Latvia Geography - 2024

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

Area comparison map:

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