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$39.73 billion (2007 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate):

$27.34 billion (2007 est.)

GDP - real growth rate:

10.2% (2007 est.)

GDP - per capita (PPP):

$17,400 (2007 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:

agriculture: 3.3%

industry: 22%

services: 74.7% (2007 est.)

Labor force:

1.167 million (2007 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 13%

industry: 19%

services: 68% (2005 est.)

Unemployment rate:

5.7% (2007 est.)

Population below poverty line:

NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:

lowest 10%: 2.5%

highest 10%: 29.1% (2003)

Distribution of family income - Gini index:

37.7 (2003)

Inflation rate (consumer prices):

10.1% (2007 est.)

Investment (gross fixed):

31.6% of GDP (2007 est.)

Budget:

revenues: $10.47 billion

expenditures: $10.29 billion (2007 est.)

Public debt:

7.4% of GDP (2007 est.)

Agriculture - products:

grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; beef, pork, milk, eggs; fish

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

Industrial production growth rate:

5.4% (2007 est.)

Electricity - production:

4.778 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - production by source:

fossil fuel: 29.1%

hydro: 70.9%

nuclear: 0%

other: 0% (2001)

Electricity - consumption:

6.09 billion kWh (2005)

Electricity - exports:

707 million kWh (2005)

Electricity - imports:

2.855 billion kWh (2005)

Oil - production:

0 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - consumption:

34,000 bbl/day (2005 est.)

Oil - exports:

6,765 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - imports:

39,190 bbl/day (2004)

Oil - proved reserves:

0 bbl (1 January 2006 est.)

Natural gas - production:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - consumption:

1.861 billion cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - exports:

0 cu m (2005 est.)

Natural gas - imports:

1.861 billion cu m (2005)

Current account balance:

-$6.381 billion (2007 est.)

Exports:

$8.143 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Exports - commodities:

wood and wood products, machinery and equipment, metals, textiles, foodstuffs

Exports - partners:

Lithuania 14.2%, Estonia 12.3%, Russia 11.5%, Germany 9.8%, UK 7.6%, Sweden 6.3%, Denmark 4.8% (2006)

Imports:

$14.82 billion f.o.b. (2007 est.)

Imports - commodities:

machinery and equipment, chemicals, fuels, vehicles

Imports - partners:

Germany 15.5%, Lithuania 12.9%, Russia 8%, Estonia 7.7%, Poland 7.2%, Finland 5.7%, Sweden 5%, Belarus 4.7% (2006)

Economic aid - recipient:

$162 million (2004)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold:

$5.758 billion (31 December 2007 est.)

Debt - external:

$33.53 billion (31 December 2007)

Stock of direct foreign investment - at home:

$8.62 billion (2007 est.)

Stock of direct foreign investment - abroad:

$699 million (2007 est.)

Market value of publicly traded shares:

$2.705 billion (2006)

Currency (code):

lat (LVL)

Currency code:

LVL

Exchange rates:

lati per US dollar - 0.5162 (2007), 0.5597 (2006), 0.5647 (2005), 0.5402 (2004), 0.5715 (2003)

Fiscal year:

calendar year

Communications Latvia

Telephones - main lines in use:

657,400 (2006)

Telephones - mobile cellular:

2.184 million (2006)

Telephone system:

general assessment: recent efforts focused on bringing competition to the telecommunications sector; the number of fixed lines is decreasing as wireless telephony expands

domestic: number of telecommunications operators has grown rapidly since the fixed-line market opened to competition in 2003; combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular subscribership is roughly 125 per 100 persons

international: country code - 371; the Latvian network is now connected via fiber optic cable to Estonia, Finland, and Sweden

Radio broadcast stations:

AM 8, FM 56, shortwave 1 (1998)

Radios:

1.76 million (1997)

Television broadcast stations:

44 (plus 31 repeaters) (1995)

Televisions:

1.22 million (1997)

Internet country code:

.lv

Internet hosts:

234,014 (2007)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs):

41 (2001)

Internet users:

1.071 million (2006)

Transportation Latvia

Airports:

42 (2007)

Airports - with paved runways:

total: 21

2,438 to 3,047 m: 7

1,524 to 2,437 m: 3

914 to 1,523 m: 2

under 914 m: 9 (2007)

Airports - with unpaved runways:

total: 21

914 to 1,523 m: 1

under 914 m: 20 (2007)

