Latvia: Facts and Figures - Facts and Figures

Official name

Republic of Latvia

Capital

Riga

Area

63,700 sq km

24,600 sq mi

Largest cities (population)

Riga

735,241 (2004 estimate)

Daugavpils

111,231 (2004 estimate)

Liepāja

86,496 (2004 estimate)

Jelgava

66,088 (2004 estimate)

Jūrmala

55,452 (2004 estimate)

Ventspils

44,130 (2004 estimate)

Rēzekne

37,223 (2004 estimate)

Population

2,259,810 (2007 estimate)

Population growth rate

-0.65 per cent (2007 estimate)

Population density

36 persons per sq km (2007 estimate)

92 persons per sq mi (2007 estimate)

Urbanization

Per cent urban

66 per cent (2005 estimate)

Per cent rural

34 per cent (2005 estimate)

Life expectancy

Total

71.6 years (2007 estimate)

Female

77.1 years (2007 estimate)

Male

66.4 years (2007 estimate)

Infant mortality rate

9 deaths per 1,000 live births (2007 estimate)

Literacy rate

Total

99.8 per cent (2005 estimate)

Female

99.8 per cent (2005 estimate)

Male

99.8 per cent (2005 estimate)

Ethnic divisions

Latvian

58 per cent

Russian

30 per cent

Belorussian

4 per cent

Ukrainian

3 per cent

Polish

2 per cent

Lithuanian

1 per cent

Other

2 per cent

Languages

Latvian (official), Yiddish, Romani

Religions

Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

Type of government

Republic

Independence

September 6, 1991 (from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics [USSR])

Constitution

In 1993 the Constitution of February 15, 1922 was fully restored

Voting rights

Universal at age 18

Gross domestic product (GDP) (US$)

15,826 million (2005)

GDP per capita (US$)

6,879.40 (2005)

GDP by economic sector

GDP, agriculture

4.1 per cent (2005)

GDP, industry

22.1 per cent (2005)

GDP, services

73.8 per cent (2005)

National budget (US$)

Total revenue

4,655 million (2005)

Total expenditure

4,214 million (2005)

Monetary unit

1 lats, consisting of 100 santimi

Exports

Oil products, timber, ferrous metals, dairy products, furniture, textiles

Imports

Fuels, cars, ferrous metals, chemicals

Major trading partners for exports

Russia, Germany, United Kingdom, Lithuania, Sweden

Major trading partners for imports

Russia, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania

Industries

Highly diversified; dependent on imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products; produces buses, vans, trams and railway carriages, synthetic fibres, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles

Agriculture

Products: meat, milk, eggs, grains, sugar beet, potatoes, vegetables; fishing and fish packing

Natural resources

Amber, peat, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, timber

Basic Facts and People sections

Area data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Population, population growth rate, and population projections are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base (IDB) (www.census.gov). Urban and rural population data are from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), FAOSTAT database (www.fao.org). Largest cities population data and political divisions data are from the statistical bureaus of individual countries. Ethnic divisions and religion data are largely from the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook and from various country censuses and reports. Language data are largely from the Ethnologue, Languages of the World, Summer Institute of Linguistics International (www.sil.org).

Health and Education section

Life expectancy and infant mortality data are from the United States Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International database (IDB) (www.census.gov). Population per physician and population per hospital bed data are from the World Health Organization (WHO) (www.who.int). Education data are from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org).

Government section

Government, independence, legislature, constitution, highest court, and voting qualifications data are largely from various government Web sites, the latest Europa World Yearbook, and the latest Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World Factbook. The armed forces data are from Military Balance.

Economy section

Gross domestic product (GDP), GDP per capita, GDP by economic sectors, employment, and national budget data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org). Monetary unit, agriculture, mining, manufacturing, exports, imports, and major trade partner information is from the latest Europa World Yearbook and various International Monetary Fund (IMF) publications.

Energy, Communication, and Transportation section

Electricity information is from the Energy Information Administration (EIA) database (www.eia.doe.gov). Radio, telephone, television, and newspaper information is from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) database (www.unesco.org). Internet hosts, motor vehicles, and road data are from the World Bank database (www.worldbank.org).

Note

Figures may not total 100 per cent due to rounding.