Military branches Ground Forces, Navy, Air and Air Defense Forces, Security Forces, BorderGuard, Home Guard (Zemessardze)

Military manpower - military age 18 years of age

Military manpower - availability
males age 15-49: 575,121 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service
males: 450,640 (1997 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually
males: 16,323 (1997 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure 176 million rubles (1994); note - conversion of defense expendituresinto US dollars using the prevailing exchange rate could produce misleading results

Military expenditures - percent of GDP 3% to 5% (1994)

Disputes - international based on the 1920 Treaty of Riga, Latvia had claimed the Abrene/Pytalovosection of border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944; disputes maritime border with Lithuania (primary concern is oilexploration rights)

Illicit drugs transshipment point for opiates and cannabis from Southwest Asia andcocaine from Latin America to Western Europe and Scandinavia; produces illicitamphetamines for export

Current issues Lebanon has made progress toward rebuilding its political institutionsand regaining its national sovereignty since the end of the devastating 16-yearcivil war, which began in 1975. Under the Ta'if Accord - the blueprint fornational reconciliation - the Lebanese have established a more equitable politicalsystem, particularly by giving Muslims a greater say in the political process.Since the end of the civil war, the Lebanese have formed five cabinets andconducted two legislative elections. Most of the militias have been weakenedor disbanded. The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has seized vast quantities ofweapons used by the militias during the war and extended central governmentauthority over about one-half of the country. Hizballah, the radical Shi'aparty, retains most of its weapons. Foreign forces still occupy areas of Lebanon.Israel maintains troops in southern Lebanon and continues to support a proxymilitia, the Army of South Lebanon (ASL), along a narrow stretch of territorycontiguous to its border. The ASL's enclave encompasses this self-declaredsecurity zone and about 20 kilometers north to the strategic town of Jazzin.Syria maintains about 30,000 troops in Lebanon. These troops are based mainlyin Beirut, North Lebanon, and the Bekaa Valley. Syria's deployment was legitimizedby the Arab League during Lebanon's civil war and in the Ta'if accord. Citingthe continued weakness of the LAF, Beirut's requests, and failure of the LebaneseGovernment to implement all of the constitutional reforms in the Ta'if accord,Damascus has so far refused to withdraw its troops from Lebanon.

NOTE: The information regarding Latvia on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Latvia Military 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Latvia Military 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.