Exports:
$1.215 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146 $1.104 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
wood products, coffee, electricity, tin, copper, gold
Exports - partners:
Thailand 29.18%, China 15.04%, Vietnam 14.96%, UK 4.29% (2009)
Imports:
$1.504 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 161 $1.308 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel, consumer goods
Imports - partners:
Thailand 66.2%, China 11.45%, Vietnam 5.3% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$756 million (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 114 $712.4 million (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$3.085 billion (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 126 $3.179 billion (2006 est.)
Exchange rates:
kips (LAK) per US dollar - 8,320.27 (2010), 8,516.04 (2009), 8,760.69 (2008), 9,658 (2007), 10,235 (2006)
Communications ::Laos
Telephones - main lines in use:
132,200 (2009) country comparison to the world: 137
Telephones - mobile cellular:
3.235 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 111
Telephone system:
general assessment: service to general public is poor but improving; the government relies on a radiotelephone network to communicate with remote areas
domestic: multiple service providers; mobile cellular usage growing very rapidly
international: country code - 856; satellite earth station - 1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean region) and a second to be developed by China (2008)
Broadcast media:
2 television stations operating out of Vientiane - 1 government-operated and the other jointly-owned by the government and a Thai company; roughly 15 provincial stations operating with nearly all programming relayed via satellite from the government-operated station in Vientiane; relays from Hanoi provide access to a Vietnamese television station; broadcasts available from stations in Thailand and Vietnam in border areas; multi-channel satellite and cable TV systems provide access to a wide range of foreign stations; state-controlled radio with state-operated Lao National Radio (LNR) broadcasting on 5 frequencies - 1 AM, 2 SW, and 2 FM; LNR's AM and FM programs are relayed via satellite constituting a large part of the programming schedules of the provincial radio stations; Thai radio broadcasts available in border areas and transmissions of multiple international broadcasters are also accessible (2008)
Internet country code:
.la
Internet hosts:
1,468 (2010) country comparison to the world: 161
Internet users:
300,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 130
Transportation ::Laos
Airports:
41 (2010) country comparison to the world: 102
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 9
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 32
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 9
under 914 m: 21 (2010)
Pipelines:
refined products 540 km (2009)
Roadways:
total: 36,831 km country comparison to the world: 93 paved: 4,811 km
unpaved: 32,020 km (2007)
Waterways:
4,600 km country comparison to the world: 24 note: primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,900 additional km are intermittently navigable by craft drawing less than 0.5 m (2010)
Merchant marine:
total: 1 country comparison to the world: 157 by type: cargo 1 (2008)
Military ::Laos
Military branches:
Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF): Lao People's Army (LPA; includesRiverine Force), Air Force (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for compulsory military service; minimum 18-month conscript service obligation (2010)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,633,725
females age 16-49: 1,654,235 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 1,056,050
females age 16-49: 1,121,640 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 77,910
female: 77,761 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
0.5% of GDP (2006) country comparison to the world: 164
Military - note:
serving one of the world's least developed countries, the Lao People's Armed Forces (LPAF) is small, poorly funded, and ineffectively resourced; its mission focus is border and internal security, primarily in countering ethnic Hmong insurgent groups; together with the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the government, the Lao People's Army (LPA) is the third pillar of state machinery, and as such is expected to suppress political and civil unrest and similar national emergencies, but the LPA also has upgraded skills to respond to avian influenza outbreaks; there is no perceived external threat to the state and the LPA maintains strong ties with the neighboring Vietnamese military (2008)
Transnational Issues ::Laos
Disputes - international:
Southeast Asian states have enhanced border surveillance to check the spread of avian flu; talks continue on completion of demarcation with Thailand but disputes remain over islands in the Mekong River; concern among Mekong Commission members that China's construction of dams on the Mekong River will affect water levels
Illicit drugs:
estimated opium poppy cultivation in 2008 was 1,900 hectares, about a 73% increase from 2007; estimated potential opium production in 2008 more than tripled to 17 metric tons; unsubstantiated reports of domestic methamphetamine production; growing domestic methamphetamine problem (2007)
page last updated on January 13, 2011
======================================================================
@Latvia (Europe)
Introduction ::Latvia
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.
