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Compare Latvia (2007) - Tuvalu (2003)

Compare Latvia (2007) z Tuvalu (2003)

 Latvia (2007)Tuvalu (2003)
 LatviaTuvalu
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
Age structure 0-14 years: 13.6% (male 157,451/female 150,184)


15-64 years: 69.6% (male 764,910/female 808,848)


65 years and over: 16.7% (male 123,952/female 254,465) (2007 est.)
0-14 years: 31.9% (male 1,838; female 1,772)


15-64 years: 63% (male 3,432; female 3,687)


65 years and over: 5.1% (male 231; female 345) (2003 est.)
Agriculture - products grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish coconuts; fish
Airports 42 (2007) 1 (2002)
Airports - with paved runways total: 21


2,438 to 3,047 m: 7


1,524 to 2,437 m: 3


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 9 (2007)
-
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 21


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 20 (2007)
total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
Area total: 64,589 sq km


land: 63,589 sq km


water: 1,000 sq km
total: 26 sq km


land: 26 sq km


water: 0 sq km
Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC
Background The name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed the ethnic core of the Latvian people (ca. 8th-12th centuries A.D.). The region subsequently came under the control of Germans, Poles, Swedes, and finally, Russians. A Latvian republic emerged following World War I, but it was annexed by the USSR in 1940 - an action never recognized by the US and many other countries. Latvia 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. In 1974, ethnic differences within the British colony of the Gilbert and Ellice Islands caused the Polynesians of the Ellice Islands to vote for separation from the Micronesians of the Gilbert Islands. The following year, the Ellice Islands became the separate British colony of Tuvalu. Independence was granted in 1978. In 2000, Tuvalu negotiated a contract leasing its Internet domain name ".tv" for $50 million in royalties over the next dozen years.
Birth rate 9.43 births/1,000 population (2007 est.) 21.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Budget revenues: $7.198 billion


expenditures: $7.255 billion (2006 est.)
revenues: $22.5 million


expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2 million (2000 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
Funafuti
Climate maritime; wet, moderate winters tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March)
Coastline 531 km 24 km
Constitution 15 February 1922; restored to force by the Constitutional Law of the Republic of Latvia adopted by the Supreme Council on 21 August 1991; multiple amendments since 1 October 1978
Country name conventional long form: Republic of Latvia


conventional short form: Latvia


local long form: Latvijas Republika


local short form: Latvija


former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
conventional long form: none


conventional short form: Tuvalu


former: Ellice Islands


note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
Currency - Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar
Death rate 13.64 deaths/1,000 population (2007 est.) 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Debt - external $22.94 billion (2006 est.) $NA
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
the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu
Diplomatic representation in the US chief of mission: Ambassador Andrejs PILDEGOVICS


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


telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860
Tuvalu does not have an embassy in the US - the country's only diplomatic post is in Fiji - Tuvalu does, however, have a UN office located at 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400D, New York, New York 10017, telephone: [1] (212) 490-0534
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; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documentation in preparation; 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 with Russia none
Economic aid - recipient $162 million (2004) $13 million ; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US (1999 est.)
Economy - overview Latvia's economy experienced average GDP growth of more than 7.0% over the past several years. In 2006 it reached 10.2% real GDP growth. 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 - more than 15% of GDP in 2006 - and inflation remain major concerns. Tuvalu consists of a densely populated, scattered group of nine coral atolls with poor soil. The country has no known mineral resources and few exports. Subsistence farming and fishing are the primary economic activities. Fewer than 1,000 tourists, on average, visit Tuvalu annually. Government revenues largely come from the sale of stamps and coins and worker remittances. About 1,000 Tuvaluans work in Nauru in the phosphate mining industry. Nauru has begun repatriating Tuvaluans, however, as phosphate resources decline. Substantial income is received annually from an international trust fund established in 1987 by Australia, NZ, and the UK and supported also by Japan and South Korea. Thanks to wise investments and conservative withdrawals, this Fund has grown from an initial $17 million to over $35 million in 1999. The US government is also a major revenue source for Tuvalu, because of payments from a 1988 treaty on fisheries. In an effort to reduce its dependence on foreign aid, the government is pursuing public sector reforms, including privatization of some government functions and personnel cuts of up to 7%. In 1998, Tuvalu began deriving revenue from use of its area code for "900" lines and in 2000, from the lease of its ".tv" Internet domain name. Royalties from these new technology sources could increase substantially over the next decade. With merchandise exports only a fraction of merchandise imports, continued reliance must be placed on fishing and telecommunications license fees, remittances from overseas workers, official transfers, and investment income from overseas assets.
Electricity - consumption 6.09 billion kWh (2005) -
Electricity - exports 707 million kWh (2005) -
Electricity - imports 2.855 billion kWh (2005) -
Electricity - production 4.778 billion kWh (2005) -
Electricity - production by source - fossil fuel: NA%


