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Compare Latvia (2006) - Sudan (2008)

Compare Latvia (2006) z Sudan (2008)

 Latvia (2006)Sudan (2008)
 LatviaSudan
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 25 states (wilayat, singular - wilayah); A'ali an Nil (Upper Nile), Al Bahr al Ahmar (Red Sea), Al Buhayrat (Lakes), Al Jazirah (El Gezira), Al Khartum (Khartoum), Al Qadarif (Gedaref), Al Wahdah (Unity), An Nil al Abyad (White Nile), An Nil al Azraq (Blue Nile), Ash Shamaliyah (Northern), Bahr al Jabal (Bahr al Jabal), Gharb al Istiwa'iyah (Western Equatoria), Gharb Bahr al Ghazal (Western Bahr al Ghazal), Gharb Darfur (Western Darfur), Janub Darfur (Southern Darfur), Janub Kurdufan (Southern Kordofan), Junqali (Jonglei), Kassala (Kassala), Nahr an Nil (Nile), Shamal Bahr al Ghazal (Northern Bahr al Ghazal), Shamal Darfur (Northern Darfur), Shamal Kurdufan (Northern Kordofan), Sharq al Istiwa'iyah (Eastern Equatoria), Sinnar (Sinnar), Warab (Warab)
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: 41.6% (male 8,371,628/female 8,016,880)


15-64 years: 56% (male 11,080,025/female 10,956,458)


65 years and over: 2.4% (male 504,957/female 449,410) (2007 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), sorghum, millet, wheat, gum arabic, sugarcane, cassava (tapioca), mangos, papaya, bananas, sweet potatoes, sesame; sheep, livestock
Airports 46 (2006) 101 (2007)
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: 16


over 3,047 m: 2


2,438 to 3,047 m: 9


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


under 914 m: 1 (2007)
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: 85


over 3,047 m: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 20


914 to 1,523 m: 37


under 914 m: 27 (2007)
Area total: 64,589 sq km


land: 63,589 sq km


water: 1,000 sq km
total: 2,505,810 sq km


land: 2.376 million sq km


water: 129,810 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia slightly more than one-quarter the size of the US
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. Military regimes favoring Islamic-oriented governments have dominated national politics since independence from the UK in 1956. Sudan was embroiled in two prolonged civil wars during most of the remainder of the 20th century. These conflicts were rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudanese. The first civil war ended in 1972 but broke out again in 1983. The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks gained momentum in 2002-04 with the signing of several accords. The final North/South Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed in January 2005, granted the southern rebels autonomy for six years. After which, a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held. A separate conflict, which broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003, has displaced nearly 2 million people and caused an estimated 200,000 to 400,000 deaths. The UN took command of the Darfur peacekeeping operation from the African Union on 31 December 2007. As of early 2008, peacekeeping troops were struggling to stabilize the situation, which has become increasingly regional in scope, and has brought instability to eastern Chad, and Sudanese incursions into the Central African Republic. Sudan also has faced large refugee influxes from neighboring countries, primarily Ethiopia and Chad. Armed conflict, poor transport infrastructure, and lack of government support have chronically obstructed the provision of humanitarian assistance to affected populations.
Birth rate 9.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.) 34.86 births/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Budget revenues: $5.673 billion


expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
revenues: $9.682 billion


expenditures: $11.59 billion (2007 est.)
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: Khartoum


geographic coordinates: 15 36 N, 32 32 E


time difference: UTC+3 (8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)
Climate maritime; wet, moderate winters tropical in south; arid desert in north; rainy season varies by region (April to November)
Coastline 531 km 853 km
Constitution 15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution constitution implemented on 30 June 1998, partially suspended 12 December 1999 by President BASHIR; under the CPA, Interim National Constitution ratified 5 July 2005; Constitution of Southern Sudan signed December 2005
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 the Sudan


conventional short form: Sudan


local long form: Jumhuriyat as-Sudan


local short form: As-Sudan


former: Anglo-Egyptian Sudan
Death rate 13.66 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.) 14.39 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Debt - external $10.8 billion (1 January 2006) $29.6 billion (31 December 2007 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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires Alberto M. Fernandez


embassy: Sharia Ali Abdul Latif Avenue, Khartoum


mailing address: P. O. Box 699, Khartoum; APO AE 09829


telephone: [249] (183) 774701/2/3


FAX: [249] (183) 774137


note: US Consul in Cairo is providing backup service for Khartoum;
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 (vacant); Charge d'Affaires John UKEC Lueth


