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

Map references: Arctic Region, Asia, Europe, Standard Time Zones of the World

Area:
total area: 64,100 sq km
land area: 64,100 sq km
comparative area: slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries: total 1,078 km, Belarus 141 km, Estonia 267 km, Lithuania 453 km, Russia 217 km

Coastline: 531 km

Maritime claims:
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
territorial sea: 12 nm

International disputes: the Abrene section of border ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944

Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain: low plain

Natural resources: minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite

Land use:
arable land: 27%
permanent crops: 0%
meadows and pastures: 13%
forest and woodland: 39%
other: 21%

Irrigated land: 160 sq km (1990)

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 and groundwater with chemicals and petroleum products at military bases
natural hazards: NA
international agreements: party to - Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution; signed, but not ratified - Biodiversity, Climate Change

NOTE: The information regarding Latvia on this page is re-published from the 1995 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Latvia Geography 1995 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Latvia Geography 1995 should be addressed to the CIA.