hydro: NA%


nuclear: NA%


other: NA%
Elevation extremes lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Galzina Kalns 312 m
lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 5 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 since there are no streams or rivers and groundwater is not potable, most water needs must be met by catchment systems with storage facilities (the Japanese Government has built one desalination plant and plans to build one other); beachhead erosion because of the use of sand for building materials; excessive clearance of forest undergrowth for use as fuel; damage to coral reefs from the spread of the Crown of Thorns starfish; Tuvalu is very concerned about global increases in greenhouse gas emissions and their effect on rising sea levels, which threaten the country's underground water table; in 2000, the government appealed to Australia and New Zealand to take in Tuvaluans if rising sea levels should make evacuation necessary
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: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, 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) Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4%
Exchange rates lati per US dollar - 0.5597 (2006), - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002) Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998)
Executive branch chief of state: President Valdis ZATLERS (since 8 July 2007)


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 elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held 31 May 2007 (next to be held 2011); prime minister appointed by the president


election results: Valdis ZATLERS elected president; parliamentary vote - Valdis ZATLERS 58, Aivars ENDZINS 39
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented by Governor General Faimalaga LUKA (since 9 September 2003)


head of government: Prime Minister Saufatu SOPOANGA (since 2 August 2002)


cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the governor general on the recommendation of the prime minister


elections: the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; prime minister and deputy prime minister elected by and from the members of Parliament; election last held 2 August 2002 (next to be held NA)


election results: Saufatu SOPOANGA elected prime minister; Parliamentary vote - Saufatu SOPOANGA 8, Amasone KILEI 7
Exports 6,765 bbl/day (2004) $276,000 f.o.b. (1997)
Exports - commodities wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs copra, fish
Exports - partners Lithuania 14.2%, Estonia 12.3%, Russia 11.5%, Germany 9.8%, UK 7.6%, Sweden 6.3%, Denmark 4.8% (2006) UK 58.3%, Italy 16.7%, Denmark 8.3%, Fiji 8.3% (2002)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon light blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant; the outer half of the flag represents a map of the country with nine yellow five-pointed stars symbolizing the nine islands
GDP - purchasing power parity - $12.2 million (2000 est.)
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: 3.7%


industry: 21.5%


services: 74.8% (2006 est.)
agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
GDP - per capita - purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.)
GDP - real growth rate 11.9% (2006 est.) 3% (2000 est.)
Geographic coordinates 57 00 N, 25 00 E 8 00 S, 178 00 E
Geography - note most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east one of the smallest and most remote countries on Earth; six of the coral atolls - Nanumea, Nui, Vaitupu, Nukufetau, Funafuti, and Nukulaelae - have lagoons open to the ocean; Nanumaya and Niutao have landlocked lagoons; Niulakita does not have a lagoon
Highways - total: 8 km


paved: 0 km


unpaved: 8 km (1999 est.)
Household income or consumption by percentage share lowest 10%: 2.5%


highest 10%: 29.1% (2003)
lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%
Illicit drugs transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan countries; 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 39,190 bbl/day (2004) $7.2 million c.i.f. (1998)
Imports - commodities machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods
Imports - partners Germany 15.5%, Lithuania 12.9%, Russia 8%, Estonia 7.7%, Poland 7.2%, Finland 5.7%, Sweden 5%, Belarus 4.7% (2006) Hungary 68.2%, Japan 12.9%, Fiji 11.9% (2002)
Independence 18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia) 1 October 1978 (from UK)
Industrial production growth rate 8.5% (2006 est.) NA%
Industries buses, vans, street and railroad cars; synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials fishing, tourism, copra
Infant mortality rate total: 9.16 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 11.08 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 7.13 deaths/1,000 live births (2007 est.)
total: 21.34 deaths/1,000 live births


male: 24.35 deaths/1,000 live births


female: 18.18 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 6.5% (2006 est.) 5% (2000 est.)
International organization participation Australia Group, BA, BIS, CBSS, CE, EAPC, EBRD, EIB, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO (correspondent), ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NATO, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant)
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) - 1 (2000)
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)
NA sq km
Judicial branch Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament); Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament) High Court (a chief justice visits twice a year to preside over its sessions; its rulings can be appealed to the Court of Appeal in Fiji); eight Island Courts (with limited jurisdiction)
Labor force 1.136 million (2006 est.) 7,000 (2001 est.)
Labor force - by occupation agriculture: 13%


