The 2008 CIA World Factbook by United States. Central Intelligence Agency (ebook reader 8 inch .txt) 📕

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 Ivars GODMANIS (since 20 December 2007) cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and appointed by 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 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 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; note - seats by party as of February 2008 - TP 21, ZZS 17, SC 17, JL 14, LPP/LC 10, TB/LNNK 5, PCTVL 6, independents 10

Judicial branch:

Supreme Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by Parliament);
Constitutional Court (judges' appointments are confirmed by
Parliament)

Political parties and leaders:

First Party of Latvia/Latvia's Way or LPP/LC [Ainars SLESERS, Ivars
GODMANIS]; 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
Social Democratic Workers Party (Social Democrats) or LSDSP [Juris
BOJARS]; Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [Alfreds RUBIKS]; 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 [Augusts BRIGMANIS]

Political pressure groups and leaders:

Headquarters for the Protection of Russian Schools (SHTAB)
[Aleksandr KAZAKOV]

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, Schengen
Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate
partner), WFTU, 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 FAX: [1] (202) 328-2860

Diplomatic representation from the US:

chief of mission: Ambassador Charles LARSON Jr. embassy: 7 Raina Boulevard, Riga LV-1510 mailing address: American Embassy Riga, PSC 78, Box Riga, APO AE 09723 telephone: [371] 670-36200 FAX: [371] 678-20047

Flag description:

three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white (half-width), and maroon

Economy
Latvia

Economy - overview:

Latvia's economy experienced GDP growth of more than 10% per year during 2006-07. 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 22% of GDP in 2007 - and inflation - at nearly 10% per year - remain major concerns.

GDP (purchasing power parity):

$40.05 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$27.34 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

10.3% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$17,700 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.3% industry: 22% services: 74.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

1.167 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 13% industry: 19% services: 68% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

5.7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.5% highest 10%: 29.1% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

37.7 (2003)

Investment (gross fixed):

32.5% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $10.47 billion expenditures: $10.29 billion (2007 est.)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Public debt:

7.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

10.1% (2007 est.)

Central bank discount rate:

6% (31 December 2007)

Commercial bank prime lending rate:

10.91% (31 December 2007)

Stock of money:

$8.196 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of quasi money:

$5.113 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of domestic credit:

$27.56 billion (31 December 2007)

Agriculture - products:

grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate:

5.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

4.734 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - consumption:

6.424 billion kWh (2006 est.)

Electricity - exports:

1.676 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - imports:

4.671 billion kWh (2007 est.)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 29.1% hydro: 70.9% nuclear: 0% other: 0% (2001)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2007 est.)

Oil - consumption:

35,180 bbl/day (2006 est.)

Oil - exports:

10,070 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - imports:

45,340 bbl/day (2005)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

2.04 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2007 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

2.04 billion cu m (2007 est.)

Current account balance:

-$6.231 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$8.143 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:

Lithuania 15.1%, Estonia 13.8%, Russia 13%, Germany 8.3%, Sweden 7.4%, UK 6.5% (2007)

Imports:

$14.82 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles

Imports - partners:

Germany 15.1%, Lithuania 13.8%, Russia 8.7%, Estonia 8%, Poland 6.9%, Finland 5.1%, Sweden 4.9% (2007)

Economic aid - recipient:

$162 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$5.758 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$33.53 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$8.62 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$699 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$2.705 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

lat (LVL)

Currency code:

LVL

Exchange rates:

lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006), 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003)

Communications
Latvia

Telephones - main lines in use:

644,000 (2007)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.217 million (2007)

Telephone system:

general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as wireless 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 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 (2007)

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

1.76 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

1.22 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.lv

Internet hosts:

220,082 (2008)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

41 (2001)

Internet users:

1.177 million (2007)

Transportation
Latvia

Airports:

42 (2007)

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)

Pipelines:

gas 948 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2007)

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)

Roadways:

total: 69,675 km paved: 69,675 km (2006)

Waterways:

300 km (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 22 by type: cargo 8, chemical tanker 3, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 5, petroleum tanker 2, roll on/roll off 2 foreign-owned: 2 (Estonia 2) registered in other countries: 118 (Antigua and Barbuda 13, Belize 12, Cambodia 1, Cook Islands 1, Cyprus 1, Dominica 1, Jamaica 1, Liberia 21, Malta 19, Marshall Islands 16, Panama 8, Russia 2, Saint Kitts and Nevis 5, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 17) (2008)

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 Home
Guard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 568,683 females age 16-49: 565,826 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 412,849 females age 16-49: 468,827 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

male: 14,506 female: 13,982 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures:

1.2% of GDP (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues
Latvia

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 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

This page was last updated on 18 December, 2008

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@Lebanon

Introduction
Lebanon

Background:

Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this territory and separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920. France 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 disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, a radical Shia organization listed by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons. 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 October 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