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 of fertile, low-lying plains, with some hills in the east
People Latvia
Population: 2,366,515 (July 2002 est.)
Age structure: 0-14 years: 15.8% (male 191,116; female 182,692) 15-64 years: 68.6% (male 775,481; female 847,261) 65 years and over: 15.6% (male 120,304; female 249,661) (2002 est.)
Population growth rate: -0.77% (2002 est.)
Birth rate: 8.27 births/1,000 population (2002 est.)
Death rate: 14.74 deaths/1,000 population (2002 est.)