GDP-real growth rate: 1.5% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$1,150 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 56%
industry: 19%
services: 25% (1997 est.)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 16% (1997 est.)
Labor force: 1 million-1.5 million
by occupation: agriculture 80% (1997 est.)
Unemployment rate: 1.7% overall; 4.5% in urban areas (1995 est.)
Budget:
revenues: $230.2 million
expenditures: $365.9 million, including capital expenditures of $317
million (1996)
Industries: tin and gypsum mining, timber, electric power,
agricultural processing, construction, garments
Industrial production growth rate: NA%
Electricity-capacity: 217,000 kW (1997)
Electricity-production: 1.2 billion kWh (1996)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 60 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: sweet potatoes, vegetables, corn, coffee,
sugarcane, cotton; water buffalo, pigs, cattle, poultry; tobacco
Exports:
total value: $313.1 million (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: wood products, garments, electricity, coffee, tin
partners: Vietnam, Thailand, Germany, France
Imports:
total value: $678 million (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: machinery and equipment, vehicles, fuel
partners: Thailand, Japan, Vietnam, China, Singapore
Debt-external: $1.2 billion (1996)
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $212.2 million
Currency: 1 new kip (NK) = 100 at
Exchange rates: new kips (NK) per US$1-2,500 (January 1998), 1,256.73
(1997), 921.14 (1996), 804.69 (1995), 717.67 (1994), 716.25 (1993)
note: as of September 1995, a floating exchange rate policy was
adopted
Fiscal year: 1 October-30 September
Communications
Telephones: 19,333 (1996)
Telephone system: service to general public is poor but improving,
with over 19,000 telephones currently in service and 86,000 expected
to be installed by 2000; the government relies on a radiotelephone
network to communicate with remote areas
domestic: radiotelephone communications
international: satellite earth station-1 Intersputnik (Indian Ocean
Region)
Radio broadcast stations: AM 10, FM 0, shortwave 0
Radios: 560,000 (1992 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 2
Televisions: 32,000 (1993 est.)
@Laos:Transportation
Railways: 0 km
Highways:
total: 22,321 km
paved: 3,502 km
unpaved: 18,819 km (1997 est.)
Waterways: about 4,587 km, primarily Mekong and tributaries; 2,897
additional kilometers are sectionally navigable by craft drawing less
than 0.5 m
Pipelines: petroleum products 136 km
Ports and harbors: none
Merchant marine:
total: 1 cargo ship (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 2,370 GRT/3,000 DWT
(1997 est.)
Airports: 52 (1997 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 9
over 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 5
914 to 1,523 m: 3 (1997 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 43
1,524 to 2,437 m: 1
914 to 1,523 m: 17
under 914 m: 25 (1997 est.)
@Laos:Military
Military branches: Lao People's Army (LPA; includes militia element),
Lao People's Navy (LPN; includes riverine element), Air Force,
National Police Department
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 1,161,497 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 626,880 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 55,903 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: $105 million (FY92/93)
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 8.1% (FY92/93)
@Laos:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: parts of the border with Thailand are
indefinite
Illicit drugs: world's third largest opium producer (cultivation in
1997-28,150 hectares, an 11% increase over 1996; potential
production-210 metric tons, a 5% increase over 1996); heroin producer;
transshipment point for heroin and amphetamines produced in Burma;
illicit producer of cannabis
______________________________________________________________________
LATVIA
@Latvia:Geography
Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia
and Lithuania
Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references: Europe
Area:
total: 64,100 sq km
land: 64,100 sq km
water: 0 sq km
Area-comparative: slightly larger than West Virginia
Land boundaries:
total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km,
Russia 217 km
Coastline: 531 km
Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 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: Gaizinkalns 312 m
Natural resources: minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite
Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 0%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 46%
other: 14% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1993 est.)
