Fun Easy English - Travel abroad Latvia.

OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Latvia

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION

Latvia is a stable democracy experiencing rapid economic growth. Most tourist facilities found in a western European city are available in the capital city of Riga. However, some of the goods and services taken for granted in other countries are not yet available in other parts of the country.

PEOPLE

The behavior of most Latvians reflects the strong cultural and religious influences of centuries-long Germanic and Scandinavian colonization and settlement. They are viewed as self-reliant, independent, persistent, and reserved. Eastern Latvia (Latgale), however, retains a strong Polish and Russian cultural and linguistic influence. This highly literate society places strong emphasis upon education, which is free and compulsory until age 16. The majority of Latvians belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church; a sizable minority is Russian Orthodox, and Eastern Latvia is predominantly Roman Catholic.

Historically, Latvia has always had fairly large Russian, Jewish, German, and Polish minorities, but traumatic wartime events, postwar emigration, deportations, and Soviet Russification policies from 1939 to 1989 reduced the percentage of ethnic Latvians in Latvia from 73% to 52%. In an attempt to preserve the Latvian language and prevent ethnic Latvians from becoming a minority in their own country, Latvia enacted language, education, and citizenship laws which require a working proficiency in the Latvian language in order to become a citizen. Such legislation has caused concern among many non-citizen resident Russians, despite Latvian legal guarantees of universal human and civil rights regardless of citizenship.

Written with the Latin alphabet, Latvian is the language of the Latvian people and the official language of the country. It is an inflective language with several analytical forms, three dialects, and German syntactical influence. The oldest known examples of written Latvian are from a 1585 catechism. Latvians and Lithuanians are the only surviving direct descendents of the Baltic peoples who speak languages of the Indo-European family. While Latvia was a member of the U.S.S.R, Russian was the official language, so many Latvians also speak Russian, and the resident Slavic populace generally speaks Russian as a first language.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS

Latvian law requires that visitors present a passport that is valid for at least three months after their planned stay (for example, if a visitor plans to stay for one month, then a passport valid for four months is required). Individuals who arrive at Latvia’s borders who do not meet this requirement are generally denied entry to the country. No visa is required for travelers remaining up to 90 days in a half-calendar year (from January to June and from July to December). Travelers remaining in Latvia for more than 90 days, including 180 day periods that cross over two half-calendar years, must apply for temporary residence. All travelers must have a valid insurance policy, covering medical expenses while in Latvia. Repatriation costs, including funeral and disposition of remains costs also have to be covered by the policy. In addition, upon entering or exiting the country, travelers must declare cash in excess of 10,000 euros to Latvian customs. For more information, travelers may contact the Latvian Embassy, at 2306 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20008, tel. (202) 328-2840, fax (202) 328-2860. See also http://www.latvia-usa.org. Within Latvia, contact the Ministry of Interiors Office of Citizenship and Migration Affairs at Raina bulv. 5, Riga, LV 1508. tel. (371)721-9664 or (371) 721-9645, fax: (371)782-0306, http://www.ocma.gov.lv/ or Foreign Service Center at Alunana iela 1, Riga LV 1050, tel: (371)721-9655. Any traveler to Russia, even in transit, is advised to obtain a visa prior to entry into Latvia. The process of obtaining a visa at the Russian Embassy in Riga can be lengthy, and involve surrender of the passport for an undetermined period of time. Visit the Embassy of Latvia web site at http://www.latvia-usa.org for the most current visa information.

QUICK FACTS

Geography
Area: 64,589 sq. km. (24,938 sq. mi.); slightly larger than West Virginia.
Cities (2006): Capital--Riga (727,578). Other cities--Daugavpils (109,482); Liepaja (85,915); Jelgava (66,087); Jurmala (55,602); Ventspils (43,806); Rezekne (36,646).
Terrain: Fertile low-lying plains predominate in central Latvia, highlands in Vidzeme and Latgale to the east, and hilly moraine in the western Kurzeme region. Forests cover one-third of the country, with over 3,000 small lakes and numerous bogs. Although there are more than 12,000 rivers in the country, the only major waterways are the Daugava (Dvina) River, which flows through the center of the country and empties into the Gulf of Rîga, and the Gauja River, which rises in the Vidzeme Upland.
Land use: 20% arable land, 8% meadows and pastures, 45% forest and woodland, 27% other.
Climate: Temperate, maritime, with four seasons of almost equal length. Average temperatures in January range from -2.8°C (26.6°F) in the western, coastal town of Liepaja, to -6.6°C (20.1°F) in the inland town of Daugavpils. Mean temperatures for July range from 16.7°C (62.1°F) in Liepaja to 17.6°C (63.7°F) in Daugavpils. Annual precipitation averages 57 centimeters (23 in.).

