National name: Latvijas Republika

President: Vaira Vike-Freiberga (1999)

Prime Minister: Aigars Kalvitis (2004)

Area: 24,938 sq mi (64,589 sq km)

Population (2005 est.): 2,290,237 (growth rate: –0.7%); birth rate: 9.0/1000; infant mortality rate: 9.6/1000; life expectancy: 71.0; density per sq mi: 92

Capital and largest city (2003 est.): Riga, 867,700 (metro. area), 706,200 (city proper)

Other large cities: Daugavpils, 111,700; Liepaja, 82,300

Monetary unit: Lats

Languages: Latvian (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other

Ethnicity/race: Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belorussian 4.1%, Ukrainian 2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, other 2% (2002)

Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox

Literacy: 100% (2003 est.)

Economic summary: GDP/PPP (2004 est.): $26.53 billion; per capita $11,500. Real growth rate: 7.6%. Inflation: 6%. Unemployment: 8.8%. Arable land: 30%. Agriculture: grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish. Labor force: 1.17 million; agriculture 15%, industry 25%, services 60% (2000 est.). 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. Natural resources: peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land. Exports: $3.569 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs. Imports: $5.97 billion (f.o.b., 2004 est.): machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles. Major trading partners: UK, Germany, Sweden, Lithuania, Estonia, Denmark, Russia, Finland, Poland, Italy (2003).

Communications: Telephones: main lines in use: 734,693 (2000); mobile cellular: 401,263 (2000). Radio broadcast stations: AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998). Radios: 1.76 million (1997). Television broadcast stations: 74 (1998). Televisions: 1.22 million (1997). Internet Service Providers (ISPs): 41 (2001). Internet users: 312,000 (2001).

Transportation: Railways: total: 2,347 km (2002). Highways: total: 73,202 km; paved: 28,256 km; unpaved: 44,946 km (2000). Waterways: 300 km perennially navigable. Ports and harbors: Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils. Airports: 38 (2002).

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