Pipelines:

gas 948 km; oil 82 km; refined products 415 km (2007)

Railways:

total: 2,303 km

broad gauge: 2,270 km 1.520-m gauge (257 km electrified)

narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (2006)

Roadways:

total: 69,829 km

paved: 69,829 km (2005)

Waterways:

300 km (2006)

Merchant marine:

total: 22 ships (1000 GRT or over) 201,684 GRT/221,186 DWT

by type: cargo 9, liquefied gas 2, passenger/cargo 4, petroleum tanker 5, roll on/roll off 2

foreign-owned: 1 (Estonia 1)

registered in other countries: 122 (Antigua and Barbuda 9, Belize 14, Cambodia 2, Cyprus 1, Dominica 2, Jamaica 2, Liberia 15, Malta 36, Marshall Islands 10, Panama 5, Russia 2, St Kitts and Nevis 4, St Vincent and The Grenadines 20) (2007)

Ports and terminals:

Riga, Ventspils

Military Latvia

Military branches:

Latvian Republic Defense Force: Ground Forces, Navy (Latvijas Juras Speki; includes Coast Guard (Latvijas Kara Flotes)), Latvian Air Force (Latvijas Gaisa Speki), Border Guard, Latvian Home Guard (Latvijas Zemessardze) (2008)

Military service age and obligation:

18 years of age for voluntary military service; conscription abolished January 2007; under current law, every citizen is entitled to serve in the armed forces for life (2006)

Manpower available for military service:

males age 16-49: 568,683

females age 16-49: 565,826 (2008 est.)

Manpower fit for military service:

males age 16-49: 412,849

females age 16-49: 468,827 (2008 est.)

Manpower reaching militarily significant age annually:

males age 16-49: 14,506

females age 16-49: 13,982 (2008 est.)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:

1.2% (2005 est.)

Transnational Issues Latvia

Disputes - international:

Russia refuses to sign the 1997 boundary treaty due to Latvian insistence on a unilateral clarificatory declaration referencing Soviet occupation of Latvia and territorial losses; Russia demands better Latvian treatment of ethnic Russians in Latvia; as of January 2007, ground demarcation of the boundary with Belarus was complete and mapped with final ratification documentation in preparation; the Latvian parliament has not ratified its 1998 maritime boundary treaty with Lithuania, primarily due to concerns over oil exploration rights; as a member state that forms part of the EU's external border, Latvia has implemented the strict Schengen border rules with Russia

Illicit drugs:

transshipment and destination point for cocaine, synthetic drugs, opiates, and cannabis from Southwest Asia, Western Europe, Latin America, and neighboring Balkan countries; despite improved legislation, vulnerable to money laundering due to nascent enforcement capabilities and comparatively weak regulation of offshore companies and the gaming industry; CIS organized crime (including counterfeiting, corruption, extortion, stolen cars, and prostitution) accounts for most laundered proceeds

This page was last updated on 15 July, 2008

The World Factbook

Lebanon

Introduction Lebanon

Background:

Following the capture of Syria from the Ottoman Empire by Anglo-French forces in 1918, France received a mandate over this territory and separated out the region of Lebanon in 1920. France granted this area independence in 1943. A lengthy civil war (1975-1990) devastated the country, but Lebanon has since made progress toward rebuilding its political institutions. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint for national reconciliation - the Lebanese established a more equitable political system, particularly by giving Muslims a greater voice in the political process while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since the end of the war, Lebanon has conducted several successful elections. Most militias have been disbanded, and the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) have extended authority over about two-thirds of the country. Hizballah, a radical Shi'a organization listed by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, retains its weapons. During Lebanon's civil war, the Arab League legitimized in the Ta'if Accord Syria's troop deployment, numbering about 16,000 based mainly east of Beirut and in the Bekaa Valley. Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in May 2000 and the passage in October 2004 of UNSCR 1559 - a resolution calling for Syria to withdraw from Lebanon and end its interference in Lebanese affairs - encouraged some Lebanese groups to demand that Syria withdraw its forces as well. The assassination of former Prime Minister Rafiq HARIRI and 20 others in February 2005 led to massive demonstrations in Beirut against the Syrian presence ("the Cedar Revolution"), and Syria withdrew the remainder of its military forces in April 2005. In May-June 2005, Lebanon held its first legislative elections since the end of the civil war free of foreign interference, handing a majority to the bloc led by Saad HARIRI, the slain prime minister's son. Lebanon continues to be plagued by violence - Hizballah kidnapped two Israeli soldiers in July 2006 leading to a 34-day conflict with Israel. The LAF in May-September 2007 battled Sunni extremist group Fatah al-Islam in the Nahr al-Barid Palestinian refugee camp; and the country has witnessed a string of politically motivated assassinations since the death of Rafiq HARIRI. Lebanese politicians in November 2007 were unable to agree on a successor to Emile LAHUD when he stepped down as president, creating a political vacuum.