People
Nationality: Noun and adjective--Latvian(s).
Population (2006): 2,294,590.
Annual growth rate (2006): -0.67%. Birth rate--9.24/1,000. Death rate--13.66/1,000. Migration rate--1,900 immigrants, 2,300 emigrants (2005). Net migration rate (2006): -2.26 migrant(s)/1,000.
Density (2006): 35.5/1 sq. km (this figure is far lower in parts of western Latvia). Urban dwellers--68%.
Major ethnic groups (2006): Latvians 59%, Russians 28.5%, Belarusians 3.8%, Ukrainians 2.5%, Poles 2.4%.
Religions: Lutheran (19.9%), Roman Catholic (21.7%), Russian Orthodox (15.2%).
State language: Latvian (Lettish). Russian also is spoken by most people.
Education: Years compulsory--9. By 1989, 60% of the adult populace had finished high school, and 12% had completed college. Enrollment (2005/2006)--416,221 students in 1, 570 schools (including pre-school establishments) and 131,125 university students. Literacy--99.8%.
Health: Infant mortality rate--9.35/1,000 (2006). Life expectancy (2006)--66.08 yrs. male, 76.85 yrs. female.
Work force (989,000 people): Industry--16.9%; agriculture/forestry--14.9%; trade--14.9%; education--8.9%; transport/communications--8.7%; public administration/defense--6.9%; construction--6.1%; health care/social welfare--6.1%.

Government
Type: Parliamentary democracy.
Constitution: The law "On the Republic of Latvia Status as a State," passed by Parliament on August 21, 1991, provided for the reinstatement of the 1922 constitution.
Branches: Executive--President (head of state), elected by Parliament every 4 years; Prime Minister (head of government). Legislative--Saeima (100-member parliament). Judicial--Supreme Court; Constitutional Court; civil law system.
Administrative regions: 26 "rural" districts and 6 districts in Riga.
Principal political parties: People's Party--23 seats, Greens and Farmers--18 seats, New Era--18 Seats, Alliance of Political Organizations (Harmony Center)--17 seats, Latvia's First Party and Latvian /Latvia's Way Union--10 seats, Fatherland and Freedom--8 seats, For Human Rights in United Latvia--6 seats.
Suffrage: universal adult (18 years of age).
National holidays (2007): 1 January (New Year's Day); 6-9 April (Easter); 1 May (Labor Day); 23-24 June (Midsummer Festival); 18 November (National Day, proclamation of the Republic); 25-26 December (Christmas); 31 December (New Year's Eve).

Economy
GDP (2006): $16.5 billion.
Annual growth rate (2006): 11.9%.
Annual inflation rate (2006): 6.8%.
Unemployment rate (2006): 6.5%.
Per capita Income (2005): $6,587.
Natural resources: Peat, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, timber.
Agriculture/forestry (4.0% of GDP): Products--cattle, dairy foods, cereals, potatoes, timber. Land--2.48 million hectares, of which 75% is arable, 25% meadow and pasture.
Industry (13.1% of GDP): Metalworking, machinery and tools, light electrical equipment and fittings, textiles and footwear, technological instruments, construction materials, processed foods.
Major sectors of the economy: Public services--14.2%; construction--6.3%; energy/water--2.6%; trade--19.9%; transport and communications--15.0%; business services--13.2%; financial services--5.5%; other services--3.9%.
Trade (2005): Exports--$4.87 billion: wood/wood products 24.8%; metals 13.1%, food/food products (including alcohol and tobacco) 12%, machines 9.3%, mineral products 9.2%, textiles 8.6%. Major markets--Lithuania 11%, Estonia 10.8%, Germany 10.2%, U.K. 10.1%, Russia 7.9%, Sweden 7.8%. Imports--$8.2 billion: energy 15.5%, machinery 19.9%, chemicals 8.4%, food/food products 11.6%, metals 9.2%, vehicles 10.7%. Partners--Germany 14.0%, Lithuania 13.7, Russia 8.5%, Estonia 7.9%, Poland 6.4%, Finland 5.9%, Belarus 5.8%, Sweden 5.1%.

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