The official name - the Latvian Republic.
State system - republic. The head of the state - the President. The head of the government - the Prime minister. A legislature - a unicameral Diet.
The geographical arrangement - the country is in the northeast of Europe. On the north borders on Estonia (the general border - 339 km), in the east - with Russia (217 km), in the south - with Belarus (141 km) and Lithuania (453 km). In the west омивається Baltic sea.
On June, 13th, 1990 in Latvia the Law on an agrarian reform after which the further instructions directed on realisation of land reform have gone, privatisation of the agricultural enterprises and cattle-breeding complexes, and also on improvement of the taxation of farmland has been passed. The new structure of an agricultural production could to lead only through certain time to change of the former relations in agriculture. According to the general economic situation in the country in transition to the market, sharp recession of volume of manufacture of agricultural production at first took place. Internal demand for agricultural products has decreased, the big cattle-breeding complexes have been liquidated, the part of areas under crops was not processed.
Throughout last years the economic situation in the country was stabilised, economic integration development has led to change of streams of foreign trade. Thus, EU particle in foreign trade of Latvia has considerably raised and for today makes 65 % of export compared with 1991. Similar changes have taken place also in import structure in which EU particle makes 52 %. At the same time the trading particle of the CIS countries remains on equal 1990 and makes 17 % on import and 9 % on export.
Latvia - the industrially-agrarian country. Leading areas of the industry - mechanical engineering and metal working. Developed power mechanical engineering, the electrotechnical, radio-electronic industry, manufacture of a communication facility and instrument making, transport and agricultural mechanical engineering.
Privatisation of a state ownership and returning to its former proprietors (after nationalisation in 1940 х years) passed slowly. Factories and collective farms often turned to the co-operative enterprises. The number of the enterprises which had private owners, gradually increased (in 1997 their particle in gross national product made 60 %). Many of them have adjusted partnership with investors of other countries, especially from Sweden, Germany and Poland. In 1994 and 1995 economic reforms have yielded the first results. The rate of inflation continued to decrease (to 26 % in 1995). Ten years' recession of a total internal product (gross national product) was slowed down in 1993, and in 1994 of gross national product has started to increase. Till 1994 there is more than half of all agricultural grounds it has been transferred farmers whereas other part of the earth has passed at a hand of agricultural co-operatives. Privatisation of the city property passed more slowly, and incomes of townspeople remained low.
In 1992-1993 Latvia has begun economy reorganisation, being guided by market principles. A number of its sectors (trade, services, banks) were deprived of the state control; in other sectors (formation, public health services) this control has remained.
Same concerns also the prices. The state fixed prices for certain essential commodities, and for others remained there were market prices. To soften rise in prices consequences, the government has established a minimum level of the wage salary and supported to needy layers of the population. The spring of 1993 instead of Soviet карбованца had been entered national currency - an armour, adhered to German. To spring of 1994 the firm policy of the Central bank of Latvia has lowered inflation in the country to 37 % compared with 109 % in 1993
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