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Latvia

Introduction

Latvia

Background: After a brief period of independence between the two World
Wars, Latvia was annexed by the USSR in 1940. It reestablished its
independence in 1991 following the breakup of the Soviet Union. Although
the last Russian troops left in 1994, the status of the Russian minority
(some 30% of the population) remains of concern to Moscow. Latvia
continues to revamp its economy for eventual integration into various
Western European political and economic institutions.

Geography Latvia

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 water: 1,000 sq km land: 63,589 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

Coastline: 531 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

Terrain: low plain

Elevation extremes: lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m highest point:
Gaizinkalns 312 m

Natural resources: peat, limestone, dolomite, hydropower, wood, arable
land, minimal; amber

Land use: arable land: 29% permanent crops: 0% other: 71% (1998 est.)

Irrigated land: 200 sq km 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 (1998 est.)

Natural hazards: NA

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,
and 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,
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

Geography - note: most of the country is composed