| Location: |
Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between Estonia and Lithuania
|
| Geographic coordinates: |
57 00 N, 25 00 E
|
| Area: |
total:
64,589 sq km
land:
64,589 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
|
| Maritime claims: |
continental shelf:
200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive economic zone:
200 NM
territorial sea:
12 NM
|
| Climate: |
maritime; wet, moderate winters
|
| Elevation extremes: |
lowest point:
Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point:
Gaizinkalns 312 m
|
| Natural resources: |
minimal; amber, peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, arable land
|
| 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.)
|
| 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
|
| Environment - international agreements: |
party to:
Air Pollution, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified:
Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol
|
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