chancery: 2210 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 338-8565


FAX: [1] (202) 667-2406
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 the effects of Sudan's almost constant ethnic and rebel militia fighting since the mid-20th century have penetrated all of the neighboring states; as of 2006, Chad, Ethiopia, Kenya, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Uganda provided shelter for over half a million Sudanese refugees, which includes 240,000 Darfur residents driven from their homes by Janjawid armed militia and the Sudanese military forces; Sudan, in turn, hosted about 116,000 Eritreans, 20,000 Chadians, and smaller numbers of Ethiopians, Ugandans, Central Africans, and Congolese as refugees; in February 2006, Sudan and DROC signed an agreement to repatriate 13,300 Sudanese and 6,800 Congolese; Sudan accuses Eritrea of supporting Sudanese rebel groups; efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia proceed slowly due to civil and ethnic fighting in eastern Sudan; the boundary that separates Kenya and Sudan's sovereignty is unclear in the "Ilemi Triangle," which Kenya has administered since colonial times; while Sudan claims to administer the Hala'ib Triangle north of the 1899 Treaty boundary along the 22nd Parallel; both states withdrew their military presence in the 1990s, and Egypt has invested in and effectively administers the area; periodic violent skirmishes with Sudanese residents over water and grazing rights persist among related pastoral populations along the border with the Central African Republic
Economic aid - recipient $1.2 billion (2004-06) $1.829 billion (2005)
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. Sudan's economy is booming on the back of increases in oil production, high oil prices, and large inflows of foreign direct investment. GDP growth registered more than 10% per year in 2006 and 2007. From 1997 to date, Sudan has been working with the IMF to implement macroeconomic reforms, including a managed float of the exchange rate. Sudan began exporting crude oil in the last quarter of 1999. Agricultural production remains important, because it employs 80% of the work force and contributes a third of GDP. The Darfur conflict, the aftermath of two decades of civil war in the south, the lack of basic infrastructure in large areas, and a reliance by much of the population on subsistence agriculture ensure much of the population will remain at or below the poverty line for years despite rapid rises in average per capita income. In January 2007, the government introduced a new currency, the Sudanese Pound, at an initial exchange rate of $1.00 equals 2 Sudanese Pounds.
Electricity - consumption 5.839 billion kWh (2003) 3.298 billion kWh (2005)
Electricity - exports 38 million kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - imports 2.7 billion kWh (2003) 0 kWh (2005)
Electricity - production 3.97 billion kWh (2003) 3.944 billion kWh (2005)
Elevation extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m
lowest point: Red Sea 0 m


highest point: Kinyeti 3,187 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 inadequate supplies of potable water; wildlife populations threatened by excessive hunting; soil erosion; desertification; periodic drought
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, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, 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) black 52%, Arab 39%, Beja 6%, foreigners 2%, other 1%
Exchange rates lati per US dollar - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001) Sudanese dinars per US dollar - 2.06 (2007), 217.2 (2006), 243.61 (2005), 257.91 (2004), 260.98 (2003)
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 Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government


head of government: President Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR (since 16 October 1993); First Vice President Salva KIIR (since 4 August 2005), Vice President Ali Osman TAHA (since 20 September 2005)


cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president; note - the National Congress Party or NCP (formerly the National Islamic Front or NIF) dominates al-BASHIR's cabinet


elections: election last held 13-23 December 2000; next to be held no later than July 2009 under terms of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement


election results: Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR reelected president; percent of vote - Umar Hassan Ahmad al-BASHIR 86.5%, Ja'afar Muhammed NUMAYRI 9.6%, three other candidates received a combined vote of 3.9%; election widely viewed as rigged; all popular opposition parties boycotted elections because of a lack of guarantees for a free and fair election


note: al-BASHIR assumed power as chairman of Sudan's Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation (RCC) in June 1989 and served concurrently as chief of state, chairman of the RCC, prime minister, and minister of defense until mid-October 1993 when he was appointed president by the RCC; he was elected president by popular vote for the first time in March 1996
Exports 0 bbl/day (2004) 279,100 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs oil and petroleum products; cotton, sesame, livestock, groundnuts, gum arabic, sugar
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) Japan 48%, China 31%, South Korea 3.8% (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 black with a green isosceles triangle based on the hoist side
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 4%


industry: 26.1%


services: 69.9% (2005 est.)
agriculture: 31.5%


industry: 35.7%


services: 32.8% (2007 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 10.2% (2005 est.) 12.8% (2007 est.)
Geographic coordinates 57 00 N, 25 00 E 15 00 N, 30 00 E
Geography - note most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east largest country in Africa; dominated by the Nile and its tributaries
Heliports - 4 (2007)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 26.1% (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; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds -
Imports 47,000 bbl/day (2004) 7,945 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles foodstuffs, manufactured goods, refinery and transport equipment, medicines and chemicals, textiles, wheat
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) China 18.2%, Saudi Arabia 9.2%, UAE 5.8%, Egypt 5.3%, Germany 5.2%, India 4.6%, France 4.1% (2006)
Independence 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union) 1 January 1956 (from Egypt and UK)
Industrial production growth rate 5.6% (2005 est.) 32% (2007 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 oil, cotton ginning, textiles, cement, edible oils, sugar, soap distilling, shoes, petroleum refining, pharmaceuticals, armaments, automobile/light truck assembly
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: 91.78 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 91.95 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 91.59 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.8% (2005 est.) 5.3% (2007 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 ABEDA, ACP, AfDB, AFESD, AMF, AU, CAEU, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt (signatory), ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, LAS, MIGA, NAM, OIC, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (observer)
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)
18,630 sq km (2003)
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) Constitutional Court of nine justices; National Supreme Court; National Courts of Appeal; other national courts; National Judicial Service Commission will undertake overall management of the National Judiciary
Labor force 1.11 million (2005 est.) 7.415 million (1996 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 15%


