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(On games) "We play with guns."
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| Martens lives in Latvia, a former Soviet republic. A healthy 10-year-old, he seems to have escaped the illnesses and birth defects so common in his country -- just a few hours drive from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster site. Latvia itself has suffered acute environmental damage on its Baltic coast. And then there is the Soviet economic legacy. After working double shifts to support his family for the past decade, Marten's father has lost much of his vision and is unable to work. His mother, now the sole bread-winner, has recently taken a new job on the government's environmental clean-up task force. |
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| Gross National Income Rank (of 207, 1999) |
95th |
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| GNI per Capita (USD, 1999) |
$2,430 |
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| Percentage of Pop. Under 14 Years (2000, est.) |
18% |
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| Life Expectancy at Birth (in years, 1999) |
70 |
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| Infant Mortality (per 1,000 live births, 1999) |
14 |
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| Child Malnutrition (% underweight, 1999) |
No data |
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| Access to Improved Water (% pop., 1999) |
No data |
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| Health Spending (% of GDP, 1997) |
6.1% |
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| Ratio, Doctors to People (1996) |
1:8,541 |
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Primary School Enrollment
(average for region, 1998) |
93% |
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| Female Net School Enrollment (1997) |
87% |
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| Education Spending (% of GDP, 1996) |
6.5% |
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| Compulsory Education |
9 yrs |
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| Literacy Rate (2000, est.) |
99% |
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Data Sources: World Bank Atlas 2001, Facts on File
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