After a brief period of independence between the two World Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It 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.
Full Name: Republic of Latvia
Area: 64,589 sq km (land: 63,589 sq km, water: 1,000 sq km)
Population: 2,217,969 (July 2010 est.)
Capital City: Riga
People: Latvian 59.3%, Russian 27.8%, Belarusian 3.6%, Ukrainian 2.5%, Polish 2.4%, Lithuanian 1.3%, other 3.1% (2009)
Language: Latvian (official) 58.2%, Russian 37.5%, Lithuanian and other 4.3% (2000 census)
Religion: Lutheran 19.6%, Orthodox 15.3%, other Christian 1%, other 0.4%, unspecified 63.7% (2006)
Government Type: Parliamentary democracy
Chief of State President Valdis ZATLERS (since 8 July 2007)
Head of Government: Prime Minister Valdis DOMBROVSKIS (since 12 March 2009)
GDP: $US 32.22 billion (2009 est.)
GDP per Capita: $US 14,400 (2009 est.)
Inflation: 3.5% (2009 est.)
Unemployment: 17.1% (2009 est.)
Industries: Buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers, agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios, electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; note - dependent on imports for energy and raw materials
Currency: Latvian lat (LVL)
Member of EU: Yes
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