Latvia - education
Immediately after independence, new education legislation was passed in 1991,
based partly on the country's 1922 constitution and partly on the desire to
break with the massive Soviet-era Russification of Latvian education. However,
the Russian minority in the country, like similar groups, has the right to
education in their own mother tongue.
The education system, which is based on a nine-year compulsory schooling,
comprises a three-year pre-school, which is applied for by approximately 38% (1994), a
four-year primary school and a five-year primary school. This is followed by
either a three-year general secondary school or vocational training lasting two
to five years; these youth educations are completed by approximately 80%. The five
state universities and the other higher education institutions, which in total
are sought by approximately 1.5% of the population, gained considerable autonomy in
the 1990's, just as several private higher education institutions have been
established.
OFFICIAL NAME: Republic of Latvia
CAPITAL CITY: Riga
POPULATION: 2,068,000 (Source: COUNTRYaah)
AREA: 64,589 km²
OFFICIAL LANGUAGE (S): Latvian, Lithuanian, Russian, Belarusian, Ukrainian, others
RELIGION: Protestants 17%, Catholics 15%, Russian Orthodox 8%, Jews 1%, others 59%
COIN: euro (EUR)
ENGLISH NAME: Latvia
INDEPENDENCE: 1918/1991
POPULATION COMPOSITION: lighter 59%, Russians 29%, Belarusians 4%, Ukrainians 3%, Poles 2%,
Lithuanians 1%, others 2%
GDP PER residents: 5023 USD (2007)
LIFE EXPECTANCY: men 66 years, women 78 years (2007)
INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, HDI: 0.845
INDEX OF LIVING CONDITIONS, POSITION: 4
INTERNET DOMAIN NAME: .lv
According to DIGOPAUL, Latvia
is a Baltic Republic. Latvia is the middle of the three Baltic countries
that regained independence in connection with the dissolution of the Soviet
Union in 1991. Slavic-speaking minorities, mostly Russians, make up over a third
of the population and control a significant part of private business. Despite
the reorientation to the west, the neighborhood with Russia remains an important
economic and political factor. Latvian language is related to Lithuanian.
- AbbreviationFinder.org: Find two-letter abbreviation for each
independent country and territory, such as LV which stands for Latvia.
Latvia - Constitution
Latvia is a democratic, parliamentary republic. The constitution dates from
1922. It was restored in 1993 and amended in 1997.
Legislative power lies with the parliament, Saeima. It has 100
members elected in direct elections according to the ratio method for a
four-year period. There is a blocking limit of 5%. All Latvian citizens over the
age of 18 have the right to vote. In order to meet the strong international
criticism of the exclusion of the Russian minority, it was agreed in 1998 that
everyone born in Latvia after 1991 should have the right to vote.
The executive power rests with a president who is the head of state. The
president is elected by parliament by secret ballot for four years and cannot be
re-elected immediately. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President and
must be approved by Parliament. The other members of the government are elected
by the Prime Minister.
Latvia - economy
After the annexation of the Baltic states by the Soviet Union in 1940, Latvia
became part of the Soviet planned economy.. Relatively large and advanced
industries were established in the country, primarily due to its relatively
well-developed infrastructure. Latvia, which in the interwar years was highly
integrated into the world economy, then became totally dependent on the Soviet
Union, and economic and political relations with the rest of the world were
reduced to a minimum. When Latvia regained its independence in 1991, a market
reform program was launched, which, in addition to the gradual privatization of
state-owned enterprises, entailed a rapid liberalization of trade and
prices. The transition to a market economy combined with the collapse of the
Soviet Union resulted in a dramatic decline in GDP, hyperinflation and high
unemployment. As part of the monetary stabilization of the economy, in 1992
Latvia introduced a parallel currency to the Russian ruble,lat. In
1994, the latency was tied to SDR (Special Drawing Rights), the World Bank's
currency basket. Shortly afterwards, the currency was made freely exchangeable
for commercial transactions. Inflation has since been brought under control; it
was as low as 1.4% in 2002, but rose to approximately 7% in 2004-05.
In 1994, the country experienced economic progress for the first time since
the system change, but a deep crisis in the financial sector, where the
largest bank in the Baltics went bankrupt, leading to a new decline in GDP the
following year. The crisis led to a strengthening of supervision of the
financial sector and a significant reduction in the number of banks. Economic
policy has generally been tightened since 1995, and public finances are also
fairly in balance; debt amounted to 11% of GDP in 2005. The economy grew again
from 1996, and since 2000, due to large external investments, Latvia has
experienced annual growth rates of 6-8% and a fall in unemployment to 7.5%
(2005). Unofficially, however, it is estimated to be significantly higher, and
the reform process has so far had major social costs; Latvians have the worst
living conditions in the EU. The country became a member ofWTO in 1999, by the
EU in 2004 and is expected to join EMU in 2008. Economic growth has led to
increasing imports and triggered a trade deficit, which since 1996 has been
approximately 20% of GDP.
