Page last updated on February 23,

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
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 124
land: 62,249 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 2,340 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,382 km
border countries: Belarus 171 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 292 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

Coastline:
498 km
[see also: Coastline country ranks ]

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

Climate:
maritime; wet, moderate winters
More Climate Details

Terrain:
low plain

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 28.19%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.45%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 71.36% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
8 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 (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

Total renewable water resources:
49.9 cu km (2005)
[see also: Total renewable water resources country ranks ]

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 0.25 cu km/yr (55%/33%/12%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 108 cu m/yr (2003)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

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, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

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