Natural hazards: NA
Environment-current issues: air and water pollution because of a lack
of waste conversion equipment; Gulf of Riga and Daugava River heavily
polluted; contamination of soil and groundwater with chemicals and
petroleum products at military bases
Environment-international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous
Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
@Latvia:People
Population: 2,385,396 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 19% (male 227,634; female 218,321)
15-64 years: 66% (male 754,416; female 829,801)
65 years and over: 15% (male 113,925; female 241,299) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: -1.41% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 8.14 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 15.78 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: -6.47 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.47 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 17.44 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 67.11 years
male: 61.02 years
female: 73.5 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 1.2 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Latvian(s)
adjective: Latvian
Ethnic groups: Latvian 56.5%, Russian 30.4%, Byelorussian 4.3%,
Ukrainian 2.8%, Polish 2.6%, other 3.4%
Religions: Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Russian Orthodox
Languages: Lettish (official), Lithuanian, Russian, other
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 100%
male: 100%
female: 99% (1989 est.)
@Latvia:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Republic of Latvia
conventional short form: Latvia
local long form: Latvijas Republika
local short form: Latvija
former: Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic
Data code: LG
Government type: parliamentary democracy
National capital: Riga
Administrative divisions: 26 counties (singular-rajons) and 7
municipalities*: Aizkraukles Rajons, Aluksnes Rajons, Balvu Rajons,
Bauskas Rajons, Cesu Rajons, Daugavpils*, Daugavpils Rajons, Dobeles
Rajons, Gulbenes Rajons, Jekabpils Rajons, Jelgava*, Jelgavas Rajons,
Jurmala*, Kraslavas Rajons, Kuldigas Rajons, Leipaja*, Liepajas
Rajons, Limbazu Rajons, Ludzas Rajons, Madonas Rajons, Ogres Rajons,
Preilu Rajons, Rezekne*, Rezeknes Rajons, Riga*, Rigas Rajons, Saldus
Rajons, Talsu Rajons, Tukuma Rajons, Valkas Rajons, Valmieras Rajons,
Ventspils*, Ventspils Rajons
Independence: 6 September 1991 (from Soviet Union)
National holiday: Independence Day, 18 November (1918)
Constitution: the 1991 Constitutional Law which supplements the 1922
constitution, provides for basic rights and freedoms
Legal system: based on civil law system
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal for Latvian citizens
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Guntis ULMANIS (since 7 July 1993)
head of government: Prime Minister Guntars KRASTS (since 7 August
1997)
cabinet: Council of Ministers nominated by the prime minister and
appointed by the Parliament
elections: president elected by Parliament for a three-year term;
election last held 18 June 1996 (next to be held by NA June 1999);
prime minister appointed by the president
election results: Guntis ULMANIS elected president in the first round
of balloting; percent of parliamentary vote-Guntis ULMANIS 53%, Ilga
KREITUSE 25%
Legislative branch: unicameral Parliament or Saeima (100 seats;
members are elected by direct popular vote to serve three-year terms)
elections: last held 30 September-1 October 1995 (next to be held 3
October 1998)
election results: percent of vote by party-Saimnieks 18%, LC 17%, For
Latvia 16%, TB 14%, LNNK 8%, Unity 8%, LSZ/LKDS 7%, Harmony 6%,
Socialist 6%; seats by party - Saimnieks 18, LC 17, For Latvia 16, TB
14, LNNK 8, Unity 8, LSZ/LKDS 7, Harmony 6, Socialist 6
Judicial branch: Supreme Court, judges' appointments are confirmed by
the Parliament
Political parties and leaders: Democratic Party "Saimnieks" or DPS
[Ziedonis CEVERS, chairman]; Latvia's Way or LC [Andrei PANTELEJEVS];
Popular Movement For Latvia or TKL [Joachim SIEGERIST]; For Fatherland
and Freedom or TVB [Maris GRINBLATS], merged with LNNK; Latvian Unity
Party or LVP [Alberis KAULS]; Latvian National Conservative Party or
LNNK [Andrejs KRASTINS]; Green Party or LZP [Olegs BATAREVSK]; Latvian
Farmers Union or LZS [Andris ROZENTALS]; Christian Democrat Union or
LKDS [Talavs JUNDZIS]; National Harmony Party or TSP [Janis JURKANS];
Latvian Socialist Party or LSP [Sergejs DIAMANIS]; Latvian Liberal
Party or LLP [J. DANOSS]; Political Association of the Underprivileged
or MPA [B. PELSE, V. DIMANTS, J. KALNINS]; Latvian Democratic Labor
Party or LDDP [J. BOJARS]; Party of Russian Citizens or LKPP [V.
