Latvia Geography - 2023

GEOGRAPHICAL NAMES 

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

land: 62,249 sq km

water: 2,340 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries

total: 1,370 km

border countries (4): Belarus 161 km; Estonia 333 km; Lithuania 544 km; Russia 332 km

Coastline

498 km

Maritime claims

territorial sea: 12 nm

exclusive economic zone: limits as agreed to by Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Sweden, and Russia

continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation

Climate

maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain

low plain

Elevation

highest point: Gaizina Kalns 312 m

lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m

mean elevation: 87 m

Natural resources

peat, limestone, dolomite, amber, hydropower, timber, arable land

Land use

agricultural land: 29.2% (2018 est.)

arable land: 18.6% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0.1% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 10.5% (2018 est.)

forest: 54.1% (2018 est.)

other: 16.7% (2018 est.)

Irrigated land

6 sq km (2016)

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

Population distribution

largest concentration of people is found in and around the port and capital city of Riga; small agglomerations are scattered throughout the country

Natural hazards

large percentage of agricultural fields can become waterlogged and require drainage

Geography - note

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

NOTE: The information regarding Latvia on this page is re-published from the 2023 World Fact Book of the United States Central Intelligence Agency and other sources. No claims are made regarding the accuracy of Latvia 2023 information contained here. All suggestions for corrections of any errors about Latvia 2023 should be addressed to the CIA or the source cited on each page.