Latvia Facts

by countryaah · Published June 3, 2019 · Updated April 26, 2020

Latvia, Baltic state; 64,589 km², 1.9 million residents (2019).Latvia borders in the north to Estonia, in the east to the Russian Federation, in the south to Belarus and Lithuania and in the west to the Baltic Sea. The capital is Riga (641,400 residents, 2017).

Country facts

Latvija’s Republic / Latvia
Country abbreviation: LV
Area: 64 590 km²
Population (2019): 1.9 million residents
Capital: Riga
Main languages: Latvian, Russian
State: Republic
Head of State: Egils Levits (President)
Head of Government: Krisjanis Karins
Per capita GDP (2018): US $ 18,089
GNI per capita (2018): US $ 16,740
Currency unit: euro
Currency code: EUR
Country number (telephony): 371
Internet domain name: lv
Time difference compared to Sweden: +1
National Day: November 18 (Proclamation of the Republic, 1918)

Nature

Land use: forest (54%), agricultural land (30%), other (16%)
Highest mountain: Gaizin̦a (311 m asl)
Longest river: Daugava (1,020 km)

Population

Population density (2019): 29 residents per km²
Natural population growth (2019): −0.5%; birth rate 10 ‰, death rate 15 ‰
Age structure (2019): 0-14 years (16%), 15-64 (64%), 65- (20%)
Life expectancy (2019): men 70 years, women 80 years
Infant mortality (2019): 3 per 1,000 live births
Population forecast 2050: 2 million residents
HDI (2017): 0.847 (place 41 of 189)
Urbanization rate (2017): 69%
Most popular cities (2017): Riga (641,400 residents), Daugavpils (84,600), Liepāja (69,400)

Business

Industry’s contribution to GDP (2017): agriculture (4%), industry (22%), service (74%)
Exports (2017): US $ 12,840 million
Main export products: food, wood products, machinery
Main exporting countries: Lithuania, Russian Federation, Estonia
Imports (2017): US $ 15,790 million
Main import products: machinery, consumer goods, metal
Main importing countries: Lithuania, Germany, Poland
Railway network (2018): 1,860 km

Latvia is mainly a plain with some higher hill areas, among which the Vidzeme heights in the middle part are highest. Among the many rivers that flow into the Baltic Sea, Daugava is marked by the tributary Aiviekste as well as Gauja and Venta. Latvia has in the far west a maritime-influenced, warm-temperate climate, while the eastern, inner parts have a more continental, cold-tempered climate.

The country is a democracy with a president and a parliament. The President is elected under an electoral system by Parliament for a four-year term. The legislative assembly is Parliament, which consists of a chamber of 100 members elected in proportionate elections for a four-year term. Latvia became independent in 1991.

During the 1990s, business was dominated by efforts to return to a market economy. Agriculture and the heavier industrial sectors were faced with a difficult structural transformation. From the mid-1990s, production and investment increased. The service sector has grown strongly, and it now accounts for nearly three-quarters of GDP. The transition to market economy has also led to major economic and regional gaps. The country was hit hard by the international financial crisis of 2008–09. However, after extensive wage cuts in the public and private sectors, the economy has recovered during the 10th century.