Geography ::Latvia
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia andLithuania
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Europe
Area:
total: 64,589 sq km country comparison to the world: 123 land: 62,249 sq km
water: 2,340 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,382 km
border countries: Belarus 171 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 292 km
Coastline:
498 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain:
low plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m
Natural resources:
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 28.19%
permanent crops: 0.45%
other: 71.36% (2005)
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)
Total renewable water resources:
49.9 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.25 cu km/yr (55%/33%/12%)
per capita: 108 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
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
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east
People ::Latvia
Population:
2,217,969 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 141
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.3% (male 152,472/female 145,161)
15-64 years: 69.6% (male 756,469/female 797,505)
65 years and over: 17% (male 124,432/female 255,464) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.4 years
male: 37.4 years
female: 43.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.602% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 225
Birth rate:
9.9 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 197
Death rate:
13.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 21
Net migration rate:
-2.32 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 177
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: -0.5% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.054 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.59 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 161 male: 10.41 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.67 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.42 years country comparison to the world: 121 male: 67.27 years
female: 77.84 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.31 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 208
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.8% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 59
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
10,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 100
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 500 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 96
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian
Ethnic groups:
Latvian 59.3%, Russian 27.8%, Belarusian 3.6%, Ukrainian 2.5%,Polish 2.4%, Lithuanian 1.3%, other 3.1% (2009)
Religions:
Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
Languages:
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 17 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (2007) country comparison to the world: 67
Government ::Latvia
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
Government type:
parliamentary democracy
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
Administrative divisions:
109 municipalities (novadi, singular-novads) and 9 cities*: AdazuNovads, Aglonas Novads, Aizkraukles Novads, Aizputes Novads,Aknistes Novads, Alojas Novads, Alsungas Novads, Aluksnes Novads,Amatas Novads, Apes Novads, Auces Novads, Babites Novads, BaldonesNovads, Baltinavas Novads, Balvu Novads, Bauskas Novads, BeverinasNovads, Brocenu Novads, Burtnieku Novads, Carnikavas Novads, CesuNovads, Cesvaines Novads, Ciblas Novads, Dagdas Novads, Daugavpils*,Daugavpils Novads, Dobeles Novads, Dundagas Novads, Durbes Novads,Engures Novads, Erglu Novads, Garkalnes Novads, Grobinas Novads,Gulbenes Novads, Iecavas Novads, Ikskiles Novads, Ilukstes Novads,Incukalna Novads, Jaunjelgavas Novads, Juanpiebalgas Novads,Jaunpils Novads, Jekabpils*, Jekabpils Novads, Jelgava*, JelgavasNovads, Jurmala*, Kandavas Novads, Karsavas Novads, Keguma Novads,Kekavas Novads, Kocenu Novads, Kokneses Novads, Kraslavas Novads,Krimuldas Novads, Krustpils Novads, Kuldigas Novads, LielvardesNovads, Liepaja*, Ligatnes Novads, Limbazu Novads, Livanu Novads,Lubanas Novads, Ludzas Novads, Madonas Novads, Malpils Novads,Marupes Novads, Mazsalacas Novads, Nauksenu Novads, Neretas Novads,Nicas Novads, Ogres Novads, Olaines Novads, Ozolnieku Novads,Pargaujas Novads, Pavilostas Novads, Plavinu Novads, Preilu Novads,Priekules Novads, Priekulu Novads, Raunas Novads, Rezekne*, RezeknesNovads, Riebinu Novads, Riga*, Rojas Novads, Ropazu Novads, RucavasNovads, Rugaju Novads, Rujienas Novads, Rundales Novads, SalacgrivasNovads, Salas Novads, Salaspils Novads, Saldus Novads, SaulkrastuNovads, Sejas Novads, Siguldas Novads, Skriveru Novads, SkrundasNovads, Smiltenes Novads, Stopinu Novads, Strencu Novads, TalsuNovads, Tervetes Novads, Tukuma Novads, Vainodes Novads, ValkasNovads, Valmiera*, Varaklanu Novads, Varkavas Novads, VecpiebalgasNovads, Vecumnieku Novads, Ventspils*, Ventspils Novads, ViesitesNovads, Vilakas Novads, Vilanu Novads, Zilupes Novads
Independence:
18 November 1918 (from the Soviet Russia)
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
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
Legal system:
based on civil law system with traces of Socialist legal traditions and practices; has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage:
