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Compare Tuvalu (2003) - Latvia (2006)

Compare Tuvalu (2003) z Latvia (2006)

 Tuvalu (2003)Latvia (2006)
 TuvaluLatvia
Administrative divisions none 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: 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.)
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.)
Agriculture - products coconuts; fish grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Airports 1 (2002) 46 (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)
Airports - with unpaved runways total: 1


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1 (2002)
total: 22


1,524 to 2,437 m: 1


914 to 1,523 m: 2


under 914 m: 19 (2006)
Area total: 26 sq km


land: 26 sq km


water: 0 sq km
total: 64,589 sq km


land: 63,589 sq km


water: 1,000 sq km
Area - comparative 0.1 times the size of Washington, DC slightly larger than West Virginia
Background 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. 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 21.58 births/1,000 population (2003 est.) 9.24 births/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Budget revenues: $22.5 million


expenditures: $11.2 million, including capital expenditures of $4.2 million (2000 est.)
revenues: $5.673 billion


expenditures: $5.889 billion; including capital expenditures of $NA (2005 est.)
Capital Funafuti 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
Climate tropical; moderated by easterly trade winds (March to November); westerly gales and heavy rain (November to March) maritime; wet, moderate winters
Coastline 24 km 531 km
Constitution 1 October 1978 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: none


conventional short form: Tuvalu


former: Ellice Islands


note: "Tuvalu" means "group of eight," referring to the country's eight traditionally inhabited islands
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia


conventional short form: Latvia


local long form: Latvijas Republika


local short form: Latvija


former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Currency Australian dollar (AUD); note - there is also a Tuvaluan dollar -
Death rate 7.34 deaths/1,000 population (2003 est.) 13.66 deaths/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Debt - external $NA $10.8 billion (1 January 2006)
Diplomatic representation from the US the US does not have an embassy in Tuvalu; the US ambassador to Fiji is accredited to Tuvalu 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 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 chief of mission: Ambassador Maris RIEKSTINS


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


telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840


FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860
Disputes - international none 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
Economic aid - recipient $13 million ; note - major donors are Australia, Japan, and the US (1999 est.) $1.2 billion (2004-06)
Economy - overview 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. 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.
Electricity - consumption - 5.839 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - exports - 38 million kWh (2003)
Electricity - imports - 2.7 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production - 3.97 billion kWh (2003)
Electricity - production by source fossil fuel: NA%


hydro: NA%


nuclear: NA%


other: NA%
-
Elevation extremes lowest point: Pacific Ocean 0 m


highest point: unnamed location 5 m
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m


highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m
Environment - current issues 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 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: Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution


signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Law of the Sea
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 Polynesian 96%, Micronesian 4% Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)
Exchange rates Tuvaluan dollars or Australian dollars per US dollar - 1.8406 (2002), 1.9320 (2001), 1.7173 (2000), 1.5497 (1999), 1.5888 (1998) lati per US dollar - 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003), 0.6182 (2002), 0.6279 (2001)
Executive branch 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
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
Exports $276,000 f.o.b. (1997) 0 bbl/day (2004)
Exports - commodities copra, fish wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners UK 58.3%, Italy 16.7%, Denmark 8.3%, Fiji 8.3% (2002) Lithuania 11%, Estonia 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, UK 10.2%, Russia 7.9%, Sweden 7.8%, Denmark 5.3%, Poland 5.3% (2005)
Fiscal year calendar year calendar year
Flag description 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 three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon
GDP purchasing power parity - $12.2 million (2000 est.) -
GDP - composition by sector agriculture: NA%


industry: NA%


services: NA%
agriculture: 4%


industry: 26.1%


services: 69.9% (2005 est.)
GDP - per capita purchasing power parity - $1,100 (2000 est.) -
GDP - real growth rate 3% (2000 est.) 10.2% (2005 est.)
Geographic coordinates 8 00 S, 178 00 E 57 00 N, 25 00 E
Geography - note 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 most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east
Highways total: 8 km


