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Working Life Barometer in the Baltic Countries 2002 (pdf) - mol.fi

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LATVIA<br />

Jevg_nija Sviridenkova<br />

Senior Desk Of<strong>fi</strong>cer of Public Sector Pay Division<br />

Economy Analysis and Fiscal Policy Department, M<strong>in</strong>istry of F<strong>in</strong>ance<br />

BASIC FACTS ABOUT LATVIA<br />

Location: Eastern Europe, border<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> <strong>Baltic</strong> Sea, between Estonia and<br />

Lithuania<br />

Capital: Riga<br />

Area: total: 64,589 sq km<br />

water: 1,000 sq km<br />

land: 63,589 sq km<br />

Land boundaries: total: 1,150 km<br />

border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania<br />

453 km, Russia 217 km<br />

Natural resources: peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, wood, arable land,<br />

m<strong>in</strong>imal; amber<br />

Population: 2,366,515 (July <strong>2002</strong>)<br />

Population growth -0.77% (July <strong>2002</strong>)<br />

rate:<br />

<strong>Life</strong> expectancy at<br />

birth:<br />

22<br />

total population: 69 years<br />

female: 75.17 years (July <strong>2002</strong>)<br />

male: 63.13 years<br />

Ethnic groups: Latvian 57.7%, Russian 29.6%, Belarusian 4.1%, Ukra<strong>in</strong>ian<br />

2.7%, Polish 2.5%, Lithuanian 1.4%, o<strong>the</strong>r 2%<br />

Religions: Lu<strong>the</strong>ran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox<br />

Languages: Latvian (of<strong>fi</strong>cial), Lithuanian, Russian, o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

Government type: Parliamentary democracy<br />

Independence: 21 August 1991<br />

Constitution: <strong>the</strong> 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements <strong>the</strong> 1922<br />

constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms<br />

Legal system: based on civil law system<br />

Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens<br />

Executive branch: chief of state: President Vaira VIKE-FREIBERGA (s<strong>in</strong>ce 8 July<br />

1999)<br />

head of government: Prime M<strong>in</strong>ister E<strong>in</strong>ars REP_E (s<strong>in</strong>ce 7<br />

November <strong>2002</strong>)<br />

cab<strong>in</strong>et: Council of M<strong>in</strong>isters nom<strong>in</strong>ated by <strong>the</strong> prime m<strong>in</strong>ister<br />

and appo<strong>in</strong>ted by <strong>the</strong> Parliament<br />

elections: president elected by Parliament for a four-year term<br />

Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats; members are elected<br />

by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms)

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