18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Valdis ZATLERS (since 8 July 2007)
head of government: Prime Minister Valdis DOMBROVSKIS (since 12 March 2009)
cabinet: Cabinet of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by Parliament (For more information visit the World Leaders website ) elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 31 May 2007 (next to be held in 2011); prime minister appointed by the president, confirmed by Parliament
election results: Valdis ZATLERS elected president; parliamentary vote - Valdis ZATLERS 58, Aivars ENDZINS 39
Legislative branch:
unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members elected by proportional representation from party lists by popular vote to serve four-year terms)
elections: last held on 2 October 2010 (next to be held in October 2014)
election results: percent of vote by party - Unity bloc 31.2%, SC 26%, ZZS 19.7%, National Alliance 7.7%, For a Good Latvia bloc 7.7%; seats by party - Unity Coalition 33, SC 29, ZZS 22, National Alliance 8, For a Good Latvia 8
Judicial branch:
Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament); Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by parliament)
Political parties and leaders:
All For Latvia! [Irnants PARADNIEKS, Raivis DZINTARS]; Civic Union[Sandra KALNIETE, Girts Valdis KRISTOVSKIS]; First Party ofLatvia/Latvia's Way or LPP/LC [Ainars SLESERS]; For a Good Latvia(alliance of TP, LPP/LC); For Human Rights in a United Latvia orPCTVL [Jakovs PLINERS, Tatjana ZDANOKA]; For the Fatherland andFreedom/Latvian National Independence Movement or TB/LNNK [RobertsZILE, Maris GRINBLATS]; Harmony Center or SC [Nils USAKOVS, JanisURBANOVICS]; National Alliance (alliance of TB/LNNK, All ForLatvia!); New Era Party or JL [Solvita ABOLTINA, Dzintars ZAKIS];People's Party or TP [Andris SKELE]; Society for Different Politicsor SCP [Aigars STOKENBERGS; Artis PABRIKS]; The Union of LatvianGreens and Farmers Party or ZZS [Augusts BRIGMANIS]; Unity bloc(alliance of Civic Union, New Era, SCP)
Political pressure groups and leaders:
Free Trade Union Confederation of Latvia [Peteris KRIGERS],Employers' Confederation of Latvia [Elina EGLE], Farmers' Parliament[Juris LAZDINS]
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), OIF (observer), OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SchengenConvention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andrejs PILDEGOVICS
chancery: 2306 Massachusetts Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20008
telephone: [1] (202) 328-2840
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Judith G. GARBER
embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510
mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723
telephone: [371] 670-36200
Flag description:
three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon; the flag is one of the older banners in the world; a medieval chronicle mentions a red standard with a white stripe being used by Latvian tribes in about 1280
National anthem:
name: "Dievs, sveti Latviju!" (God Bless Latvia)
lyrics/music: Karlis BAUMANIS
note: adopted 1920, restored 1990; the song was first performed in 1873 while Latvia was a part of Russia; the anthem was banned during the Soviet occupation from 1940 to 1990
Economy ::Latvia
Economy - overview:
Latvia's economy experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07 but entered a severe recession in 2008 as a result of an unsustainable current account deficit and large debt exposure amid the softening world economy. GDP plunged 18% in 2009 - the three former Soviet Baltic republics had the world's worst declines that year - and another 1.8% in 2010. The IMF, EU, and other donors provided assistance to Latvia as part of an agreement to defend the currency's peg to the euro and reduce the fiscal deficit to about 5% of GDP over time. DOMBROVSKIS' government enacted major speding cuts to reduce the fiscal deficit to 7.8% of GDP in 2010, and plans to cut the deficit further in 2011. 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.
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$32.2 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 105 $32.79 billion (2009 est.)
$39.99 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$23.39 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
-1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 203 -18% (2009 est.)
-4.2% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$14,500 (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $14,700 (2009 est.)
$17,800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 4.2%
industry: 20.6%
services: 75.2% (2010 est.)
Labor force:
1.178 million (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 139
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 12.1%
industry: 25.8%
services: 61.8% (2005 est.)
Unemployment rate:
19.1% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 163 17.1% (2009 est.)
Population below poverty line:
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: 2.7%
highest 10%: 27.4% (2004)
Distribution of family income - Gini index:
36 (2005) country comparison to the world: 84 32 (1999)
Investment (gross fixed):
15.7% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 125
Public debt:
46.2% of GDP (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 58 36.6% of GDP (2009 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
-1.2% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 5 3.5% (2009 est.)
