Latvia

Official name Latvijas Republika (Republic of Latvia)
Form of government unitary multiparty republic with one legislative body (Parliament, or Saeima [100])
Head of state President: Andris Berzins
Head of government Prime Minister: Laimdota Straujuma
Capital Riga
Official language Latvian
Official religion none
Monetary unit euro (€)
Population (2013 est.) 2,021,000COLLAPSE
Total area (sq mi) 24,938
Total area (sq km) 64,589
Urban-rural population

Urban: (2011) 67.5%

Rural: (2011) 32.5%

Life expectancy at birth

Male: (2011) 68.8 years

Female: (2011) 78.7 years

Literacy: percentage of population age 15 and over literate

Male: (2009) 100%

Female: (2009) 100%

GNI per capita (U.S.$) (2012) 14,180

Background of Latvia

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 28% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the eurozone in 2014.

Lavia, country of northeastern Europe and one of the Baltic states. Latvia, which was occupied and annexed by the U.S.S.R. in June 1940, declared its independence on Aug. 21, 1991. The U.S.S.R. recognized its sovereignty on September 6, and United Nations membership followed shortly thereafter. Latvia was admitted to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU) in 2004. The capital and chief city is Riga.

Geography of Latvia

The Land

Latvia lies along the shores of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, and it is bounded by Estonia to the north, Russia to the east, Belarus to the southeast, and Lithuania to the south.

Relief, drainage, and soils

Latvia is essentially an undulating plain, with fairly flat lowlands alternating with hills. The eastern part of the country is more elevated, its most prominent feature being the Central Vidzeme Upland, which reaches a maximum elevation of 1,020 feet (311 metres). In the southeast the highest point is Lielais Liepukalns (947 feet [289 metres]), which is part of the Rāzna National Park territory. The Kurzeme (Courland) Upland in the west is divided by the Venta River into western and eastern parts. Between the Central Vidzeme and Latgale uplands in the southeast lies the East Latvian Lowland, partly crossed by moraine ridges that impede drainage. There are numerous peat bogs in this area.

Latvia contains a multitude of rivers that drain into the Baltic Sea. The largest are the Western Dvina, locally called the Daugava (with a total length of 222 miles [357 km] in Latvia), the Gauja (Russian: Gauya), the Venta, and the Lielupe. Amid the hills, many of which are forested, are numerous lakes, some measuring up to about 12 square miles (30 square km). Latvia’s soils are predominantly podzolic, though calcareous soils characterize the Semigallia (Zemgale) Plain, located just east of the Eastern Kurzeme Uplands. Swampy soils are found in some areas, particularly the East Latvian Lowland. Erosion is a problem in the more intensely cultivated hilly areas.

Climate

The climate is influenced by the prevailing southwesterly winds coming from the Atlantic. Humidity is high, and the skies are usually cloudy; there are only about 30 to 40 days of sunshine per year. Average precipitation usually exceeds 20 inches (about 500 mm) on the lowlands and may approach or exceed 30 inches (about 760 mm) on the uplands. The frost-free season lasts about 125 to 155 days. Summers are often cool and rainy. The mean temperature in June is in the mid-60s F (about 17 °C), with occasional jumps into the mid-90s F (about 34 °C). Winter sets in slowly and lasts from the middle of December to the middle of March. The mean January temperature ranges from the upper 20s F (near −2 °C) on the coast to the lower 20s F (about −7 °C) in the east. There are occasional extreme temperature drops into the −40s F (about −40 °C).

Plant and animal life

More than half of Latvia is covered with forests, meadows, pastures, swamps, and wasteland. Forests account for more than one-third of the total area, and about one-tenth of the forests are cultivated. The larger forest tracts are in the northern part of the Kurzeme Peninsula, along the banks of the Western Dvina, and in the northeast, where conifers (pine and spruce) predominate. Of the deciduous species, birch, aspen, and alder are the most prevalent. Meadows are found both in the river valleys and among the hills.

Latvia’s fauna consists of squirrels, foxes, hare, lynx, and badgers. Somewhat less common are ermines and weasels. Conservation measures have resulted in an increase in the number of deer and elk, and beavers have been reintroduced to Latvia. The country’s bird population includes the nightingale, oriole, blackbird, woodpecker, owl, grouse, partridge, finch, tomtit, quail, and lark. Storks and herons are usually found in the marshes and meadows.

Demography of Latvia

The People

• Ethnic groups, languages, and religion

Before Soviet occupation in 1940, ethnic Latvians constituted about three-fourths of the country’s population. Today they make up about three-fifths of the population, and Russians account for about one-third. There are small groups of Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles, Lithuanians, and others. The official language of Latvia is Latvian; however, nearly one-third of the population speaks Russian. Smaller numbers speak Romany, the Indo-Aryan language of the Roma (Gypsies), and Yiddish, a Germanic language. The majority of Latvians adhere to Christianity—mainly Lutheranism, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy. About one-fourth of Latvians consider themselves nonreligious.

Latvia had a significant Jewish population—estimated at more than 90,000 in the 1930s—until the Soviet and German occupations during World War II, when tens of thousands of Latvian Jews fled the country, were deported to prison camps or concentration camps, or were killed. Nazi forces were responsible for between 65,000 and 75,000 of these deaths. By war’s end, only several thousand Latvian Jews remained.

• Settlement patterns

Latvia’s rural population decreased after World War II, largely because of poor socioeconomic and political conditions, while its urban population increased steadily. By the early 2000s more than two-thirds of the country’s population lived in urban areas. Riga is the most populous city, followed by Daugavpils and Liepāja.

