a and Lithuania

Flag
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Description: two horizontal bands of maroon (top and bottom),
white (middle, narrower than other two bands)

Geography
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Location: Eastern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, between
Estonia and Lithuania

Geographic coordinates: 57 00 N, 25 00 E

Map references: Europe

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
border countries: 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
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

International disputes: the Abrene/Pytalovo section of border
ceded by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic to Russia in 1944;
the maritime borders with Lithuania and Estonia

Climate: maritime; wet, moderate winters

Terrain: low plain
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
highest point: Gaizinkalns 312 m

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 - Air Pollution, Biodiversity,
Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Ship Pollution, Whaling; signed,
but not ratified - Ozone Layer Protection

People
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Population: 2,468,982 (July 1996 est.)

Age structure:
0-14 years: 20% (male 254,664; female 244,502)
15-64 years: 66% (male 775,690; female 848,128)
65 years and over: 14% (male 108,814; female 237,184) (July 1996
est.)

Population growth rate: -1.39% (1996 est.)

Birth rate: 10.94 births/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Death rate: 15.19 deaths/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Net migration rate: -9.69 migrant(s)/1,000 population (1996 est.)

Sex ratio:
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 0.92 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.46 male(s)/female
all ages: 0.86 male(s)/female (1996 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 21.2