Central bank discount rate:
4% (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 75 6% (31 December 2008)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
16.23% (31 December 2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 76 11.85% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$5.769 billion (31 December 2010 est) country comparison to the world: 84 $5.893 billion (31 December 2009 est)
Stock of broad money:
$11.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 97 $11.46 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of domestic credit:
$27.59 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 70 $27.76 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$1.824 billion (31 December 2009) country comparison to the world: 98 $1.609 billion (31 December 2008)
$3.111 billion (31 December 2007)
Agriculture - products:
grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish
Industries:
pharmaceuticals, plastics, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, soaps, paints, rubber, processed foods, textiles
Industrial production growth rate:
-1.8% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
Electricity - production:
4.62 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 114
Electricity - consumption:
6.822 billion kWh (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Electricity - exports:
2.123 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
4.643 billion kWh (2008 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 156
Oil - consumption:
40,000 bbl/day (2009 est.) country comparison to the world: 102
Oil - exports:
5,873 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 101
Oil - imports:
43,400 bbl/day (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 92
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 161
Natural gas - production:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 167
Natural gas - consumption:
2.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 80
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 164
Natural gas - imports:
2.05 billion cu m (2008 est.) country comparison to the world: 46
Current account balance:
$1.62 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 42 $2.53 billion (2009 est.)
Exports:
$7.894 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $7.223 billion (2009 est.)
Exports - commodities:
wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
Exports - partners:
Lithuania 15.19%, Estonia 13.57%, Russia 13.17%, Germany 8.13%,Sweden 5.7% (2009)
Imports:
$9.153 billion (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 93 $8.906 billion (2009 est.)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles
Imports - partners:
Lithuania 16.36%, Germany 11.34%, Russia 10.68%, Poland 8.11%,Estonia 7.69% (2009)
Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:
$7.17 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 60 $6.907 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Debt - external:
$37.28 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 59 $41.58 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:
$11.71 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 79 $11.61 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:
$1.097 billion (31 December 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 71 $1.037 billion (31 December 2009 est.)
Exchange rates:
lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.5422 (2010), 0.5056 (2009), 0.4701 (2008), 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006)
Communications ::Latvia
Telephones - main lines in use:
644,000 (2009) country comparison to the world: 91
Telephones - mobile cellular:
2.243 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 128
Telephone system:
general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as mobile-cellular telephone service 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 exceeds 125 per 100 persons
international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden (2008)
Broadcast media:
several national and regional commercial TV stations are foreign-owned, 2 national TV stations are publicly-owned; system supplemented by privately-owned regional and local TV stations; cable and satellite multi-channel TV services with domestic and foreign broadcasts are available; publicly-owned broadcaster operates 4 radio networks with dozens of stations throughout the country; dozens of private broadcasters also operate radio stations (2007)
Internet country code:
.lv
Internet hosts:
289,478 (2010) country comparison to the world: 59
Internet users:
1.504 million (2009) country comparison to the world: 81
Transportation ::Latvia
Airports:
42 (2010) country comparison to the world: 101
Airports - with paved runways:
total: 19
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 3
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 7 (2010)
Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 23
under 914 m: 23 (2010)
Pipelines:
gas 948 km; refined products 415 km (2009)
Railways:
total: 2,298 km country comparison to the world: 68 broad gauge: 2,265 km 1.520-m gauge
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2008)
Roadways:
total: 73,074 km country comparison to the world: 65 paved: 14,459 km
unpaved: 58,615 km (2010)
Waterways:
300 km (navigable year round) (2010) country comparison to the world: 93
Merchant marine:
total: 13 country comparison to the world: 107 by type: cargo 3, chemical tanker 1, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 3, roll on/roll off 1
foreign-owned: 4 (Estonia 4)
registered in other countries: 90 (Antigua and Barbuda 16, Belize 10, Cambodia 1, Comoros 1, Cook Islands 1, Dominica 1, Georgia 1, Liberia 9, Malta 11, Marshall Islands 18, Panama 4, Saint Kitts and Nevis 2, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 15) (2010)
Ports and terminals:
Riga, Ventspils
Military ::Latvia
Military branches:
National Armed Forces (Nacionalo Brunoto Speku): Ground Forces, Navy(Latvijas Juras Speki; includes Coast Guard (Latvijas Kara Flotes)),Latvian Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Speki), Border Guard, Latvian HomeGuard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2010)
Military service age and obligation:
18 years of age for voluntary male and female military service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2009)
Manpower available for military service:
males age 16-49: 554,943
females age 16-49: 550,700 (2010 est.)
Manpower fit for military service:
males age 16-49: 406,592
females age 16-49: 456,071 (2010 est.)
Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:
male: 11,536
female: 11,058 (2010 est.)
