Location Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania

Geographic coordinates 57 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references Europe

Area
total: 64,589 sq km
water: 1,000 sq km
land: 63,589 sq km

Area - comparative slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries
total: 1,150 km
border countries: Belarus 141 km, Estonia 339 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km

Coastline 531 km

Maritime claims
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM

Climate maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain low plain

Elevation extremes
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m

Natural resources peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, wood, arable land, minimal; amber

Land use
arable land: 29%
permanent crops: 0%
other: 71% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land 200 sq km
note: land in Latvia is often too wet, and in need of drainage, not irrigation; approximately 16,000 sq km or 85% of agricultural land has been improved by drainage (1998 est.)

Natural hazards NA

Environment - current issues Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household and hazardous waste management, and reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010

Environment - international agreements
party to: Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol

Geography - note most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east

NOTE: The information regarding Latvia on this page is re-published from the 2002 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Latvia Geography 2002 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Latvia Geography 2002 should be addressed to the CIA.