SOROCHIN, V. IVANOV]; Christian People's Party or KTP (formerly
Peoples Front of Latvia or LTF) [Uldis AUGSTKALNS]; Political Union of
Economists or TPA [Edvins KIDE]; Latvian National Democratic Party or
LNDP [A. MALINS]; "Our Land" or MZ [M. DAMBEKALNE]; Anticommunist
Union or PA [P. MUCENIEKS]; Latvian Social-Democratic Workers Party or
LSDSP [Janis DINEVICS]; Party for the Defense of Latvia's Defrauded
People; Latvian Independence Party or LNP [Valdis KONOVALOVS]
note: former Prime Minister Andris SKELE announced 18 December 1997
that he is forming a new, as yet unnamed, party
International organization participation: BIS, CBSS, CCC, CE, EAPC,
EBRD, ECE, EU (applicant), FAO, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFC, IFRCS,
ILO, IMF, IMO, Intelsat (nonsignatory user), Interpol, IOC, IOM
(observer), ISO (correspondent), ITU, OSCE, PFP, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO,
UNIDO, UPU, WEU (associate partner), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO (applicant)
Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Ojars Eriks KALNINS
chancery: 4325 17th Street NW, Washington, DC 20011
telephone: [1] (202) 726-8213, 8214
FAX: [1] (202) 726-6785
Diplomatic representation from the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Larry C. NAPPER
embassy: Raina Boulevard 7, LV-1510, Riga
mailing address: American Embassy, Riga, PSC 78, Box R, APO AE 09723
telephone: [371] (2) 210-0005, 782-0046
FAX: [371] (2) 722-6530, 782-0047
Flag description: three horizontal bands of maroon (top), white
(half-width), and maroon
@Latvia:Economy
Economy-overview: In 1997 Latvia scored the most impressive economic
achievements since independence in 1991, with GDP growing by 6% and
inflation at 7.4%. GDP is expected to grow 5% in 1998 and inflation to
range between 6% and 7%. In 1997 Latvia continued its strict fiscal
policy and apparently ended the year with a small fiscal surplus,
reflecting higher-than-expected income from customs revenues, excise
and business taxes, and restraints on government spending. Foreign
direct investment (FDI) in 1997 was a record $880 million by yearend.
Prospects for increasing FDI in 1998 are good if Latvia privatizes at
least some of its large companies, including Venspils Nafta (the state
oil company). Although Latvia was disappointed that it was not
included among the five Central and East European states invited to
start EU accession talks in spring 1998, it is likely to join the WTrO
in 1998. Latvia's growing current account and trade deficits remain a
cause for concern, reaching nearly 10% by yearend. Latvia's trade
deficit may even reach 22% of GDP in 1998.
GDP: purchasing power parity-$10.4 billion (1997 est.)
GDP-real growth rate: 6% (1997 est.)
GDP-per capita: purchasing power parity-$4,260 (1997 est.)
GDP-composition by sector:
agriculture: 9%
industry: 34%
services: 57% (1995)
Inflation rate-consumer price index: 7.4% (1997 est.)
Labor force:
total: 1.4 million (1997)
by occupation: industry 41%, agriculture and forestry 16%, services
43% (1990)
Unemployment rate: 7% (1996)
Budget:
revenues: $NA
expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA
Industries: buses, vans, street and railroad cars, synthetic fibers,
agricultural machinery, fertilizers, washing machines, radios,
electronics, pharmaceuticals, processed foods, textiles; dependent on
imports for energy, raw materials, and intermediate products
Industrial production growth rate: 2% (1996 est.)