industry: 25%


services: 60% (2000 est.)
agriculture: 80%


industry: 7%


services: 13% (1998 est.)
Land boundaries total: 1,368 km


border countries: Belarus 167 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 282 km
total: 7,687 km


border countries: Central African Republic 1,165 km, Chad 1,360 km, Democratic Republic of the Congo 628 km, Egypt 1,273 km, Eritrea 605 km, Ethiopia 1,606 km, Kenya 232 km, Libya 383 km, Uganda 435 km
Land use arable land: 28.19%


permanent crops: 0.45%


other: 71.36% (2005)
arable land: 6.78%


permanent crops: 0.17%


other: 93.05% (2005)
Languages Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) Arabic (official), Nubian, Ta Bedawie, diverse dialects of Nilotic, Nilo-Hamitic, Sudanic languages, English


note: program of "Arabization" in process
Legal system based on civil law system based on English common law and Islamic law; as of 20 January 1991, the now defunct Revolutionary Command Council imposed Islamic law in the northern states; Islamic law applies to all residents of the northern states regardless of their religion; however, the CPA establishes some protections for non-Muslims in Khartoum; some separate religious courts; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; the southern legal system is still developing under the CPA following the civil war; Islamic law will not apply to the southern states
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 Legislature consists of a Council of States (50 seats; members indirectly elected by state legislatures to serve six-year terms) and a National Assembly (450 seats; members presently appointed, but in the future 75% of members to be directly elected and 25% elected in special or indirect elections; to serve six-year terms)


elections: last held 13-22 December 2000 (next to be held 2009)


election results: NCP 355, others 5; note - replaced by appointments under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.33 years


male: 66.08 years


female: 76.85 years (2006 est.)
total population: 49.11 years


male: 48.24 years


female: 50.03 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: 61.1%


male: 71.8%


female: 50.5% (2003 est.)
Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania Northern Africa, bordering the Red Sea, between Egypt and Eritrea
Map references Europe Africa
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


contiguous zone: 18 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
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: 3 ships (1000 GRT or over) 21,311 GRT/26,179 DWT


by type: cargo 2, livestock carrier 1 (2007)
Military branches Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005) Sudanese People's Armed Forces (SPAF): Land Forces, Navy, Air Force, Popular Defense Forces (2007)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $87 million (FY01) -
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (FY01) 3% (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 Independence Day, 1 January (1956)
Nationality noun: Latvian(s)


adjective: Latvian
noun: Sudanese (singular and plural)


adjective: Sudanese
Natural hazards NA dust storms and periodic persistent droughts
Natural resources peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land petroleum; small reserves of iron ore, copper, chromium ore, zinc, tungsten, mica, silver, gold, hydropower
Net migration rate -2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.) 0.35 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.)
Pipelines gas 1,097 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2006) gas 156 km; oil 4,070 km; refined products 1,613 km (2007)
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] National Congress Party or NCP [Umar Hassan al-BASHIR]; Sudan People's Liberation Movement or SPLM [Salva Mayardit KIIR]; and elements of the National Democratic Alliance or NDA including factions of the Democratic Union Party [Muhammad Uthman al-MIRGHANI] and Umma Party [SADIQ Siddiq al-Mahdi]; note - all political parties listed above in the Government of National Unity
Political pressure groups and leaders Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] Umma Party [Sadiq al-MAHDI]; Popular Congress Party or PCP [Hassan al-TURABI]
Population 2,274,735 (July 2006 est.) 39,379,358 (July 2007 est.)
Population below poverty line Below $2.15 per day (PPP): 3% 40% (2004 est.)
Population growth rate -0.67% (2006 est.) 2.082% (2007 est.)
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 12, FM 1, shortwave 1 (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: 5,978 km


narrow gauge: 4,578 km 1.067-m gauge; 1,400 km 0.600-m gauge for cotton plantations (2006)
Religions Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox Sunni Muslim 70% (in north), Christian 5% (mostly in south and Khartoum), indigenous beliefs 25%
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: 1.044 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.011 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.124 male(s)/female


total population: 1.027 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens 17 years of age; universal
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: large, well-equipped system by regional standards and being upgraded; cellular communications started in 1996 and have expanded substantially


domestic: consists of microwave radio relay, cable, radiotelephone communications, tropospheric scatter, and a domestic satellite system with 14 earth stations


international: country code - 249; linked to international submarine cable Fiber-Optic Link Around the Globe (FLAG); satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean), 1 Arabsat (2000)
Telephones - main lines in use 731,000 (2005) 636,900 (2006)
Telephones - mobile cellular 1.872 million (2005) 4.683 million (2006)
Television broadcast stations 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) 3 (1997)
Terrain low plain generally flat, featureless plain; mountains in far south, northeast and west; desert dominates the north
Total fertility rate 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.) 4.69 children born/woman (2007 est.)
Unemployment rate 7.5% (2005 est.) 18.7% (2002 est.)
Waterways 300 km (2005) 4,068 km (1,723 km open year round on White and Blue Nile rivers) (2006)
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