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Poverty & Hunger

Republic of

Latvia

In the early years of the 21st Century

Description: Description: Latvia

CAUTION:  The following links and accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation in Latvia in the early years of the 21st Century.  Some of these links may lead to websites that present allegations that are unsubstantiated, misleading or even false.   No attempt has been made to validate their authenticity or to verify their content.

HOW TO USE THIS WEBPAGE

Students

If you are looking for material to use in a term-paper, you are advised to scan the postings on this page and others to see which aspects of poverty are of particular interest to you.  You might be interested in exploring the relationship between distribution of labor and per-capita GDP, for example.  Perhaps your paper could focus on life expectancy or infant mortality.  Other factors of interest might be unemployment, literacy, access to basic services, etc.  On the other hand, you might choose to include some of the possible outgrowths of poverty such as Human Trafficking, Street Children, or even Prostitution.  There is a lot to the subject of Poverty.  Scan other countries as well as this one.  Draw comparisons between activity in adjacent countries and/or regions.  Meanwhile, check out some of the Term-Paper resources that are available on-line.

Teachers

Check out some of the Resources for Teachers attached to this website.

*** Extreme Weather ***

Latvia experiences a range of extreme weather events, which can have significant impacts on the country.  In an unusual event, Latvia witnessed exceptionally warm weather in January 2002. Temperatures reached 16.4°C, breaking the country’s previous record for January highs by a significant margin. – adapted from Microsoft BING Copilot

*** ARCHIVES ***

The World Factbook - Latvia

U.S. Central Intelligence Agency CIA

www.cia.gov/library/publications/resources/the-world-factbook/geos/lg.html

[accessed 1 January 2021]

World Factbook website has moved to ---> www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/latvia/

[accessed 6 January 2021]

Latvia is a small, open economy with exports contributing more than half of GDP. Due to its geographical location, transit services are highly-developed, along with timber and wood-processing, agriculture and food products, and manufacturing of machinery and electronics industries. Corruption continues to be an impediment to attracting foreign direct investment and Latvia's low birth rate and decreasing population are major challenges to its long-term economic vitality.

GDP - per capita (PPP): $27,700 (2017 est.)

Labor force - by occupation:

agriculture: 7.7%

industry: 24.1%

services: 68.1% (2016 est.)

Unemployment rate: 8.7% (2017 est.)

Population below poverty line: 25.5% (2015 est.)

Maternal mortality rate: 19 deaths/100,000 live births (2017 est.)

Infant mortality rate: total: 5 deaths/1,000 live births

Life expectancy at birth: total population: 75.4 years

Drinking water source: improved: total: 98.6% of population

Physicians density: 3.19 physicians/1,000 population (2017)

Sanitation facility access: improved: total: 94.3% of population

Electricity access: electrification - total population: 100% (2016)

The Borgen Project - Latvia

borgenproject.org/category/latvia/

[accessed 14 February 2021]

The Borgen Project works with U.S. leaders to utilize the United States’ platform behind efforts toward improving living conditions for the world’s poor.  It is an innovative, national campaign that is working to make poverty a focus of U.S. foreign policy.  It believes that leaders of the most powerful nation on earth should be doing more to address global poverty. From ending segregation to providing women with the right to vote, nearly every wrong ever righted in history was achieved through advocacy. The Borgen Project addresses the big picture, operating at the political level advancing policies and programs that improve living conditions for those living on less than $1 per day.

~ 5 Facts About Healthcare In Latvia

borgenproject.org/healthcare-in-latvia/

~ Examining Homelessness In Latvia

borgenproject.org/homelessness-in-latvia/

~ An Introduction To Hunger In Latvia

borgenproject.org/hunger-in-latvia/

~ 10 Facts About Life Expectancy In Latvia

borgenproject.org/life-expectancy-in-latvia/

~ Top 10 Facts About Living Conditions In Latvia

borgenproject.org/top-10-facts-about-living-conditions-in-latvia/

~ Education In Latvia: An End To Discrimination

borgenproject.org/education-in-latvia-an-end-to-discrimination/

~ How To Help People In Latvia

borgenproject.org/how-to-help-people-in-latvia/

~ Mass Emigration Impacts Latvia Poverty Rate

borgenproject.org/emigration-latvia-poverty-rate/

~ Reduced Prevalence Of Common Diseases In Latvia

borgenproject.org/reduced-common-diseases-in-latvia/

Looking back a few years …

Advameg, Inc., Encyclopedia of the Nations

www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Europe/Latvia-ECONOMY.html

[accessed 1 January 2021]

Since independence was achieved in 1991, Latvia continued with its privatization program and market reforms in the hope of qualifying for EU accession. By mid-2003, 98% of former state-owned industries had been sold, and the private sector accounted for two-thirds of GDP.

Latvian governments in the early 2000s implemented strict monetary policies and liberal trade policies, attempted to keep budget deficits low, and tried to provide for a more competitive economic environment. Latvia attracted a large amount of foreign direct investment since 1991; Demark was its largest investor. However, investors who shy away from Latvia often do so because of corruption, organized crime, excessive bureaucracy, and a need for regulatory reform.

All material used herein reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC § 107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use.  PLEASE RESPECT COPYRIGHTS OF COMPONENT ARTICLES.  Cite this webpage as: Prof. Martin Patt, "Poverty - Latvia", http://gvnet.com/poverty/Latvia.htm, [accessed <date>]