 est.)
International organization participation 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 ACP, FAO, G-77, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICCt (signatory), ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO (suspended), ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, LAES, LAIA (observer), MIGA, NAM, OAS, OPANAL, OPCW (signatory), PCA, RG, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNOCI, UPU, WCL, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
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 (2003)
2,750 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (judges are appointed by the National Judicial Council comprised of the president, the leaders of both chambers of congress, the president of the Supreme Court, and an additional non-governing party congressional representative)
Labor force 1.11 million (2005 est.) 2.3 million-2.6 million (2000 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 15%


industry: 25%


services: 60% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 17%


industry: 24.3%


services: 58.7% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,368 km


border countries: Belarus 167 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 282 km
total: 360 km


border countries: Haiti 360 km
Land use arable land: 28.19%


permanent crops: 0.45%


other: 71.36% (2005)
arable land: 22.49%


permanent crops: 10.26%


other: 67.25% (2005)
Languages Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) Spanish
Legal system based on civil law system based on French civil codes; Criminal Procedures Code modified in 2004 to include important elements of an accusatory system; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Legislative branch 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
bicameral National Congress or Congreso Nacional consists of the Senate or Senado (32 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms) and the House of Representatives or Camara de Diputados (150 seats; members are elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: Senate - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be held in May 2006); House of Representatives - last held 16 May 2002 (next to be held in May 2006)


election results: Senate - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 29, PLD 2, PRSC 1; House of Representatives - percent of vote by party - NA; seats by party - PRD 73, PLD 41, PRSC 36
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.33 years


male: 66.08 years


female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)
total population: 71.73 years


male: 70.21 years


female: 73.33 years (2006 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: 84.7%


male: 84.6%


female: 84.8% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania Caribbean, eastern two-thirds of the island of Hispaniola, between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east of Haiti
Map references Europe Central America and the Caribbean
Maritime claims territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 6 nm


contiguous zone: 24 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200 nm or to the edge of the continental margin
Merchant marine 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)
total: 1 ship (1000 GRT or over) 1,587 GRT/1,165 DWT


by type: cargo 1 (2006)
Military branches Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005) Army, Navy, Air Force
Military expenditures - dollar figure $87 million (FY01) $0 (2002 est.)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (FY01) 0% (2002 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 Independence Day, 27 February (1844)
Nationality noun: Latvian(s)


adjective: Latvian
noun: Dominican(s)


adjective: Dominican
Natural hazards NA lies in the middle of the hurricane belt and subject to severe storms from June to October; occasional flooding; periodic droughts
Natural resources peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land nickel, bauxite, gold, silver
Net migration rate -2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) -2.79 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines gas 1,097 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 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 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] Dominican Liberation Party or PLD [Leonel FERNANDEZ Reyna]; Dominican Revolutionary Party or PRD [Ramon ALBURQUERQUE]; National Progressive Front [Vincent CASTILLO, Pelegrin CASTILLO]; Social Christian Reformist Party or PRSC [Enrique ATUN]
Political pressure groups and leaders Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] Citizen Participation Group (Participacion Ciudadania); Collective of Popular Organizations or COP; Foundation for Institution-Building and Justice (FINJUS)
Population 2,274,735 (July 2006 est.) 9,183,984 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line Below $2.15 per day (PPP): 3% 25%
Population growth rate -0.67% (2006 est.) 1.47% (2006 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 120, FM 56, shortwave 4 (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 (2005)
total: 517 km


standard gauge: 375 km 1.435-m gauge


narrow gauge: 142 km 0.762-m gauge


note: additional 1,226 km operated by sugar companies in 1.076 m, 0.889 m, and 0.762-m gauges (2005)
Religions Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox Roman Catholic 95%
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 (2006 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female


total population: 1.03 male(s)/female (2006 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens 18 years of age, universal and compulsory; married persons regardless of age


note: members of the armed forces and national police cannot vote
Telephone system 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
general assessment: NA


domestic: relatively efficient system based on island-wide microwave radio relay network


international: country code - 1-809; 1 coaxial submarine cable; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones - main lines in use 731,000 (2005) 894,500 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.872 million (2005) 3.623 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) 25 (2003)
Terrain low plain rugged highlands and mountains with fertile valleys interspersed
Total fertility rate 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.) 2.83 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.5% (2005 est.) 17% (2005 est.)
Waterways 300 km (2005) -
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