• Demographic trends

A major challenge for Latvia in the early 1990s was to offset the aging of its population, a serious problem that had existed even before the country’s independence and that was the result largely of birth rates that were not high enough to ensure population replacement. An attempt was also made to increase the percentage of the population made up of ethnic Latvians by encouraging them to have larger families and by instituting stronger immigration controls. However, because of the unstable political and economic situation of the early post-Soviet period, most families postponed having more children. In fact, at the onset of the 21st century, Latvia had the lowest birth rate of the Baltic states as well as one of the lowest life expectancies in all of Europe.

Economy of Latvia

Industrialization in Latvia began in the latter part of the 19th century, and by the late 20th century the country was the most heavily industrialized of the Baltic states. Substantial economic changes occurred following Latvia’s independence in 1991, as the country transitioned to a market economy. Starting in the mid-1990s, the economy diversified, and by the early 21st century most industry in Latvia had been privatized.

• Agriculture and fishing

About one-third of agricultural land in Latvia is used for crop cultivation, and about one-tenth is dedicated to pasture for livestock. Of the crops, grain (mainly rye) is the most important. Wheat, oats, flax, and barley are also significant. Potatoes, onions, carrots, and sugar beets are the main crops produced for export.

Collectivization of agriculture was accomplished, against resistance, in 1947–50. Up to the time of independence, in 1991, there were collective farms (engaged mainly in the cultivation of grain crops and mixed farming) and state farms (usually specializing in the cultivation and processing of a particular crop). Decollectivization became a goal of the newly independent government. During the Soviet period Latvia was a net importer of agricultural products, albeit on a small scale. After independence it was hoped that the privatization of agriculture would lead to higher levels of production and a favourable balance of trade in agricultural commodities, but, as a result of the economic hardships of adjusting to a market economy and of the high cost of equipment required, agriculture contributed only a small percentage of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the early 1990s. By the early 21st century, agriculture had been completely privatized.

Latvia’s fishing industry accounts for only a tiny percentage of the GDP, and fish products for export have decreased in importance. In general, sportfishing has contributed more to Latvia’s annual catch from inland waters than has commercial fishing. Much of the catch from the Baltic is consumed domestically as a source of protein, most notably codfish and herring (sprats). The most common species of fish found in inland waters are pike, bream, carp, perch, eel, and lamprey. Some salmon and trout are bred artificially in nurseries and then released into rivers. Crayfish and carp have been raised successfully in ponds.

• Resources and power

The principal mineral resources found in Latvia are sand, dolomite, limestone, gypsum, clay, and peat. Oil has been discovered in the Kurzeme Peninsula, and exploration of reserves has been undertaken. Latvia has hydropower plants on the Western Dvina River. Nonetheless, the country is highly dependent on imported sources of energy. Electric energy is supplied primarily by Estonia and Lithuania, and petroleum products are supplied by Russia and Lithuania. Beginning in the early 21st century, Latvia has attempted to diversify its domestic energy sources to reduce its dependence on foreign supply.

• Manufacturing

The production of furniture, foodstuffs, beverages, and textiles had replaced machine building and metal engineering as Latvia’s leading manufacturing activities by the late 1990s. The manufacture of chemicals and pharmaceuticals became important in the 21st century.

• Finance

Under Soviet rule, Latvia used the Russian ruble as its monetary unit, but by 1993 the country had adopted its own currency, the lats. On January 1, 2014, Latvia adopted the euro as its official currency. The Central Bank of the Republic of Latvia is the centre of the banking system. There is a stock exchange in Riga. In the middle of the first decade of the 2000s, foreign direct investment, which came mainly from other EU countries, accounted for about one-third of GDP.

• Trade

Latvia’s main trading partners are Germany, Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Poland, and the United Kingdom. Exports include wood and wood products, metals, foodstuffs, and textiles. Latvia imports machinery, oil, foodstuffs, and chemical products.

• Services

By the early 21st century the service sector accounted for the largest percentage of Latvia’s GDP and employed about one-fifth of the country’s workforce. Latvia’s tourist infrastructure, which was virtually nonexistent in the early 1990s, contributed a small percentage to the GDP. Major tourist attractions include the historic centre of Riga, which was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1997; the country’s picturesque castles and monasteries; and its coastline and lakes. Improvements were made in the quality of tourist accommodations in the early 2000s, but Latvia’s infrastructure was still not fully sufficient to cater to an influx of visitors.

• Transportation and telecommunications

Latvia’s favourable geographic location and temperate climate allow for year-round freight transport. Major ports are located in Riga, Ventspils, and Liepāja, and there are several smaller ports located along the coast. An east-west railway corridor allows for the easy passage of freight from inland Latvia out to its main ports. There is an international airport in Riga.

The telecommunications sector of Latvia is partially nationalized. The number of Internet users increased significantly from the late 1990s to the mid-2000s; however, it is still somewhat lower than the average for the European Union. Cellular phone usage in Latvia is much higher than fixed-line phone usage.

Disclaimer

This is not the official site of this country. Most of the information in this site were taken from the U.S. Department of State, The Central Intelligence Agency, The United Nations, [1],[2], [3], [4], [5],[6], [7], [8], [9], [10], [11], [12], [13], [14],[15], [16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21], [22], [23], [24],[25], [26], [27], [28], [29], [30],[31], [32], [33], [34], and the [35].

Other sources of information will be mentioned as they are posted.