Latvia Geography:
Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
Geographic coordinates:
57 00 N, 25 00 E
Map references:
Area:
total:
64,589 sq km
land:
63,589 sq km
water:
1,000 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 NM depth or to the depth of exploitation
territorial sea: 12 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 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, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land
Land use:
arable land: 29.67%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 69.86%
(2001)
Irrigated land:
200 sq km (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, as well as 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, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements (none of the selected agreements)
Geography - Note:
Most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east |