Military expenditures:
1.2% of GDP (2005 est.) country comparison to the world: 121
Transnational Issues ::Latvia
Disputes - international:
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 has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia
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
page last updated on January 25, 2011
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@Lebanon (Middle East)
Introduction ::Lebanon
Background:
Following World War I, France acquired a mandate over the northern portion of the former Ottoman Empire province of Syria. The French separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920, and granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections. Most militias have been reduced or disbanded, with the exception of Hizballah, designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and Palestinian militant groups. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in September 2004 of UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 22 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Sa'ad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. In July 2006, Hizballah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel in which approximately 1,200 Lebanese civilians were killed. UNSCR 1701 ended the war in August 2006, and Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) deployed throughout the country for the first time in decades, charged with securing Lebanon's borders against weapons smuggling and maintaining a weapons-free zone in south Lebanon with the help of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp, winning a decisive victory, but destroying the camp and displacing 30,000 Palestinian residents. Lebanese politicians in November 2007 were unable to agree on a successor to Emile LAHUD when he stepped down as president, creating a political vacuum until the election of LAF Commander Gen. Michel SULAYMAN in May 2008 and the formation of a new unity government in July 2008. Legislative elections in June 2009 again produced victory for the bloc led by Sa'ad HARIRI, but a period of prolonged negotiation over the composition of the cabinet ensued. A national unity government was finally formed in November 2009 and approved by the National Assembly the following month. In January 2010, Lebanon assumed a nonpermanent seat on the UN Security Council for the 2010-11 term.
Geography ::Lebanon
Location:
Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel andSyria
Geographic coordinates:
Map references:
Middle East
Area:
total: 10,400 sq km country comparison to the world: 169 land: 10,230 sq km
water: 170 sq km
Area - comparative:
about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut
Land boundaries:
total: 454 km
border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km
Coastline:
225 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
Climate:
Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers;Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows
Terrain:
narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Qornet es Saouda 3,088 m
Natural resources:
limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 16.35%
permanent crops: 13.75%
other: 69.9% (2005)
Irrigated land:
1,040 sq km (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
4.8 cu km (1997)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 1.38 cu km/yr (33%/1%/67%)
per capita: 385 cu m/yr (2000)
Natural hazards:
dust storms, sandstorms
Environment - current issues:
deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation
Geography - note:
Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity
People ::Lebanon
Population:
4,125,247 (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 127
Age structure:
0-14 years: 25.8% (male 528,047/female 506,838)
15-64 years: 67.1% (male 1,294,485/female 1,399,047)
65 years and over: 7.2% (male 130,148/female 158,530) (2010 est.)
Median age:
total: 29.4 years
male: 28.3 years
female: 30.5 years (2010 est.)
Population growth rate:
0.621% (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 146
Birth rate:
15.1 births/1,000 population (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 137
Death rate:
6.46 deaths/1,000 population (July 2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 151
Net migration rate:
-2.43 migrant(s)/1,000 population country comparison to the world: 179
Urbanization:
urban population: 87% of total population (2008)
rate of urbanization: 1.2% annual rate of change (2005-10 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.87 male(s)/female
total population: 0.96 male(s)/female (2010 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 16.4 deaths/1,000 live births country comparison to the world: 115 male: 16.52 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 16.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2010 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 74.79 years country comparison to the world: 90 male: 73.28 years
female: 76.36 years (2010 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.78 children born/woman (2010 est.) country comparison to the world: 160
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.1% (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 119
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
3,000 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 131
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 200 (2007 est.) country comparison to the world: 109
Nationality:
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups:
Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians
Religions:
Muslim 59.7% (Shia, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri),Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic,Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, SyrianOrthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant),other 1.3%
note: 17 religious sects recognized
Languages:
Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 87.4%
male: 93.1%
female: 82.2% (2003 est.)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 14 years
male: 13 years
female: 14 years (2009)
Education expenditures:
2% of GDP (2008) country comparison to the world: 169
Government ::Lebanon
Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan
former: Greater Lebanon
Government type:
republic
Capital:
name: Beirut
geographic coordinates: 33 52 N, 35 30 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
Administrative divisions:
6 governorates (mohafazat, singular - mohafazah); Beqaa, Beyrouth (Beirut), Liban-Nord, Liban-Sud, Mont-Liban, Nabatiye
note: two new governorates - Aakar and Baalbek-Hermel - have been legislated but not yet implemented
Independence:
22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under French administration)
National holiday:
Independence Day, 22 November (1943)