Head of state: Queen Elizabeth II, represented by a governor-general Prime minister: Baldwin Spencer
President : Andris Berzins
Population
89,018
2,191,580
Life Expectancy
75.690 years
72.930 years
Capital City
Saint John's
Riga
Largest city
Saint John's (population: 24,226)
Riga (population: 742,572)
Human Development Index
0.83
0.863
GDP per capita
$18,200 US
$15,900 US
Literacy Rate
85.8%
99.7%
Corruption Perception Index
NA
5
Percentage of Women in Parliament
16.7%
20%
Wealthiest Citizens
Unemployment Rate
11.000%
15.400%
Death Penalty
Legal
Abolished except for special circumstances
Political System
constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary system of government
parliamentary democracy
Independence date
1 November 1981 (from UK)
18 November 1918 (from Soviet Russia)
Religions
Anglican 25.7%, Seventh Day Adventist 12.3%, Pentecostal 10.6%, Moravian 10.5%, Roman Catholic 10.4%, Methodist 7.9%, Baptist 4.9%, Church of God 4.5%, other Christian 5.4%, other 2%, none or unspecified 5.8% (2001 census)
Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
Languages
English (official), local dialects
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Exports
petroleum products, bedding, handicrafts, electronic components, transport equipment, food and live animals
wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs
External Debt
$359,800,000 $
$38,370,000,000 US
Exchange Rate
East Caribbean dollars (XCD) per US dollar - 2.7 (2007), 2.7 (2006), 2.7 (2005), 2.7 (2004), 2.7 (2003) note: fixed rate since 1976
lati (LVL) per US dollar - 0.4701 (2008 est.), 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006), 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004)
Military Budget as percentage of GDP
0.500%
1.100%
Beijing Olympics Medal Count
0
3
Location
Caribbean, islands between the Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, east-southeast of Puerto Rico
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Area
443 km sq
64,589 km sq
Coastline
153 km
498 km
Climate
tropical maritime; little seasonal temperature variation