paved: 0 km


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


highest 10%: NA%
lowest 10%: 2.8%


highest 10%: 26.1% (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
Imports $7.2 million c.i.f. (1998) 47,000 bbl/day (2004)
Imports - commodities food, animals, mineral fuels, machinery, manufactured goods machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Imports - partners Hungary 68.2%, Japan 12.9%, Fiji 11.9% (2002) 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)
Independence 1 October 1978 (from UK) 21 August 1991 (from Soviet Union)
Industrial production growth rate NA% 5.6% (2005 est.)
Industries fishing, tourism, copra 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: 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.)
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.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices) 5% (2000 est.) 6.8% (2005 est.)
International organization participation ACP, AsDB, C, ESCAP, IFRCS (associate), ITU, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WTrO (applicant) 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
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) 1 (2000) -
Irrigated land NA sq km 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)
Judicial branch 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) Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament)
Labor force 7,000 (2001 est.) 1.11 million (2005 est.)
Labor force - by occupation 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) agriculture: 15%


industry: 25%


services: 60% (2000 est.)
Land boundaries 0 km total: 1,368 km


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


permanent crops: 0%


other: 100% (1998 est.)
arable land: 28.19%


permanent crops: 0.45%


other: 71.36% (2005)
Languages Tuvaluan, English, Samoan, Kiribati (on the island of Nui) Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Legal system NA based on civil law system
Legislative branch 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
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
Life expectancy at birth total population: 67.32 years


male: 65.15 years


female: 69.59 years (2003 est.)
total population: 71.33 years


male: 66.08 years


female: 76.85 years (2006 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 group consisting of nine coral atolls in the South Pacific Ocean, about one-half of the way from Hawaii to Australia Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Map references Oceania Europe
Maritime claims contiguous zone: 24 NM


exclusive economic zone: 200 NM


territorial sea: 12 NM
territorial sea: 12 nm


exclusive economic zone: 200 nm


continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Merchant marine 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.)
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)
Military branches no regular military forces; Police Force (includes Maritime Surveillance Unit for search and rescue missions and surveillance operations) Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy, Air Force, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze) (2005)
Military expenditures - dollar figure $NA $87 million (FY01)
Military expenditures - percent of GDP NA% 1.2% (FY01)
National holiday Independence Day, 1 October (1978) 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: Tuvaluan(s)


adjective: Tuvaluan
noun: Latvian(s)


adjective: Latvian
Natural hazards 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 NA
Natural resources fish peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
Net migration rate 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2003 est.) -2.26 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2006 est.)
Pipelines - gas 1,097 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2006)
Political parties and leaders there are no political parties but members of Parliament usually align themselves in informal groupings 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]
Political pressure groups and leaders none Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB) [Aleksandr KAZAKOV]
Population 11,305 (July 2003 est.) 2,274,735 (July 2006 est.)
Population below poverty line NA% Below $2.15 per day (PPP): 3%
Population growth rate 1.42% (2003 est.) -0.67% (2006 est.)
Ports and harbors Funafuti, Nukufetau -
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 0, shortwave 0 (1999) AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)
Railways 0 km 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)
Religions Church of Tuvalu (Congregationalist) 97%, Seventh-Day Adventist 1.4%, Baha'i 1%, other 0.6% Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Sex ratio 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.)
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.)
Suffrage 18 years of age; universal 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Telephone system general assessment: serves particular needs for internal communications


domestic: radiotelephone communications between islands


international: NA
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
Telephones - main lines in use 1,000 (1997) 731,000 (2005)
Telephones - mobile cellular 0 (1994) 1.872 million (2005)
Television broadcast stations 0 (1997) 44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)
Terrain very low-lying and narrow coral atolls low plain
Total fertility rate 3.05 children born/woman (2003 est.) 1.27 children born/woman (2006 est.)
Unemployment rate NA% 7.5% (2005 est.)
Waterways none 300 km (2005)
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