The CIA World Factbook 2023-2024 by Central Intelligence Agency;

Author:Central Intelligence Agency;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 7252651
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Company, Incorporated
Published: 2023-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

LATVIA

INTRODUCTION

Background: Several eastern Baltic tribes merged in medieval times to form 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 25% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004; it joined the euro zone in 2014 and the OECD in 2016. A dual citizenship law was adopted in 2013, easing naturalization for non-citizen children.

GEOGRAPHY

Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania

Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references: Europe

Area: total: 64,589 sq km

land: 62,249 sq km

water: 2,340 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: total: 1,370 km

border countries (4): Belarus 161 km; Estonia 333 km; Lithuania 544 km; Russia 332 km

Coastline: 498 km

Maritime claims: territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: limits as agreed to by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Russia

continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain: low plain

Elevation: highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m

lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 87 m

Natural resources: peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land

Land use: agricultural land: 29.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 18.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 10.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 54.1% (2018 est.)

other: 16.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land: 12 sq km (2012)

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

Population distribution: largest concentration of people is found in and around the port and capital city of Riga; small agglomerations are scattered throughout the country

Natural hazards: large percentage of agricultural fields can become waterlogged and require drainage

Geography - note: most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east

PEOPLE AND SOCIETY

Population: 1,842,226 (2022 est.)

Nationality: noun: Latvian(s)

adjective: Latvian

Ethnic groups: Latvian 62.7%, Russian 24.5%, Belarusian 3.1%, Ukrainian 2.2%, Polish 2%, Lithuanian 1.1%, other 1.8%, unspecified 2.6% (2021 est.)

Languages: Latvian (official) 56.3%, Russian 33.8%, other 0.6% (includes Polish, Ukrainian, and Belarusian), unspecified 9.4%; note - data represent language usually spoken at home (2011 est.)

major-language sample(s): World Factbook, neaizstājams avots pamata informāciju. (Latvian)

Religions: Lutheran 36.2%, Roman Catholic 19.5%, Orthodox 19.1%, other Christian 1.6%, other 0.1%, unspecified/none 23.5% (2017 est.)

Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.32% (male 148,120/female 140,028)

15-24 years: 9% (male 87,372/female 81,965)

25-54 years: 40.41% (male 380,817/female 379,359)

55-64 years: 14.77% (male 125,401/female 152,548)

65 years and over: 20.5% (male 128,151/female 257,471) (2020 est.)

Dependency ratios: total dependency ratio: 59

youth dependency ratio: 26.1

elderly dependency ratio: 32.9

potential support ratio: 3 (2020 est.)

Median age: total: 44.4 years

male: 40.5 years

female: 48 years (2020 est.)

Population growth rate: -1.11% (2022 est.

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