Electricity-capacity: 2.035 million kW (1995)
Electricity-production: 4.095 billion kWh (1995)
Electricity-consumption per capita: 2,300 kWh (1995)
Agriculture-products: grain, sugar beets, potatoes, vegetables; meat,
milk, eggs; fish
Exports:
total value: $1.4 billion (f.o.b., 1996)
commodities: wood and wood products, textiles, foodstuffs
partners: Russia, other CIS, Germany, Sweden, UK
Imports:
total value: $2.3 billion (c.i.f., 1996)
commodities: fuels, machinery and equipment, chemicals
partners: Russia, other CIS, Germany, Sweden, UK, Finland
Debt-external: $NA
Economic aid:
recipient: ODA, $122 million (1993)
note: commitments from the West and international institutions, $525
million (1992-95)
Currency: 1 Latvian lat (LVL) = 100 santims; introduced NA March 1993
Exchange rates: lats (LVL) per US$1-0.595 (January 1998), 0.581
(1997), 0.551 (1996), 0.528 (1995), 0.560 (1994), 0.675 (1993)
Fiscal year: calendar year
Communications
Telephones: 660,000 (1993 est.)
Telephone system: service is better than in most of the other former
Soviet republics
domestic: an NMT-450 analog cellular telephone network covers 75% of
Latvia's population
international: international traffic carried by leased connection to
the Moscow international gateway switch, through the new Ericsson
digital telephone exchange in Riga, and through the Finnish cellular
net; Sprint data network carries electronic mail
Radio broadcast stations: 25 (unknown type)
Radios: 1.4 million (1993 est.)
Television broadcast stations: 30
Televisions: 1.1 million (1993 est.)
@Latvia:Transportation
Railways:
total: 2,412 km
broad gauge: 2,379 km 1.520-m gauge (271 km electrified) (1992)
narrow gauge: 33 km 0.750-m gauge (1994)
Highways:
total: 60,046 km
paved: 22,998 km
unpaved: 37,048 km (1995 est.)
Waterways: 300 km perennially navigable
Pipelines: crude oil 750 km; refined products 780 km; natural gas 560
km (1992)
Ports and harbors: Daugavpils, Liepaja, Riga, Ventspils
Merchant marine:
total: 24 ships (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 293,799 GRT/440,575 DWT
ships by type: cargo 2, oil tanker 18, refrigerated cargo 4 (1997
est.)
Airports: 50 (1994 est.)
Airports-with paved runways:
total: 36
2,438 to 3,047 m: 6
1,524 to 2,437 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 1
under 914 m: 27 (1994 est.)
Airports-with unpaved runways:
total: 14
2,438 to 3,047 m: 2
914 to 1,523 m: 2
under 914 m: 10 (1994 est.)
@Latvia:Military
Military branches: Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces,
Security Forces, Border Guard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)
Military manpower-military age: 18 years of age
Military manpower-availability:
males age 15-49: 569,745 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-fit for military service:
males: 446,562 (1998 est.)
Military manpower-reaching military age annually:
males: 16,594 (1998 est.)
Military expenditures-dollar figure: 176 million rubles (1994);
note-conversion of defense expenditures into US dollars using the
prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results
Military expenditures-percent of GDP: 3% to 5% (1994)
@Latvia:Transnational Issues
Disputes-international: based on the 1920 Treaty of Riga, Latvia had
claimed the Abrene/Pytalovo section of border ceded by the Latvian
Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944; draft treaty delimiting
the boundary with Russia has not been signed; ongoing talks over
boundary dispute with Lithuania (primary concern is oil exploration
rights)
Illicit drugs: transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from
Southwest Asia and cocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and
Scandinavia; produces illicit amphetamines for export
______________________________________________________________________
LEBANON
Introduction
Current issues: Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its
political institutions and regaining its national sovereignty since
the end of the devastating 16-year civil war, which began in 1975.
Under the Ta'if Accord-the blueprint for national reconciliation-the
Lebanese have established a more equitable political system,
particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process
while institutionalizing sectarian divisions in the government. Since
the end of the civil war, the Lebanese have formed five cabinets and
conducted two legislative elections. Most of the militias have been
weakened or disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized vast
quantities of weapons used by the militias during the war and extended
central government authority over about one-half of the country.
Hizballah, the radical Shi'a party, retains most of its weapons.
Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon. Israel maintains troops
in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxy militia, the Army
of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territory contiguous
to its border. The ASL's enclave encompasses this self-declared
security zone and about 20 kilometers north to the strategic town of
Jazzin. Syria maintains about 25,000 troops in Lebanon. These troops
are based mainly in Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley.
Syria's deployment was legitimized by the Arab League during Lebanon's
civil war and in the Ta'if accord. Citing the continued weakness of
the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the Lebanese Government to
implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if accord,
Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.
@Lebanon:Geography
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; Al Biqa' (Bekaa Valley) separates
Lebanon and Anti-Lebanon Mountains
Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Mediterranean Sea 0 m
highest point: Jabal al Makmal 3,087 m
Natural resources: limestone, iron ore, salt, water-surplus state in a
water-deficit region
Land use:
arable land: 21%
permanent crops: 9%
permanent pastures: 1%
forests and woodland: 8%
other: 61% (1993 est.)
Irrigated land: 860 sq km (1993 est.)
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, Desertification, Hazardous
Wastes, Law of the Sea, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship
Pollution
signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Marine Dumping,
Marine Life Conservation
Geography-note: Nahr al Litani 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
@Lebanon:People
Population: 3,505,794 (July 1998 est.)
Age structure:
0-14 years: 30% (male 532,688; female 512,979)
15-64 years: 64% (male 1,060,903; female 1,174,236)
65 years and over: 6% (male 102,946; female 122,042) (July 1998 est.)
Population growth rate: 1.62% (1998 est.)
Birth rate: 22.66 births/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Death rate: 6.51 deaths/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Net migration rate: 0 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1998 est.)
Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.9 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.84 male(s)/female (1998 est.)
Infant mortality rate: 31.64 deaths/1,000 live births (1998 est.)
Life expectancy at birth:
total population: 70.64 years
male: 68.08 years
female: 73.33 years (1998 est.)
Total fertility rate: 2.28 children born/woman (1998 est.)
Nationality:
noun: Lebanese (singular and plural)
adjective: Lebanese
Ethnic groups: Arab 95%, Armenian 4%, other 1%
Religions: Islam 70% (5 legally recognized Islamic groups-Alawite or
Nusayri, Druze, Isma'ilite, Shi'a, Sunni), Christian 30% (11 legally
recognized Christian groups-4 Orthodox Christian, 6 Catholic, 1
Protestant), Judaism NEGL%
Languages: Arabic (official), French, English, Armenian widely
understood
Literacy:
definition: age 15 and over can read and write
total population: 86.4%
male: 90.8%
female: 82.2% (1997 est.)
@Lebanon:Government
Country name:
conventional long form: Lebanese Republic
conventional short form: Lebanon
local long form: Al Jumhuriyah al Lubnaniyah
local short form: Lubnan
Data code: LE
Government type: republic
National capital: Beirut
Administrative divisions: 5 governorates (muhafazat,
singular-muhafazah); Al Biqa', Al Janub, Ash Shamal, Bayrut, Jabal
Lubnan
Independence: 22 November 1943 (from League of Nations mandate under
French administration)
National holiday: Independence Day, 22 November (1943)
Constitution: 23 May 1926, amended a number of times
Legal system: mixture of Ottoman law, canon law, Napoleonic code, and
civil law; no judicial review of legislative acts; has not accepted
compulsory ICJ jurisdiction
Suffrage: 21 years of age; compulsory for all males; authorized for
women at age 21 with elementary education
Executive branch:
chief of state: President Ilyas HARAWI (since 24 November 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Rafiq al-HARIRI (since 22 October
1992)
cabinet: Cabinet chosen by the prime minister in consultation with the
members of the National Assembly; the current Cabinet was formed in
1996
elections: president elected by the National Assembly for a six-year
term; election last held 24 November 1989 (next to be held NA 1998);
note-in 1995, the National Assembly amended the constitution to extend
the president's term by three years; prime minister and deputy prime
minister appointed by the president in consultation with the National
Assembly; by custom, the president is a Maronite Christian, the prime
minister is a Sunni Muslim, and the speaker of the legislature is a
Shi'a Muslim
election results: Ilyas HARAWI elected president; percent of National
Assembly vote - NA