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.)