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, 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, Climate
Change-Kyoto Protocol, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone
Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Wetlands
signed, but not ratified: Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants
Geography - note:
most of the country is composed of fertile, low-lying plains, with
some hills in the east