General facts

Official Name: Latvijas Republika (Republic of Latvia)

Official Language: Latvian

Area: 64,589 square km

Population: 2,424,300 (estimated, 2000)

Population Density: 37.53 per square km

Population by Ethnicity: Latvian (57.6%), Russian (29.6%), Belarusian (4.1%), Ukrainian (2.7%), Polish (2.5%)

Cities: Rīga (capital, 788,283); Daugavpils (114,510); Liepāja (94,807); Jelgava (70,918); Jūrmala (58,993); Ventspils (46,501).

National Holiday: 18 November 1918

For a concise history of Latvia click here.

Economy

Currency: Latvian lats (LVL); LVL one equals 100 santims; pegged to the SDR currency basket used by international finance institutions (including EUR, USD, JPY and GBP) at LVL 0.7997 equals SDR one

GDP change: +0.1% (1999, preliminary, LVL 3.662 billion in current prices); +5.3% (Q1 2000, preliminary)

Unemployment (official, end of May 2000): 8.6%

CPI (1999): +2.4%

Trade: exports LVL 1.008 billion, main partners EU-member states (59.9%), CIS (12%); imports LVL 1.724 billion, main partners EU-member states (54.5%), CIS (15%), (1999, preliminary)

 

Government

Prime Minister: Andris Bērziņš, Latvijas ceļš (LC)
Foreign Minister: Indulis Bērziņš, LC
Finance Minister: Gundars Bērziņš, Tautas partija (TP)
Defence Minister: Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis, Tēvzemei un Brīvībai/LNNK (TB/LNNK)
Transport Minister: Anatolijs Gorbunovs, LC
Economics Minister: Aigars Kalvītis, TP
Justice Minister: Ingrīda Labucka, Jaunā partija (JP)
Interior Minister: Mareks Segliņš, TP
Education Minister: Kārlis Greiškalns, TP
Agriculture Minister: Atis Slakteris, TP
Welfare Minister: Andrejs Požarnovs, TB/LNNK
Culture Minister: Kārina Pētersone, LC
Environment Minister: Vladimirs Makarovs, TB/LNNK
Minister (for Relations with International Finance Organisations) Roberts Zīle, TB/LNNK
Minister (for Administrative Reform): Jānis Krūmiņš, JP

Head-of-State: President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga (term expires July 2002)

Head-of-Government: Prime Minister Andris Bērziņš, Latvijas ceļš

Ruling Coalition: Latvijas ceļš (Latvia's Way), Tautas partija (Peoples Party), Tēvzemei un Brīvībai (For Fatherland and Freedom), Jaunā partija (The New Party).

Parliament: 100-seat Saeima, elected by proportional representation in 5 electoral districts. Next scheduled election, October 2002.

Compiled by Mel Huang, 10 July 2000

Moving on:

• Return to CER front page
• Archive of Mel Huang's articles in CER
• Archive articles on Latvia in CER
• Buy English-language books on Latvia through CER

Sources and other useful links:

Statistical Department
Latvian Institute
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Chancellery of the Government
Chancellery of President Vaira Vīķe-Freiberga
Saeima (Parliament)