Latvia Geography 1997

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

Geographic coordinates 57 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references Europe

Area
total: 64,100 sq km
land: 64,100 sq km
water: 0 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
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea : 12 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain low plain

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

Natural resources minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite

Land use
arable land: 27%
permanent crops : 0%
permanent pastures: 13%
forests and woodland: 46%
other: 14% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land 160 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards NA

Environment - current issues air and water pollution because of a lack of waste conversion equipment;Gulf of Riga and Daugava River heavily polluted; contamination of soil andgroundwater with chemicals and petroleum products at military bases

Environment - international agreements
party to : Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, OzoneLayer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements

NOTE: The information regarding Latvia on this page is re-published from the 1997 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Latvia Geography 1997 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Latvia Geography 1997 should be addressed to the CIA.