Welcome to Cali Latvia, an informative blog designed to share basic information and news about Latvia.
This online resource was originally created in 2007 by Ioan Elvis Sersea, M.A., M.A.T., aka MaestroSersea, English as a Second Language instructor, who wished to connect his adult English learner students with the wonders of the internet.
Now, in 2011, this website has been revisited and improved with additional news feeds, improved formatting, and a new template, to ensure ease of use and accessibility.
More information can be included here about Latvia, with topics varying from tourism, to culture, to economics, to entertainment. What features would you like added to the Cali Latvia blog?
Do some research using our helpful Latvia page search engine, and add a comment below on what else you'd like featured here on Latvia.
If you need an online translator to conduct your online research on Latvia, you're invited to use our 41-language online translator.
Thank you for visiting,
MaestroSersea
Founder, http://caliworldfriends.info/
Part of Teach Me Help Me Educational Services
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Introduction to Latvia's Background
Introduction ::Latvia
Background:
The name "Latvia" originates from the ancient Latgalians, one of four eastern Baltic tribes that formed 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 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.
The People of Latvia
Population:
2,204,708 (July 2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 141
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 152,706/female 145,756)
15-64 years: 69.5% (male 747,044/female 785,521)
65 years and over: 16.9% (male 121,570/female 252,111) (2011 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.6 years
male: 37.6 years
female: 43.7 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.597% (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 225
Birth rate:
9.96 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 195
Death rate:
13.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 18
Net migration rate:
-2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 170
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: -0.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
RIGA (capital) 711,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.054 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 160
male: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.68 yearscountry comparison to the world: 123
male: 67.56 years
female: 78.07 years (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.32 children born/woman (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 208
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 59
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,600 (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 106
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 76
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian
Ethnic groups:
Latvian 59.3%, Russian 27.8%, Belarusian 3.6%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Polish 2.4%, Lithuanian 1.3%, other 3.1% (2009)
Religions:
Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
Languages:
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 17 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (2007)country comparison to the world: 67
2,204,708 (July 2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 141
Age structure:
0-14 years: 13.5% (male 152,706/female 145,756)
15-64 years: 69.5% (male 747,044/female 785,521)
65 years and over: 16.9% (male 121,570/female 252,111) (2011 est.)
Median age:
total: 40.6 years
male: 37.6 years
female: 43.7 years (2011 est.)
Population growth rate:
-0.597% (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 225
Birth rate:
9.96 births/1,000 population (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 195
Death rate:
13.6 deaths/1,000 population (July 2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 18
Net migration rate:
-2.33 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 170
Urbanization:
urban population: 68% of total population (2010)
rate of urbanization: -0.4% annual rate of change (2010-15 est.)
Major cities - population:
RIGA (capital) 711,000 (2009)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.054 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.95 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.48 male(s)/female
total population: 0.86 male(s)/female (2011 est.)
Infant mortality rate:
total: 8.42 deaths/1,000 live birthscountry comparison to the world: 160
male: 10.2 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 6.53 deaths/1,000 live births (2011 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 72.68 yearscountry comparison to the world: 123
male: 67.56 years
female: 78.07 years (2011 est.)
Total fertility rate:
1.32 children born/woman (2011 est.)country comparison to the world: 208
HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:
0.7% (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 59
HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:
8,600 (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 106
HIV/AIDS - deaths:
fewer than 1,000 (2009 est.)country comparison to the world: 76
Major infectious diseases:
degree of risk: intermediate
food or waterborne diseases: bacterial diarrhea
vectorborne diseases: tickborne encephalitis (2009)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian
Ethnic groups:
Latvian 59.3%, Russian 27.8%, Belarusian 3.6%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Polish 2.4%, Lithuanian 1.3%, other 3.1% (2009)
Religions:
Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
Languages:
Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 99.7%
male: 99.8%
female: 99.7% (2000 census)
School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education):
total: 15 years
male: 14 years
female: 17 years (2008)
Education expenditures:
5% of GDP (2007)country comparison to the world: 67
Latvia Geography Facts
Geography ::Latvia
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 kmcountry comparison to the world: 123
land: 62,249 sq km
water: 2,340 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,382 km
border countries: Belarus 171 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 292 km
Coastline:
498 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain:
low plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m
Natural resources:
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 28.19%
permanent crops: 0.45%
other: 71.36% (2005)
Irrigated land:
200 sq km
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 (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
49.9 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.25 cu km/yr (55%/33%/12%)
per capita: 108 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east
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 kmcountry comparison to the world: 123
land: 62,249 sq km
water: 2,340 sq km
Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,382 km
border countries: Belarus 171 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 292 km
Coastline:
498 km
Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters
Terrain:
low plain
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m
Natural resources:
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 28.19%
permanent crops: 0.45%
other: 71.36% (2005)
Irrigated land:
200 sq km
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 (2003)
Total renewable water resources:
49.9 cu km (2005)
Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.25 cu km/yr (55%/33%/12%)
per capita: 108 cu m/yr (2003)
Natural hazards:
NA
Environment - current issues:
Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010
Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
Geography - note:
most of the country is composed of fertile low-lying plains with some hills in the east
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