Russia remained Latvia's largest trading partner in the 1990's, and the
Russian crisis of 1998 hit the country hard, but it managed to reorient foreign
trade. In 2005, Lithuania, Germany and Estonia were larger trading partners than
Russia, with the EU accounting for 80% of Latvia's foreign trade. In 2005,
Denmark's exports to Latvia amounted to DKK 1.4 billion. DKK, while imports from
there were 5.3 billion. In the period 1991-2004, Denmark supported Latvia with a
total of DKK 1.3 billion. kr.
Latvia - social conditions
The transition from a planned economy to a market economyafter independence
in 1991, a sharp fall in production both in industry and in agriculture led to
high unemployment and a general fall in living standards as a result. The
changed property conditions created large economic gaps in the community. To a
very large extent, the old communist elite succeeded in taking over the former
state-owned enterprises and transforming themselves into a new upper class,
while in 1996 90% of the population lived below the official poverty
line. However, there was a very large informal (black) sector in the economy,
which is why both living standards and employment rates were estimated to be up
to 50% higher than the officially stated one. The communist system gave the
right to work and pension. With the market economy and its consequences, it
became necessary to introduce tax-based social benefits. Based on Western
welfare models, but with much lower benefits, unemployment benefits, sickness
benefits, child benefits and housing benefits were introduced on an ad hoc
basis. In 1994, social benefits accounted for more than 40% of the state
budget. The retirement age was previously 55 years for women and 60 for men. In
1995, however, a new pension system was adopted; it is gradually implemented and
involves variable retirement age, minimum pension and income-related
benefits.
Latvia - health conditions
Next to Russia, Latvia has the lowest life expectancy for men in Europe,
namely 67 years (2008). For women, it is 77 years old, and the difference is
among the largest in the world. Infant mortality was 8.77 per 1000 live births
in 2008 against 13.0 in 1985.
There is a high mortality rate from cardiovascular disease and cancer
mortality is increasing. Mortality due to accidents, poisonings, including
alcohol, and suicide is also high.
In 1995, Latvia spent 4.2% of GDP on health care, the lowest in the
Baltics. In relation to the salary level, there is a high deductible for
patients for all inquiries to the health service. Latvia has 30 doctors and 111
hospital beds per. 10,000 residents, ie. and approximately twice as large hospital
capacity as in Denmark.
Latvia - legal system
Like the other eastern countries, Latvia has implemented a radical change in
legislation since 1991, which in several respects has brought the country back
to its pre- Soviet state of law.
The new constitution of 1991 reintroduced the constitution of the country
from 1922, and an addition from December 1991 contains the new rules on
Latvian citizenship. Foreigners can obtain Latvian citizenship if they have
lived in Latvia for five years after 4.5.1990, speak Latvian, know the main
features of Latvia's constitution and history and know the national anthem.
Their economy must be stable, they must renounce their previous citizenship
and they must swear an oath of allegiance to Latvia. Marriage with a light does
not make him a Latvian citizen. Former members of the KGB, the Soviet Union
army or other bodies of the Soviet Union can never obtain citizenship.
Of these demands, knowledge of the Latvian language is what has caused the
greatest anguish to the large Russian-speaking part of the population.
The Latvian Civil Code of 1937 was reintroduced in 1992 and has since been
amended several times. It is strongly influenced by the continental civil
justice systems, in particular the French Civil Code and the German PGI.
Latvia - mass media
German-language newspapers were founded in the mid-1800's. and was read by the
German nobility, academics and merchants. The first Latvian newspaper, Latviešu
Avīzes, was published in 1822-1915. This and the following Latvian newspapers
were part of the national revival around the Unglettic movement. Both German and
Latvian newspapers and publications suffered under Russian censorship. In the
interwar period, the authoritarian regime curtailed freedom of the press, and
after Latvia's incorporation into the Soviet Union, the media became one-sided
and subordinate to the Communist Party. Independent mass media first emerged and
grew strongly during the perestroika and independence struggle in the late
1980's.
In 1994, 257 dailies and 213 periodicals were published, many in Russian or
in double editions for the minority. The leading daily newspaper is Diena
(circulation 62,000; Russian edition 16,820 (2006)). The English-language The
Baltic Times (until 1996 The Baltic Observer, circulation approximately 6000) and the
news agency Baltic News Service cover the whole of the Baltics. The state media
includes the news agency LETA as well as radio with three and television with
two programs. In addition, Radio Free Europe and until 1996 the Russian
Ostankino TV. There are private radios as well as municipal, regional and
private TV stations.
