tons in 2003 (2005)

This page was last updated on 20 October, 2005

======================================================================

@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 joined both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

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
land: 63,589 sq km
water: 1,000 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:
territorial sea: 12 nm
exclusive economic zone: 200 nm
continental shelf: 200-m depth or to the depth of exploitation

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, amber, hydropower, wood, arable land

Land use:
arable land: 29.67%
permanent crops: 0.47%
other: 69.86% (2001)

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, 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, Endan