Latvia
| Population | 2.3 m |
| Capital | Riga |
| Surface area | 62,300 km2 |
| Official Language | Latvian |
| Gross domestic product (GDP) (in euros) | 25.37 bn |
| GDP as a % of EU-27, based on 2009 data | 0.2 |
| GDP per capita by purchasing power standards (indexed to EU average of 100) | 55.8 |
| Currency | Lats (LVL) |
| Human development index (HDI), an index based on life expectancy, education and GDP (max. 1) | 0.855 |
| World rank in HDI | 45/177 |
| Key economic sectors (% of GDP in 2002) | Services (70.6); industry (24.7); agriculture (4.7) |
| Unemployment in January 2010 | 22.9% (source: http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table) |
| Main religious denominations | Roman Catholic (0.5); Lutheran (0.4) |
| Political system | Legislative power is held by a unicameral parliament elected every four years. Executive power is held by a Council of Ministers drawn from the parliament. |
| Electoral system | The one-hundred deputies of the parliament are elected by proportional representation with a five percent threshold. |
| Current (March 2010) leaders | Prime minister: Valdis Dombrovskis (b. 1971), since June 2009 |
| Previous leaders: | Prime ministers: Ivars Godmanis (2007-09); Aigars Kalvitis (2004-09); Indulis Emsis (2004) |
| Joined the EU/EC | 2004 |
| Commissioner from country in Barroso II College of Commissioners, and portfolio | Andris Piebalgs (Development) |
| Number of MEPs | 9/754 |
| Turnout in 2009 EP elections (%) | 53.1 |
| Member of eurozone | No |
Except where a specific reference is inserted, the sources for this profile are either Neill Nugent’s book itself, or Barry Turner (ed.), The Statesman’s Yearbook Online, Basingstoke and New York: Palgrave Macmillan. If your library subscribes, you can gain access at
http://www.statesmansyearbook.com