Page last updated on February 23,

Location:
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Latvia and Russia

Geographic coordinates:
56 00 N, 24 00 E

Map references:
Europe

Area:
total: 65,300 sq km
[see also: Area - total country ranks ]
country comparison to the world: 123
land: 62,680 sq km
[see also: Area - land country ranks ]
water: 2,620 sq km
[see also: Area - water country ranks ]

Area - comparative:
slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries:
total: 1,574 km
border countries: Belarus 680 km, Latvia 576 km, Poland 91 km, Russia (Kaliningrad) 227 km
[see also: Land boundaries country ranks ]

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

Maritime claims:
territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate:
transitional, between maritime and continental; wet, moderate winters and summers
More Climate Details

Terrain:
lowland, many scattered small lakes, fertile soil

Elevation extremes:
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - lowest point country ranks ]
highest point: Aukstojas 294 m
[see also: Elevation extremes - highest point country ranks ]

Natural resources:
peat, arable land, amber

Land use:
arable land: 44.81%
[see also: Land use - arable land country ranks ]
permanent crops: 0.9%
[see also: Land use - permanent crops country ranks ]
other: 54.29% (2005)
[see also: Land use - other country ranks ]

Irrigated land:
13.4 sq km (2008)
[see also: Irrigated land country ranks ]

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

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural):
total: 3.33 cu km/yr (78%/15%/7%)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - total country ranks ]
per capita: 971 cu m/yr (2003)
[see also: Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural) - per capita country ranks ]

Natural hazards:
NA

Environment - current issues:
contamination of soil and groundwater with petroleum products and chemicals at military bases

Environment - international agreements:
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

Geography - note:
fertile central plains are separated by hilly uplands that are ancient glacial deposits