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Latvia is the industrially-agrarian country. The country is rather poor for minerals, however there are deposits of dolomite, limestone, peat. The basic share of sector of services of gross national product of Latvia has made 70,6%, industry — 24,7%, agriculture — 4,7%. A basis of the Latvian industry are mechanical engineering and metal working. Basically the labour-consuming goods demanding small expenses of raw material and significant expenses of people’s work are issued: manufacture of the radio-electronic and scientific equipment. Consumer goods of long using also are issued: refrigerators, washing machines, motorcycles. The heavy industry is presented by the enterprises of shipbuilding, heavy mechanical engineering (the mobile train, trams), electric motors, diesel engines, the agricultural equipment. Many enterprises of the food-processing industry operate in Latvia. The agriculture specializes on meat-dairy industries. From all agricultural grounds two third are used under manufacture grain. The others are used under pastures. Among grain crops the greatest distribution was received with rye, commercial crops — sugar beet and flax take small percent of arable lands. Latvia is the unique country of European Union, whose main export goods are saw-timbers (17%) and wood (5%). Almost as much it is necessary on export of iron and metal in peaces. The country also exports machines and the equipment, wood and forest products, metals, textiles, the foodstuffs. Latvia imports oil, machines and the equipment, production of the chemical industry. The basic trading partners are Germany, Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway. Incomes of transit transportations make approximately 66% from all export of services of Latvia. 60% of transit makes transport of oil and mineral oil. The basic direction of transit streams is from Russia and the CIS to the West. Latvia has signed the agreement with Lithuania and Estonia about establishment of the customs union, and consequently volume of trade between these countries is enough big. |
