Compare Nauru (2006) - Latvia (2005)

Compare Nauru (2006) z Latvia (2005)

	Nauru (2006)	Latvia (2005)

Administrative divisions	14 districts; Aiwo, Anabar, Anetan, Anibare, Baiti, Boe, Buada, Denigomodu, Ewa, Ijuw, Meneng, Nibok, Uaboe, Yaren	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
Age structure	0-14 years: 36.9% (male 2,507/female 2,391) 15-64 years: 61.2% (male 4,004/female 4,123) 65 years and over: 2% (male 139/female 123) (2006 est.)	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.)
Agriculture - products	coconuts	grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Airports	1 (2006)	50 (2004 est.)
Airports - with paved runways	total: 1 1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2006)	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.)
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.)
Area	total: 21 sq km land: 21 sq km water: 0 sq km	total: 64,589 sq km land: 63,589 sq km water: 1,000 sq km
Area - comparative	about 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC	slightly larger than West Virginia
Background	The exact origins of the Nauruans are unclear, since their language does not resemble any other in the Pacific. The island was annexed by Germany in 1888 and its phosphate deposits began to be mined early in the 20th century by a German-British consortium. Nauru was occupied by Australian forces in World War I and subsequently became a League of Nations mandate. After the Second World War - and a brutal occupation by Japan - Nauru became a UN trust territory. It achieved its independence in 1968 and joined the UN in 1999 as the world's smallest independent republic.	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.
Birth rate	24.76 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)	9.04 births/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Budget	revenues: $13.5 million expenditures: $13.5 million (2005)	revenues: $4.231 billion expenditures: $4.504 billion, including capital expenditures of NA (2004 est.)
Capital	no official capital; government offices in Yaren District time difference: UTC+12 (17 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time)	Riga
Climate	tropical with a monsoonal pattern; rainy season (November to February)	maritime; wet, moderate winters
Coastline	30 km	531 km
Constitution	29 January 1968; amended 17 May 1968 (Constitution Day)	15 February 1922; an October 1998 amendment on Fundamental Human Rights replaced the 1991 Constitutional Law, which had supplemented the constitution
Country name	conventional long form: Republic of Nauru conventional short form: Nauru local long form: Republic of Nauru local short form: Nauru former: Pleasant Island	conventional long form: Republic of Latvia conventional short form: Latvia local long form: Latvijas Republika local short form: Latvija former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Death rate	6.7 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)	13.7 deaths/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Debt - external	$33.3 million (2002)	$7.368 billion (2004 est.)
Diplomatic representation from the US	the US does not have an embassy in Nauru; the US Ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Nauru	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
Diplomatic representation in the US	chief of mission: Ambassador Vinci Niel CLODUMAR chancery: 800 2nd Avenue, Suite 400 D, New York, NY 10017 telephone: [1] (212) 937-0074 FAX: [1] (212) 937-0079 consulate(s): Agana (Guam)	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
Disputes - international	none	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
Economic aid - recipient	$20 million mostly from Australia	$96.2 million (1995)
Economy - overview	Revenues of this tiny island have traditionally come from exports of phosphates, now significantly depleted. An Australian company in 2005 entered into an agreement intended to exploit remaining supplies. Few other resources exist with most necessities being imported, mainly from Australia, its former occupier and later major source of support. The rehabilitation of mined land and the replacement of income from phosphates are serious long-term problems. In anticipation of the exhaustion of Nauru's phosphate deposits, substantial amounts of phosphate income were invested in trust funds to help cushion the transition and provide for Nauru's economic future. As a result of heavy spending from the trust funds, the government faces virtual bankruptcy. To cut costs the government has frozen wages and reduced overstaffed public service departments. In 2005, the deterioration in housing, hospitals, and other capital plant continued, and the cost to Australia of keeping the government and economy afloat continued to climb. Few comprehensive statistics on the Nauru economy exist, with estimates of Nauru's GDP varying widely.	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.
Electricity - consumption	21.39 million kWh (2003)	5.829 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - exports	0 kWh (2003)	1.1 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - imports	0 kWh (2003)	2.7 billion kWh (2002)
Electricity - production	23 million kWh (2003)	4.547 billion kWh (2002)
Elevation extremes	lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m highest point: unnamed location along plateau rim 61 m	lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m
Environment - current issues	limited natural fresh water resources, roof storage tanks collect rainwater, but mostly dependent on a single, aging desalination plant; intensive phosphate mining during the past 90 years - mainly by a UK, Australia, and NZ consortium - has left the central 90% of Nauru a wasteland and threatens limited remaining land resources	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
Environment - international agreements	party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: none of the selected 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	Nauruan 58%, other Pacific Islander 26%, Chinese 8%, European 8%	Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)
Exchange rates	Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.3095 (2005), 1.3598 (2004), 1.5419 (2003), 1.8406 (2002), 1.9334 (2001)	lati per US dollar - 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001), 0.6065 (2000)
Executive branch	chief of state: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004); note - the president is both the chief of state and head of government head of government: President Ludwig SCOTTY (since 22 June 2004) cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president from among the members of Parliament elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term; election last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held NA 2007) election results: Ludwig SCOTTY was unopposed in the parliamentary elections for president	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
Exports	NA bbl/day	NA
Exports - commodities	phosphates	wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners	South Africa 63.7%, South Korea 7.6%, Canada 6.6% (2005)	UK 12.8%, Germany 12%, Sweden 10%, Lithuania 9.1%, Estonia 8%, Russia 6.4%, Denmark 5.4% (2004)
Fiscal year	1 July - 30 June	calendar year
Flag description	blue with a narrow, horizontal, yellow stripe across the center and a large white 12-pointed star below the stripe on the hoist side; the star indicates the country's location in relation to the Equator (the yellow stripe) and the 12 points symbolize the 12 original tribes of Nauru	three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon
GDP - composition by sector	agriculture: NA% industry: NA% services: NA%	agriculture: 4.4% industry: 24.8% services: 70.8% (2004 est.)
GDP - per capita	-	purchasing power parity - $11,500 (2004 est.)
GDP - real growth rate	NA%	7.6% (2004 est.)
Geographic coordinates	0 32 S, 166 55 E	57 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note	Nauru is one of the three great phosphate rock islands in the Pacific Ocean - the others are Banaba (Ocean Island) in Kiribati and Makatea in French Polynesia; only 53 km south of Equator	most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east
Highways	-	total: 60,472 km paved: 57,206 km unpaved: 3,265 km (2002)
Household income or consumption by percentage share	lowest 10%: NA% highest 10%: NA%	lowest 10%: 2.9% highest 10%: 25.9% (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; 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 bbl/day	NA
Imports - commodities	food, fuel, manufactures, building materials, machinery	machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Imports - partners	South Korea 43.8%, Australia 36.2%, US 5.9%, Germany 4.3% (2005)	Germany 13.9%, Lithuania 12.2%, Russia 8.7%, Estonia 7%, Finland 6.3%, Sweden 6.1%, Poland 5.4%, Belarus 4.8% (2004)
Independence	31 January 1968 (from the Australia-, NZ-, and UK-administered UN trusteeship)	21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate	NA%	8.5% (2004 est.)
Industries	phosphate mining, offshore banking, coconut products	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
Infant mortality rate	total: 9.78 deaths/1,000 live births male: 12.29 deaths/1,000 live births female: 7.14 deaths/1,000 live births (2006 est.)	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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices)	-3.6% (1993)	6% (2004 est.)
International organization participation	ACP, AsDB, C, FAO, ICAO, ICCt, Interpol, IOC, ITU, OPCW, PIF, Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO	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
Irrigated land	NA	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.)
Judicial branch	Supreme Court	Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament)
Labor force	-	1.17 million (2004 est.)
Labor force - by occupation	note: 0.1% employed in mining phosphates, public administration, education, and transportation	agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries	0 km	total: 1,150 km border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km
Land use	arable land: 0% permanent crops: 0% other: 100% (2005)	arable land: 29.67% permanent crops: 0.47% other: 69.86% (2001)
Languages	Nauruan (official, a distinct Pacific Island language), English widely understood, spoken, and used for most government and commercial purposes	Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Legal system	acts of the Nauru Parliament and British common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations	based on civil law system
Legislative branch	unicameral Parliament (18 seats; members elected by popular vote to serve three-year terms) elections: last held 23 October 2004 (next to be held not later than 2007) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats - Nauru First Party 3, independents 15 note: the president dissolved parliament on 30 September 2004 and set new elections for 23 October 2004	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
Life expectancy at birth	total population: 63.08 years male: 59.5 years female: 66.84 years (2006 est.)	total population: 71.05 years male: 65.78 years female: 76.6 years (2005 est.)
Literacy	definition: NA total population: NA male: NA female: NA	definition: age 15 and over can read and write total population: 99.8% male: 99.8% female: 99.8% (2003 est.)
Location	Oceania, island in the South Pacific Ocean, south of the Marshall Islands	Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Map references	Oceania	Europe
Maritime claims	territorial sea: 12 nm contiguous zone: 24 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm	territorial sea: 12 nm exclusive economic zone: 200 nm continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine	-	total: 19 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 53,153 GRT/37,414 DWT by type: cargo 7, chemical tanker 1, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 3, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 1 registered in other countries: 86 (2005)
Military - note	Nauru maintains no defense forces; under an informal agreement, defense is the responsibility of Australia	-
Military branches	no regular military forces; Nauru Police Force (2005)	Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Military expenditures - dollar figure	NA	$87 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP	NA	1.2% (FY01)
National holiday	Independence Day, 31 January (1968)	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
Nationality	noun: Nauruan(s) adjective: Nauruan	noun: Latvian(s) adjective: Latvian
Natural hazards	periodic droughts	NA
Natural resources	phosphates, fish	peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
Net migration rate	0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)	-2.24 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2005 est.)
Pipelines	-	gas 1,097 km; oil 409 km; refined products 415 km (2004)
Political parties and leaders	loose multiparty system; Democratic Party [Kennan ADEANG]; Nauru Party (informal); Nauru First (Naoero Amo) Party	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]
Political pressure groups and leaders	NA	Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV]
Population	13,287 (July 2006 est.)	2,290,237 (July 2005 est.)
Population below poverty line	NA%	NA
Population growth rate	1.81% (2006 est.)	-0.69% (2005 est.)
Ports and harbors	-	Riga, Ventspils
Radio broadcast stations	AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1998)	AM 8, FM 56, 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 (2004)
Religions	Christian (two-thirds Protestant, one-third Roman Catholic)	Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Sex ratio	at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female 15-64 years: 0.97 male(s)/female 65 years and over: 1.13 male(s)/female total population: 1 male(s)/female (2006 est.)	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.)
Suffrage	20 years of age; universal and compulsory	18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Telephone system	general assessment: adequate local and international radiotelephone communication provided via Australian facilities domestic: NA international: country code - 674; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Pacific Ocean)	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)
Telephones - main lines in use	1,900 (2002)	653,900 (2003)
Telephones - mobile cellular	1,500 (2002)	1,219,600 (2003)
Television broadcast stations	1 (1997)	44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain	sandy beach rises to fertile ring around raised coral reefs with phosphate plateau in center	low plain
Total fertility rate	3.11 children born/woman (2006 est.)	1.26 children born/woman (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate	90% (2004 est.)	8.8% (2004 est.)
Waterways	-	300 km (2004)

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