Latvia - visual arts and architecture
After the German crusaders entered, the first buildings were built in stone,
Ikšķile Church near Riga from 1185; the later brick churches of St. Peter,
St. James and the large cathedral Doma Baznīca, originally built in Gothic
style, dominated the cityscape of 1200-ts Riga. The magnificent castles
of Jelgava and Rundāle were built in 1736-70 by the Italian-Russian architect BF
Rastrelli. In the late 1800's. The Latvian-born architect JF Baumanis (1834-91)
began the construction of residential properties, stylistically
characterized by the eclecticism of the time. Art Nouveau style characterized
the architecture until the First World War, in the famous Albertagade in
Riga. The founding of the Latvian state in 1918 was marked at the Freedom
Monument Brīvības Piemineklis, built in 1935. Functionalism and neo-eclecticism
were parallel styles until World War II. After the war, impulses from Soviet
architecture were prevalent, and later the construction of social housing
dominated. Postmodern tendencies were first seen in rural areas as attempts to
define regionalism as style using traditional building elements, especially
sloping roofs. Deconstructivism and a free classicism dominated Latvian
architecture in the late 1990's.
The country's visual arts and crafts developed in earnest during the 1800's
and 1900's. In the late 1700's. many Latvian artists received their education in
St. Petersburg and in Western Europe. The Latvian Academy of Arts was founded in
1918. The French-inspired artists J. Rozentāls (1866-1916), J. Valters
(1869-1932) and V. Purvītis (1872-1945) are considered to be the real founders
of Latvian art with landscape paintings in impressionist style. The
country's artists have largely absorbed the modern Western European art trends
of the 1900's. Artisans have also made a name for themselves internationally.
Latvia - literature
The oldest surviving book in Latvian is a Catholic catechism from 1585. Ernst
Glück's (1652-1705) Bible translation from 1691 set the standard for the
language of literature. Indriķis the Blind (1783-1828), whose complete poems
were published in 1806, is considered Latvia's first poet. The country's popular
song treasure, the so-called dainas, which can be traced back to the
1200's, was long despised, but during his work in Riga, Johann Gottfried von
Herder contributedto a reassessment, including a committee in his collection of
folk songs from 1778. The systematic collection was continued by Latvian
academics, in particular Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923). There are a total of
approximately 1.2 million recorded dainas, and they have been the core of the great
singing competitions since 1873. The national revival was also expressed in
Auseklis '(eg. Miķelis Krogzemis, 1850-79) romantic ballads and in Andrejs
Pumpurs' epic The Bear Killer from 1888. The Kaudzīte Brothers (
Reinis, 1839-1920, and Matīss, 1848-1926) published in 1879 Latvia's first
significant novel, The Time of the Land Surveyors.
The realistic breakthrough is mainly due to Rudolf Blaumanis, who also
contributed to the development of the national theater. In the early 1900-t. and
in part also in Latvia's first period of independence, Jānis Rainis was a
central figure in poetry and drama. His wife, Aspazija (egl. Elza Rosenberga,
1868-1943), also had a great influence on modern Latvian poetry, drama and
public debate. WW2and the Soviet takeover drove many writers into exile,
the fairytale poet Kārlis Skalbe (1879-1945), the author Jānis
Jaunsudrabiņš (1877-1962) and the cultural philosopher Zenta Mauriņa
(1897-1978). The Soviet regime's grip on literature loosened in the 1960's, and a
new, experimental generation emerged. Vizma Belševica (b. 1931-2005 da.
Selection of poems: Love, simply, 1992), Ojārs Vācietis (1933-83),
Imants Ziedonis (b. 1933) and others expressed an indirect critique of systems
in their reflective prose and poetry.
Many Latvian writers were involved in the "popular fronts" of the 1980's. When
the country regained its independence in 1991, they - as in all post-communist
societies - had to find a new foothold on the terms of the market economy. The
anthology 11 Latvian Poets (1980) is available in Danish, all with
their debut in the 1970's.
Latvia - dance
The folk dance in Latvia is an important part of the national culture. Since
1958, the Latvian Folklore Archive has carried out an extensive systematic
collection and research of Latvian dance and published several dance
descriptions based on the sources. In the period 1950-70, folk dance was one of
the few forms of national manifestation and was especially practiced as a stage
performance. Since 1960, song and dance festivals have been held regularly. In
the resumption of Latvian folk culture in the 1980's and 1990's, folk dance has
been widespread.
Latvia - music
Latvian folk music has ancient roots and is linked to work and to life and
year celebrations in the countryside. The preserved song repertoire is very
large. The melodies are modal and often move in asymmetrical beats. Whistles,
bagpipes and the citing instrument kokle (see kantele) belong to the
oldest layer of folk music. The newer fiddle music has the violin as its main
instrument and has features in common with the Danish. Today, folk music is
continued, especially by revival groups and in associations.
Riga's flourishing Protestant cultural life in the 16th and 17th
centuries. included both church and secular music. In the German theater in
Riga, from the late 1700's. performed operas and given chamber concerts. The
first Latvian song festival took place in 1873, and composers arranged Latvian
folk melodies for choir. The choral movement quickly became very widespread and
became a strong factor in the preservation of the Latvian language and identity
under Russian rule. 1918-40 there was a lively music life in Riga. The music
from the period is predominantly national romantic.
In the events leading up to Latvia's independence in 1991, mass rallies and
national anthems played a major role. After 1991, several original Latvian
composers have become known in the West, including Pēteris Vasks (b. 1946) and
Pēteris Plakidis (b. 1947).
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