industry: 19%


services: 68% (2005 est.)
people make a living mainly through exploitation of the sea, reefs, and atolls and from wages sent home by those abroad (mostly workers in the phosphate industry and sailors)
Land boundaries total: 1,368 km


border countries: Belarus 167 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 282 km
0 km
Land use arable land: 28.19%


permanent crops: 0.45%


other: 71.36% (2005)
arable land: 0%


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
Languages Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census) Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui)
Legal system based on civil law system with traces of Socialist legal traditions and practices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction NA
Legislative branch unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected by proportional representation from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 7 October 2006 (next to be held in 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
unicameral Parliament or Fale I Fono, also called House of Assembly (15 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve four-year terms)


elections: last held 25 July 2002 (next to be held NA 2006)


election results: percent of vote - NA%; seats - independents 15
Life expectancy at birth total population: 71.6 years


male: 66.39 years


female: 77.1 years (2007 est.)
total population: 67.32 years


male: 65.15 years


female: 69.59 years (2003 est.)
Literacy definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 99.7%


male: 99.8%


female: 99.7% (2000 census)
definition: NA%


total population: NA%


male: NA%


female: NA%
Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania Oceania, island group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to 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
contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
Merchant marine total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 201,684 GRT/221,186 DWT


by type: cargo 9, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 2


foreign-owned: 1 (Estonia 1)


registered in other countries: 122 (Antigua and Barbuda 9, Belize 14, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 1, Dominica 2, Jamaica 2, Liberia 15, Malta 36, Marshall Islands 10, Panama 5, Russia 2, St Kitts and Nevis 4, St Vincent and The Grenadines 20) (2007)
total: 4 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 33,199 GRT/56,187 DWT


ships by type: cargo 2, passenger/cargo 1, petroleum tanker 1


note: includes some foreign-owned ships registered here as a flag of convenience: Germany 5 (2002 est.)
Military branches Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Spelki), Border Guard, Latvian Home Guard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2007) no regular military forces; Police Force (includes Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations)
Military expenditures - dollar figure - $NA
Military expenditures - percent of GDP 1.2% (2005 est.) NA%
National holiday Independence Day, 18 November (1918); note - 18 November 1918 was the date Latvia declared itself independent from Soviet Russia; 4 May 1990 is when it declared the renewal of independence; 21 August 1991 was the date of de facto independence from the Soviet Union Independence Day, 1 October (1978)
Nationality noun: Latvian(s)


adjective: Latvian
noun: Tuvaluan(s)


adjective: Tuvaluan
Natural hazards NA severe tropical storms are usually rare, but, in 1997, there were three cyclones; low level of islands make them very sensitive to changes in sea level
Natural resources peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land fish
Net migration rate -2.27 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2007 est.) 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.)
Pipelines gas 1,097 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2006) -
Political parties and leaders First Party of Latvia or LPP [Ainars SLESERS]; For Human Rights in a United Latvia or PCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS]; For the Fatherland and Freedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [Roberts ZILE, Maris GRINBLATS]; Harmony Center or SC [Janis URBANOVICS, Nils USAKOVS]; 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, Ainars BERZINS]; New Democrats or JD [Maris GULBIS]; New Era Party or JL [Einars REPSE, Krisjanis KARINS]; People's Party or TP [Aigars KALVITIS]; The Union of Latvian Greens and Farmers Party or ZZS [Indulis EMSIS] there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings
Political pressure groups and leaders Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV] none
Population 2,259,810 (July 2007 est.) 11,305 (July 2003 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% NA%
Population growth rate -0.648% (2007 est.) 1.42% (2003 est.)
Ports and harbors - Funafuti, Nukufetau
Radio broadcast stations AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998) AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999)
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 (2006)
0 km
Religions Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6%
Sex ratio at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.048 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.946 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.487 male(s)/female


total population: 0.862 male(s)/female (2007 est.)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 0.93 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 0.67 male(s)/female


total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2003 est.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens 18 years of age; universal
Telephone system general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephony expands


domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 125 per 100 persons


international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden
general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications


domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands


international: NA
Telephones - main lines in use 657,400 (2006) 1,000 (1997)
Telephones - mobile cellular 2.184 million (2006) 0 (1994)
Television broadcast stations 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995) 0 (1997)
Terrain low plain very low-lying and narrow coral atolls
Total fertility rate 1.28 children born/woman (2007 est.) 3.05 children born/woman (2003 est.)
Unemployment rate 6.5% (2006 est.) NA%
Waterways 300 km (2006) none
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