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Latvia: Latvia Geography Profile 2012

2012/03/15

Latvia Geography Profile 2012

Glaciers formed the majority there are thousands of years .. Most of the land is flat or slightly undulating, and in some areas there are glacial hills, some reaching up to 1,000 feet (300 m) altitude. Bogs and small glacial lakes dot the land. parts of sand dunes on the coast.

largest river of Latvia is the Western Dvina (Daugava or), which flows north-western Belarus and flows into the Gulf of Riga. Other significant rivers include the Gauja, Venta, and Lielupe.

Latvia's climate is tempered by the sea and is moderately continental. The average temperature of about 20 ° to 23 ° F (-7 ° to -5 ° C) in January and 62 ° to 65 ° F. (17 ° to 18 ° C) in July. The annual pre-

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

Comparison to the world:

123

Land:

62,249 sq km

Water:

2,340 sq km

Area comparative:

slightly larger than West Virginia

Land boundaries Total:

1,382 km

Land boundaries Note:

Border countries

Countries:

Belarus 171 km, Estonia 343 km, Lithuania 576 km, Russia 292 km

Coastline

Value:

498 km

Note:

Maritime claims

Territorial sea:

12 nm

Exclusive economic zone:

200 nm

Climate:

maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain:

low plain

Elevation extremes

Lowest point:

Baltic Sea 0 m

Highest point:

Galzina Kalns 312 m

Natural resources:

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

Land use

Kind:

arable land

Percentage:

28.19%

Year:

2005

Kind:

permanent crops

Percentage:

0.45%

Kind:

other

Percentage:

71,36%

Irrigated land

Value:

200 sq km

Year:

2003

Total renewable water resources

Value:

49.9 cu km

Year:

2005

Freshwater withdrawal (domestic/industrial/agricultural)

Total:

0.25 cu km/yr (55%/33%/12%)

Per capital:

108 cu m/yr (2003)

Natural hazards:

Environment - current issues:

Latvia's environment has benefited from a shift to service industries after the country regained independence; the main environmental priorities are improvement of drinking water quality and sewage system, household, and hazardous waste management, as well as reduction of air pollution; in 2001, Latvia closed the EU accession negotiation chapter on environment committing to full enforcement of EU environmental directives by 2010

Environment - international agreements

Party to:

Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands

Signed but not ratified:

none of the selected agreements

Geography note:

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

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