Geography Lebanon

Location:

Middle East, bordering the Mediterranean Sea, between Israel and Syria

Geographic coordinates:

33 50 N, 35 50 E

Map references:

Middle East

Area:

total: 10,400 sq km

land: 10,230 sq km

water: 170 sq km

Area - comparative:

about 0.7 times the size of Connecticut

Land boundaries:

total: 454 km

border countries: Israel 79 km, Syria 375 km

Coastline:

225 km

Maritime claims:

territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:

Mediterranean; mild to cool, wet winters with hot, dry summers; Lebanon mountains experience heavy winter snows

Terrain:

narrow coastal plain; El Beqaa (Bekaa Valley) separates Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains

Elevation extremes:

lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m

highest point: Qurnat as Sawda' 3,088 m

Natural resources:

limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a water-deficit region, arable land

Land use:

arable land: 16.35%

permanent crops: 13.75%

other: 69.9% (2005)

Irrigated land:

1,040 sq km (2003)

Total renewable water resources:

4.8 cu km (1997)

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic / industrial / agricultural):

total: 1.38 cu km/yr (33%/1%/67%)

per capita: 385 cu m/yr (2000)

Natural hazards:

dust storms, sandstorms

Environment - current issues:

deforestation; soil erosion; desertification; air pollution in Beirut from vehicular traffic and the burning of industrial wastes; pollution of coastal waters from raw sewage and oil spills

Environment - international agreements:

party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note:

Nahr el Litani is the only major river in Near East not crossing an international boundary; rugged terrain historically helped isolate, protect, and develop numerous factional groups based on religion, clan, and ethnicity

People Lebanon

Population:

3,971,941 (July 2008 est.)

Age structure:

0-14 years: 26% (male 526,994/female 505,894)

15-64 years: 66.8% (male 1,275,021/female 1,380,131)

65 years and over: 7.1% (male 128,002/female 155,899) (2008 est.)

Median age:

total: 28.8 years

male: 27.6 years

female: 30 years (2008 est.)

Population growth rate:

1.154% (2008 est.)

Birth rate:

17.61 births/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Death rate:

6.06 deaths/1,000 population (2008 est.)

Net migration rate:

NA

Sex ratio:

at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female

under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female

15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female

65 years and over: 0.82 male(s)/female

total population: 0.95 male(s)/female (2008 est.)

Infant mortality rate:

total: 22.59 deaths/1,000 live births

male: 25.08 deaths/1,000 live births

female: 19.97 deaths/1,000 live births (2008 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:

total population: 73.41 years

male: 70.91 years

female: 76.04 years (2008 est.)

Total fertility rate:

1.87 children born/woman (2008 est.)

HIV/AIDS - adult prevalence rate:

0.1% (2001 est.)

HIV/AIDS - people living with HIV/AIDS:

2,800 (2003 est.)

HIV/AIDS - deaths:

fewer than 200 (2003 est.)

Nationality:

noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)

adjective: Lebanese

Ethnic groups:

Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%

note: many Christian Lebanese do not identify themselves as Arab but rather as descendents of the ancient Canaanites and prefer to be called Phoenicians

Religions:

Muslim 59.7% (Shi'a, Sunni, Druze, Isma'ilite, Alawite or Nusayri), Christian 39% (Maronite Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Melkite Catholic, Armenian Orthodox, Syrian Catholic, Armenian Catholic, Syrian Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Chaldean, Assyrian, Copt, Protestant), other 1.3%

note: 17 religious sects recognized

Languages:

Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian

Literacy:

definition: age 15 and over can read and write

total population: 87.4%

male: 93.1%

female: 82.2% (2003 est.)

Government Lebanon

Country name:

conventional long form: Lebanese Republic